Bob Walsh’s philosophy about what it takes to become a consistent winner is relatively simple.
“If we’re going to get this thing to a championship level, you show up and bring it regardless of the circumstance,” said the University of Maine’s second-year coach.
“It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. It doesn’t matter where. It doesn’t matter if it’s an exhibition game. It doesn’t matter what the officials called or what combinations we had in the game, or who’s injured,” he added.
Walsh continues to try to instill that kind of relentless intensity as the Black Bears look to rebound from a 3-27 season (2-14 in America East) that was the worst in program history.
Last season, Walsh and his staff began trying to change the culture that existed within the program.
UMaine returns a handful of upperclassmen who were holdovers from the Ted Woodward regime. That contingent, led by senior post player Till Gloger, junior guards Troy Reid-Knight and Garet Beal of Beals Island, and senior guard Shaun Lawton, whose availability is uncertain as he continues to serve a suspension for failure to meet team requirements.
That group represents considerable experience. Gloger (11.5 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, 0.526 field-goal percentage) provides an inside scoring punch, while Beal (6.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg) is coming off an injury-plagued campaign.
Reid-Knight (4.8 ppg) was a 36 percent 3-point shooter a year ago and is a hard-nosed defender, and Lawton (9.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.8 assists per game, 1.9 steals per game), if available, can be a disruptive defensive force and a high-energy player in transition.
“I think the biggest difference is, the guys that are here this year, everyone that made it from last year, they really want to get better, make the team better,” Reid-Knight said.
The Black Bears also return two backcourt catalysts from last season in sophomores Kevin Little and Aaron Calixte. The explosive Little (2.6 apg) is the top returning scorer at 12.5 ppg, and Calixte (7.3 ppg, 3.4 apg, 1.2 spg) is adept at running the offense.
Junior forward Marko Pirovic, who missed most of last season with a nagging foot ailment, has been dealing with a knee injury that could keep him out for an extended period to start this season.
UMaine had the unfortunate distinction of being not only the lowest-scoring team in America East games last season (57.6 ppg), it also allowed a league-high 70.6 ppg. The Black Bears did rank second in free-throw percentage (0.735) and assists (12.9 apg).
However, UMaine hopes to take advantage of its incoming class to achieve significant gains this season.
The freshman contingent includes 6-foot-6 forward Issac Vann and 6-7 forwards Ilija Stojiljkovic and Devine Eke who give the Black Bears more explosiveness and length up front. Other newcomers include guards Lavar Harewood, Walter King, Ryan Bernstein and Dennis Ashley.
Sophomores Garvey Melmed of Greenbush and C.J. Ward help give UMaine more depth.
Vincent Eze, a 6-8 post player, is not eligible this season.
Walsh envisions trying to play 10 or 11 players regularly, which will enable him to have two people at each position and to keep them fresh by rotating the others in often.
However, UMaine has been dealing with a handful of preseason injuries that most recently have sidelined Beal (ankle), Stojiljkoivc (foot), Pirovic (knee) and Harewood (concussion).
Walsh likes what he has seen thus far from his first large recruiting class, which he believes will contribute significantly this winter in helping the program take a significant step forward.
“This group really likes showing up in the gym every day and getting better and playing against each other,” he said. “There’s a lot of personality that I think feeds into the competitiveness.”
Walsh is confident about UMaine putting a more talented and athletic ballclub on the court, and he hopes it will be improved defensively and more competitive on the boards.
“It’s not just points and rebounds and assists but extra-effort plays,” he said.
“I don’t know that we’ll ever have a set rotation,” Walsh said. “We’ve got a lot of guys we feel that can help.”
The soft-spoken Reid-Knight, who admits he has tried to play the father-figure by teaching the newcomers everything he knows about how to be a productive Division I student-athlete, has been impressed by their effect on the team dynamic during the preseason.
“I feel like last year at times when we were losing, we forgot kind of how to pick ourselves up,” he said. “I feel like this year it’s a new start and with all the younger guys coming in with a lot of athleticism, and they really haven’t been through all that, so they’re coming in with a lot of positivity. We’re trying to basically feed off their energy.”
The Black Bears will attempt to build a bit of momentum during their nonleague schedule, which includes guarantee games at Connecticut, Marquette and Boston College. UMaine also will visit LIU Brooklyn, Central Connecticut, Fordham and Holy Cross while entertaining the likes of Longwood, Army, Dartmouth, Quinnipiac and Brown.
The Black Bears open Friday night at UConn.