The Minutemen didn't suffer their biggest loss until April. No, not in the NIT, but shortly thereafter.

Coach Travis Ford, who drew interest from several spots including Providence College, wound up at Oklahoma State where he'll be made a rich man and coach in a power conference.

The Minutemen, though, aren't convinced they've taken a step backward. Massachusetts quickly replaced Ford with Memphis assistant Derek Kellogg. The 34-year-old former UMass point guard and team captain was an assistant at Memphis for eight seasons.

"I think everyone will be pleased," said UMass athletic director John McCutcheon, as quoted by MassLive.com.

Kellogg, a legend as a prep in Western Massachusetts, grew up within miles of the UMass campus. His hire is considered a boon by boosters, who expect a positive impact on recruiting trails.

While next season won't be a breeze by any stretch, the Minutemen might have surprised some in 2007-08. Ford had a lot on his plate coming into the season.

The loss of three double-figure scorers and 20-plus rebounds per game from his roster, including A-10 Player of the Year Stephane Lasme, left Ford with an unproven starting five and a major concern about his lack of depth.

He had no problem making do with what he had. Despite a disappointing A-10 tournament loss to Charlotte that obliterated any shot at an NCAA at-large bid, the Minutemen gave their fans a ride to remember by advancing all the way to the NIT championship game. And while a 92-85 loss to Ohio State was displeasing, it was a year to appreciate in Amherst.

"Very proud of these guys. It's been a very fun year, and a great year," Ford said following the loss to Ohio State. "I'm just disappointed that there's no practice tomorrow. I'm just disappointed I can't coach these guys tomorrow. That's the thing that's hit me right now because I have just really, really enjoyed coaching this team, and it's been a lot of fun."

Fun is a word that described the play of the Minutemen all season. Ford used his speedy, athletic personnel to run opponents to death for 40 minutes while scoring 81.5 points per game, second most in the A-10. The Minutemen got 20.1 points per game from A-10 Player of the Year Gary Forbes and 17.9 per game from A-10 Most Improved Player Ricky Harris, and senior Etienne Brower (12.9 ppg) and junior point guard Chris Lowe (12.1 ppg) also produced in double figures.

Even without the NIT title to take home, Forbes and the rest of the UMass seniors have enjoyed their time in Amherst.

"(I) definitely would have liked it to be better, to be the first team to win a championship," Forbes said. "But, we made a difference since I've been here. A lot of fans have come out and supported us and this has been a great roll."

Kellogg's starting point is the backcourt of Chris Lowe and Ricky Harris. The Minutemen are expected to keep the uptempo style of play but might not maintain the pace UMass did last season.

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