AMHERST — When the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team hits the court for its first regular-season game on Nov. 5, eight of the 14 players listed on the roster will be new. Ten of them are either freshmen or sophomores.

Only one Minuteman has been playing for coach Matt McCall for more than two seasons.

"They're young, so they still have things that they don't know," UMass guard Carl Pierre, that lone veteran, said. "There are still going to be growing pains. The pros ... the energy. They're super-excited to play, so it should be good."

Pierre and redshirt junior Keon Clergeot, along with graduate student Djery Baptiste are the real veterans on McCall's squad. Pierre, who played his high school basketball at Boston College High, will be heading into his third season as a regular in McCall's rotation.

"I'm happy with where we're at," McCall said at Media Day on Monday. "I think our energy level and our effort level in practice has been really, really good."

Pierre said the extra energy brought by the seven freshmen on the roster is noticeable, and not just to him and the other veterans.

"I think it's kind of setting up, [for] even later down the line," he said. "I think recruits are coming, seeing the change and seeing the fresh energy, and taking interest in it. As of right now, it's breathing new air into the program. We've been in a drought for lots of years ... but I think this is step one to turn that around."

Pierre is the top returning scorer for UMass, having averaged 11.8 points per game. He started all 32 of the Minutemen's games in last year's 11-21 season.

The Boston native said he likes having so many young players around. He also laughed when he was asked if he remembers being as young as players like Tre Mitchell, T.J. Weeks and John Buggs III.

"When I was their age, I was just kind of like in my own — I wouldn't say world — but I was just trying to learn and catch up to speed," he said. "They're not that different. It's kind of the same."

It took Pierre two full seasons to go from youngster to veteran leader. He was asked how his growth as a player in his first two seasons helped him become the team leader.

"I've seen great ups, super-low lows. So I just think trying to be level with them," Pierre said, "and just try to tell them how to be good on this level."

McCall is happy with Pierre's development as a player and in that position as a leader.

"[Assistant coach Tony] Bergeron gave him the nickname 'Cap.'" McCall said of his junior guard. "He's about all the right things. His energy level, even on the bench, waving a towel when his teammates are doing good things. That's culture. That's the culture we're trying to build. That's the culture we are creating. We've come a long way in the last six or seven months, and it starts with him. He's been unbelievable, not focused so much on himself, but completely immersed in the team.

"Carl wants to win, that's what Carl wants to do."

So if Carl Pierre wants to win games, the obvious question is how good can the 2019-20 Minutemen be?

"I think we can be as good as we want to be," he said. "How bought in we are and how hard we play night in and night out is going to determine how good we are."

Howard Herman can be reached at hherman@berkshireeagle.com, at @howardherman on Twitter, or 413-496-6253.