ORONO, Maine — Coming off the worst season in the history of the program, the University of Maine men’s basketball team has a lot of work to do to re-establish itself as a conference contender.
Thus, it isn’t surprising that coach Bob Walsh’s Black Bears were picked to finish last in the America East preseason coaches poll released on Thursday.
UMaine, which posted a 3-27 record last winter, picked up 12 points in the sampling of the league’s nine head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
“When we go play our first league game, you’ll have a hard time finding one of our guys thinking anything about what the coaches thought about in October,” Walsh said of the poll.
Stony Brook was tabbed the preseason favorite, earning seven first-place votes and 63 points. Defending America East champion Albany was second with 55 points and two first-place votes.
Vermont was third with 49 points, while New Hampshire (47) and Binghamton completed the top five, followed by Hartford (24), Maryland Baltimore County (23), UMass Lowell (19) and UMaine.
“Expectations have to be higher,” said UMaine senior forward Till Gloger. “Nobody plans to have a season like last year.
“I really believe in the future of this program,” he added.
UMaine is building around a group that includes four of its top five scorers from 2014-15, led by America East All-Rookie pick Kevin Little, a sophomore guard who averaged 12.5 points per game, and the 6-foot-8 Gloger (11.5 ppg, 4.8 rebounds per game).
Other veterans include sophomore guard Aaron Calixte (7.3 ppg, 3.4 assists per game), sophomore forward Marko Pirovic (7.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg), junior guard/forward Garet Beal of Beals Island (6.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and junior guard Troy Reid-Knight (4.8 ppg).
“We like our work ethic,” Gloger said. “It changed from last year, because everybody knows what the standards are for the program. I think this year the expectations are clear to the veterans.”
Senior guard Shaun Lawton (9.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.9 steals per game) is currently suspended from the team.
The Black Bears have experienced significant roster turnover, adding nine players to a nucleus that includes four returning starters.
“The new guys that have come in are hard workers, have a lot of energy,” Reid-Knight said. “Practice has been a lot more competitive. They just want to win and get better.”
The arrival of the newcomers has helped re-energize the veterans, who are battling to maintain their roles on the squad.
“It’s basically like a dogfight every practice,” Reid-Knight said. “Everybody’s trying to get playing and minutes in practice, so they’re giving their all every day.”
UMaine plays a Halloween exhibition game at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham and takes on Husson University of Bangor in a Nov. 7 exhibition contest at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
The Black Bears’ regular-season opener is Nov. 13 at perennial national power Connecticut.