UMass has D.C. connection

The zero on the jersey of Javorn Farrell is not a number to the Massachusetts guard. It's the letter 'O' and represents his favorite basketball player, Oscar "The Big O" Robertson.

How did Farrell, a 21-year-old from Woodbridge, acquire an interest in the NBA great who retired 14 years before he was born?

"I saw him on [ESPN] Classic," Farrell said. "And I thought, that's the kind of game I'd like to have."

At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, Farrell has roughly the same dimensions as Robertson, though the junior is quick to admit that his skills come up way short. Still, it can't hurt to emulate the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double in a season, as Robertson did for the Cincinnati Royals in 1961-62.

With his size and versatility, Robertson was ahead of his time. Fifty years later, the most successful college teams hoard such players.

At UMass, Farrell is one of four such players from the Washington area in the eight-man rotation of the rapidly emerging Minutemen. The others are 6-7 junior Terrell Vinson, who played at Montrose Christian and St. Frances of Baltimore, 6-9 sophomore Raphiael Putney (Woodbridge), and 6-8 freshman Maxie Esho (Henry Wise).

Using pressure defense and an up-tempo offense, UMass (17-6, 6-3) of the Atlantic 10 has clinched its first winning season under four-year coach Derek Kellogg, thanks in no small part to the D.C. four.

Saturday in an 86-75 win at George Washington, Vinson played the starring role, matching his career high with 21 points, while Farrell (11 points, four assists), Putney (eight points, eight rebounds), and Esho (five points) filled the stat sheet. The foursome combined for seven steals, five slam dunks and hit 17 of 26 shots (65.4 percent).

"What all those kids bring is they're fierce competitors," said Kellogg, a former point guard at UMass. "As a whole, the kids we've been able to get from this area have been great for our program."

There was a D.C.-area washout last year. UMass took a chance on talented but troubled point guard Daryl Traynham (Henry Wise), who started last year as a freshman but left school after he was suspended for a violation of team rules.

Helping facilitate the D.C. connection has been assistant coach Antwon Jackson, a former assistant at Paul VI and McNamara, who also coached in the D.C. Assault AAU program.

Kellogg also has local ties, assisting Jim Larranaga at George Mason from 1997-99. One of the players he coached, Allen Johnson, lived next door to Putney.

"I came here to play for coach Kellogg," Putney said. "I wanted to be part of something that was ready to take off."

Vinson, who was recruited by Maryland, Georgetown and Louisville, and Farrell, who had offers from GW and St. Bonaventure, were drawn by the prospect of playing early and now are two of the most polished Minutemen.

Putney and Esho, both rail-thin at 185 and 205 pounds respectively, were redshirted upon their arrival and are in the developmental stage. But there's no doubting their explosive ability as both had a pair of eye-opening slam dunks Saturday.

"It was great coming home, especially with a good team," Putney said.