ORONO, Maine — Almost a month after he felt a jarring crunch followed by a flood of pain through his entire skull, Malachi Peay doesn’t feel much at all.
That’s probably a good thing.
The sophomore guard on the University of Maine men’s basketball team is still recovering from a fractured upper jaw he suffered in a game against Quinnipiac University at Alfond Arena Nov. 25.
Peay was caught in the midst of a scramble for a loose ball.
“I think I was head-butted. I may have been going down and someone else was on their way up,” Peay explained. “I can’t even explain the pain. It was right in the center of my head.”
Peay underwent surgery three weeks ago.
“They had to wire my teeth together during the surgery. The swelling’s gone down,” Peay said. “I’m not sure exactly what they did, but my face is numb now. That’s the only thing still. I guess my nerves were damaged.”
Six missed games later, Peay is able to take part in pregame drills and figures he’s a week or so away from returning.
“He warmed up today, so he’s getting closer to coming back,” Maine coach Ted Woodward said after Sunday afternoon’s loss to Harvard. “We just have to be careful with him.”
Peay lost some weight during his recovery period while on an applesauce and yogurt diet for a few days while recovering from the surgery.
“I give it a couple more games,” Peay said. “I’ll be protected when I play. Most likely I’ll be wearing a mask.
“I’m not sure exactly when I’ll return, but I want to be out there so bad.”
His teammates feel the same way. Peay was starting to come into his own five games into the season, averaging 2.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and one assist in 14 minutes per game.
Redshirt for McAllian
University of Maine men’s basketball head coach Ted Woodward confirmed that he plans to redshirt former Bangor High School captain Jon McAllian for the 2008-09 season.
The 6-foot-6 freshman guard has not seen any minutes of game action this season and, barring a rash of injuries, Woodward would prefer to preserve McAllian’s four years of eligibility and give the former Mr. Maine Basketball finalist a chance for a more relaxed transition into Division I basketball.
NCAA Division I rules allow all eligible undergraduate student-athletes enrolled in a graduate or professional school of the college or university four years of varsity sports participation within five calendar years of initial full-time enrollment.
Maine lands defenseman
Nick Pryor, the seventh-leading scorer among defensemen in the United States [Junior] Hockey League, has verbally committed to attend the University of Maine in the fall.
Pryor has five goals and 10 assists in 21 games for the Des Moines Buccaneers including 3 & 9 on the power play. His nine power play assists are second among the league’s blue-liners.
“He handles the puck very, very well,” said Des Moines general manager and coach J.P. Parise. “He has a good shot and he’s a very good skater. He’s a good passer. I think he’ll get some playing time on the [Maine] power play next year.”
Pryor’s father, Chris, played at UNH and in the NHL. He is the director of hockey operations for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Nick Pryor, who spent two years in the U.S. National Team Development Program, chose Maine over several other Division 1 schools “because I really liked all the coaches and their track record for developing NHL players is great.
“I’m looking forward to next year. I can’t wait. I knew right after my visit that Maine is where I wanted to end up,” said Pryor, who is 18 years old.
He intends to work on the defensive aspect of his game and become more physical.
“I want to become a more solid, all-around player,” said the 5-foot-11, 185-pound native of Woodbury, Minn.
He originally verbally committed to attend Wisconsin “but I was in ninth grade and made my decision too quickly. I didn’t take everything into consideration. Their coaching style and the style of game they play didn’t fit me any more. Maine fits my style of play more.”
His coming to Maine is dependent upon his acceptance into school and meeting NCAA eligibility requirements.
UMaine football 18th in final poll
The UMaine football team, which this fall advanced to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the first time in seven years, was ranked 18th in the final top 25 poll release by The Sports Network.
Coach Jack Cosgrove’s Black Bears (8-5), who lost at Northern Iowa in a first-round game, moved up two spots from TSN’s last regular-season poll.
UMaine hadn’t been ranked in the season-ending poll since 2002, when it was No. 6 after reaching the national quarterfinals.
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