Many of Maine’s most highly-regarded boys basketball players have chosen in recent years to attend schools other than the University of Maine.
Andrew Fleming is planning to buck that trend.
The 6-foot-7 forward from South Paris has verbally committed to join coach Bob Walsh’s Black Bears program beginning in the fall of 2016, according to a post on Fleming’s Instagram account that read, “Going to UMO #pumped #hoops”(.)
Fleming, a Bangor Daily News All-Maine third-team pick last season, was described by New England Recruiting Report’s Adam Finkelstein as a “Long, lefty forward with sneaky bounce & high motor.”
Fleming averaged 16.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.9 steals as a junior last season, helping coach Scott Graffam’s Oxford Hills High School team reach the Eastern Maine Class A quarterfinals.
Last summer, Fleming played on the MBR U-17 team coached by Rick Moore that reached the consolation bracket off the AAU Division I 11th-Grade National Tournament held in Louisville, Kentucky.
Fleming will make his decision official when he signs a National Letter of Intent to attend UMaine during the early signing period, Nov. 11-18. Walsh is prohibited from commenting on Fleming until UMaine has received the signed NLI.
He reportedly also had offers from Division II Bentley and Stonehill.
Fleming will join Garet Beals of Beals Island and walk-on Garvey Melmed of Milford as the Maine players on the Black Bears squad.
In August, Fleming was the top-ranked Maine boys high school player in the Class of 2016, ahead of Hampden Academy’s Nick Gilpin and Shyheim Ulrickson of Mt. Ararat High in Topsham.