Apparently, Greg Herenda isn't big on easing into things. He'd rather hit the ground running.
When Herenda coaches his first game as the head coach of the UMass Lowell men's basketball team this November, his River Hawks will share the court with the national powerhouse University of Connecticut.
The River Hawks and Huskies will meet in an exhibition game on November 9, in Connecticut.
The site of the game has not been finalized yet, but the game will likely take place at either Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on the UConn campus or at the Hartford Civic Center.
"I think, number one, it's just a great opportunity for our program to play against one of the elite programs, not just regionally, but nationally," Herenda said.
Herenda, a former assistant at ULowell, was named head coach at UMass Lowell in May. He came to the River Hawks from Cabrini College where he was the head coach of the men's basketball team.
The River Hawks finished last season with a record of 12-17 (8-14 in the Northeast-10 Conference). UMass Lowell defeated Merrimack in the first round of the NE-10 Tournament before losing to Assumption in the quarterfinals.
UConn returns four of five starters from a team that was ranked as high as 13th in the nation last winter. Included among the returners is junior big man Hasheem Thabeet. Thabeet ranked third in the nation in blocked shots last season, was named the NABC National Defensive Player of the Year for 2007-08
as well as the Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Overall, Herenda expects the entire experience to beneficial to the program.
"It'll be good for recruiting, showing kids that we're trying to take our program to the next level," Herenda said. "I think it's exciting for everyone involved with the program and the university."
