Fresh off the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history, UMBC men's basketball put together a worthy follow-up act during the 2018-19 season. The Retrievers went 21-13 overall, 11-5 in the America East and made it to the conference title game, losing to Vermont.
How did UMBC do it despite losing guards Jairus Lyles, K.J. Maura and Jourdan Grant, all of whom were vital to the Retrievers' Cinderella story in March 2018? Defense. UMBC allowed just 64 points per game, second best in the nine-team America East, and the Retrievers' defensive efficiency was third in the league, according to kenpom.com, a college hoops analytics site.
That made up for the team's struggles on the offensive end. The Retrievers played at a methodical pace, were eighth in the conference in 3-point percentage (32.3 percent) and struggled to find interior scoring. But this year, the Retrievers are seeking more balance as they look to get back to the NCAA Tournament. How will they find more offense?
