When guards Jairus Lyles, K.J. Maura and Jourdan Grant exhausted their eligibility for the UMBC men's basketball team last season, it meant 49.2 percent of the Retrievers' offense from a year ago wouldn't return for the 2018-19 season.
UMBC had the fourth-most efficient offense in the America East last year, according to KenPom.com, a college basketball analytics site. The Retrievers shot 38.7 percent from 3-point range as a team, and with Lyles and Maura in particular, they had individuals who could get their own shot and create for others.
The 2018-19 version is different; the Retrievers are on a five-game winning streak and sit in second place in the America East at 6-2 due to their defense. They've held opponents to 54.8 points per game during their winning streak, and one of those games went to overtime.
