UMass is Pulling Out All the Stops

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I present you with some great news for out beloved University of Massachusetts.  With the basketball team's potential for success being as high as it's been since the Marcus Camby days of '95-'96, UMass is going balls deep.  Thanks to an anonymous $10 million donation, we will be graced with the presence of the "Champions Center."

The Champions Center will be located right next to the Mullins Center and the ice hockey practice rink. The date for breaking ground has not been announced but construction company contracting bids are due June 5th.

Check out what it's going to look like...

 The Champions Center will be built where the current baseball field is.  A new baseball field will be built near McGuirk Stadium.

Phase 1: Basketball courts and offices.  Phase 2: Offices for other sports and a weight room.  Phase 3: A field house with indoor track and tennis courts.

An exterior view of Phase 1 of the Champions Center.

An interior view of the basketball complex, part of Phase 1.

An exterior view of Phase 1, 2, and 3.

An exterior view of Phase 1, 2, and 3.  In this picture, the Mullins Center is to the immediate left, and the practice rink for ice hockey is to the right.

Although there is no announced date for when this will be completed, it does show that UMass is dedicated to building a solid basketball program in the future.  As a result, the school should look better to recruits, with the bigger and better Atlantic-10 also contributing to the school's attractiveness.  I think a Dr. J statue would be a nice touch to go in the Mullins Plaza (last picture).