May 24, 2009

Fresh off a 21-8 season and a berth in the NCAA Division 2 Tournament, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell's men's basketball team is restocking its roster.

The River Hawks have added Methuen High grad Romeo Diaz and former Lexington High star Scotty Tavares-Taylor of Boston.

The 6-foot-4 Diaz averaged 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals and earned All-Merrimack Valley Conference honors last season for Methuen. His high school career was highlighted with a 51-point, 17-rebound, 11-assist performance against Dracut.

Diaz was "one of the first recruits I met when I got the job here," said first-year UMass Lowell coach Greg Herenda. "He will fit right into our pressing and running system exceptionally well."

A four-year player at Lexington High, Tavares-Taylor prepped last year at the Tilton School, leading the program to a 29-2 record and New England and national titles. He averaged 11 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals a game.

"We are very excited about Scotty coming to UMass-Lowell," said Herenda. "Not only is he a very good point guard with tremendous ability, but he stands for everything that our program is about. On the court he will make us that much quicker and deeper at the guard position. Defensively, he has the ability to take our team to another level."