ORONO, Maine — On the same day that it revealed two more players were transferring to other schools, the University of Maine announced the pending arrival of two new student-athletes.
Marcus Floyd of Wilmington, Delaware, and Ilker Er of Istanbul, Turkey, have committed to play for coach Bob Walsh’s Black Bears starting in the fall.
Junior guard Kevin Little and sophomore forward Devine Eke on Tuesday officially joined Issac Vann, Lavar Harewood and walk-on Walter King as UMaine players transferring out of the program.
Floyd is a 5-foot-10 guard who comes to UMaine from Sunrise Christian Academy, a prep school in Kansas. He previously played two seasons at Trenton Catholic Academy in Hamilton, New Jersey.
“He’s a chip-on-the-shoulder type kid,” Walsh said. “He just plays with something to prove … he’s a competitor, a big-time competitor.”
Floyd averaged 14.7 points per game for Trenton Catholic in the state tournament and helped lead his team to runner-up finish in the Non-Public B South Final as a senior. He spent his first two years of high school at the Phelps School in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
He reportedly also attracted interest from the likes of Texas State, Idaho State, Iona and Louisiana-Monroe.
“Offensively, he is almost impossible to keep out of the paint. I think his toughness and competitiveness sets him apart from other guards,” said Sunrise Christian coach Kyle Bankhead.
“I absolutely loved coaching Marcus and think he can be a high level defender as he learns the defensive system under coach Walsh,” he added.
Er, a 6-6 wing/forward, played at San Jacinto Junior College in Texas, where he averaged 10.0 points and 7.5 rebounds for a team that went 22-10 in one of the top junior college leagues in the country.
“He really has a great reputation as a shooter,” Walsh said.
“He’s also a tough, mature young man with a team-first mindset who will fit in great with our program,” he said.
Er, who previously played for Arlington Country Day in Florida, received scholarship offers from Louisiana State and Rhode Island when he was in high school.