UMBC Basketball Enjoys Best Season in School History

Retrievers earn spot in conference semifinals after being picked 7th in preseason poll

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) men's basketball team is having its best regular season in school history, earning a spot in the conference semifinals. The Retrievers were picked 7th in the preseason poll but have gone 14-2 in conference play this season, led by senior point guard Ace Valentine. UMBC will face the University of Massachusetts-Lowell in the semifinals, looking to avoid a letdown after dominating them twice in the regular season.

Why it matters

UMBC's unexpected success this season comes just a few years after their historic NCAA tournament upset over #1 seed University of Virginia in 2018. The Retrievers' strong performance this year represents a continued rise for the program and a chance to return to the NCAA tournament.

The details

UMBC head coach Jim Ferry brought in 10 new players this season, including 5 from Division II, and they have all come together to form the Retrievers' best team in school history. Senior point guard Ace Valentine, a local product from Mount St. Joseph, has bounced back from a subpar junior year to lead the team. UMBC dominated the America East conference with a 14-2 record, a major turnaround from being picked 7th in the preseason poll.

  • UMBC will face UMass-Lowell in the conference semifinals on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 6 p.m.
  • If UMBC wins, the conference championship game will be played on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 11 a.m.

The players

Jim Ferry

The head coach of the UMBC men's basketball team who brought in 10 new players this season, including 5 from Division II, and has led the Retrievers to their best regular season in school history.

Ace Valentine

The senior point guard for UMBC who is a local product from Mount St. Joseph. After a subpar junior year, he has bounced back to lead the Retrievers this season.

D.J. Armstrong

A graduate student on the UMBC basketball team who has sacrificed for the team's success this season.

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What they’re saying

“We're not paying kids. We don't have a lot of money. We're not doing that stuff. We haven't made that jump yet. I knew for the Division II kids, a lot of it was the opportunity to prove they can play Division I, and some of the resources that we do have is what they don't have in Division II. So, they saw the reward from that way, too.”

— Jim Ferry, Head Coach, UMBC Men's Basketball (WBAL-TV 11 Sports)

“We all just had the same goal: We just wanted to win. When you have guys that want to sacrifice, even if it was me, if it had to be me to sacrifice, I would sacrifice. You know, Josh, he sacrifices, Ace, J.K., we all sacrifice for each other.”

— D.J. Armstrong, Graduate Student, UMBC Basketball (WBAL-TV 11 Sports)

“Coach Ferry came to me and told me what I needed to do, and I took it as a challenge, and I wanted to do my best to do that. And, I know by doing that, I would be a better player anyway.”

— Ace Valentine, Senior Point Guard, UMBC Basketball (WBAL-TV 11 Sports)

What’s next

If UMBC wins their semifinal game against UMass-Lowell, they will advance to the conference championship game on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

The takeaway

UMBC's unexpected success this season, just a few years after their historic NCAA tournament upset, shows the program's continued rise and their chance to return to the big dance. The Retrievers' team-first mentality and willingness to sacrifice have been key to their breakout campaign.