ORONO, Maine — A tumultuous offseason saw five players transfer out of the University of Maine men’s basketball program.
That included the Black Bears’ top two scorers and three of the team’s four leading point producers last winter, all seeking upward mobility in the Division I ranks after UMaine struggled to an 8-22 season.
Third-year head coach Bob Walsh and his staff have filled those roster slots with a mix of transfers, junior college players and such freshmen as BDN All-Maine first-team pick Andrew Fleming of Oxford Hills in South Paris.
But the process of blending the newest Black Bears with the returning players to form a cohesive team capable of inching its way up the America East ranks remains a work in progress.
UMaine opens its 2016-2017 season Friday at ACC contender Virginia Tech coming off a stunning 80-75 exhibition loss to the small-college University of Maine at Fort Kent on Saturday.
“We didn’t bring it mentally, and if we don’t bring it we’re going to get beat,” said Walsh. “It doesn’t matter who we play. It’s disappointing, but you play exhibition games for a purpose, to learn from them, so I think we’ll do that.”
The Black Bears hope the setback is a wakeup call leading into a challenging nonconference schedule that features road trips to Virginia Tech, top-ranked Duke (Dec. 3) and Providence (Dec. 20).
“I think we’re better off now than we were last year, I really do,” said Walsh. “Now we certainly lost some talent and that hurts, but we replaced it with some talent and some toughness and maturity and hopefully a mentality and an understanding and a commitment level that’s a little different.”
UMaine opens conference play on Jan. 5, 2017, in Bangor against Vermont, which was picked to win America East in the preseason coaches poll.
UMaine was picked to finish last after placing eighth in the nine-team league last season (4-12 AE record).
“It should motivate everyone, because we have to come in every day and fight for spots, get after it and work hard every single day to prove everybody wrong,” said UMaine junior guard Aaron Calixte.
The 5-foot-11 Calixte is the leading returning scorer (10.8 points per game). He is a captain along with senior swingman Garet Beal of Beals Island and junior guard Garvey Melmed of Greenbush.
“Aaron can play both guard spots and really took a big step forward last year as far as leadership and bringing it every day,” said Walsh. “We’re counting on him a lot offensively, defensively and running the team.”
Junior guard Wes Myers, a transfer from Niagara, is expected to complement Calixte in the backcourt, while 6-7 sophomore forward Ilija Stojiljkovic is back after starting 22 games last winter.
“Honestly I look to do whatever the team needs me to do to win,” said Stojiljkovic, who shot 33 percent from 3-point land last season and will be asked to improve upon his 3.7 rebounds per game.
“This group is special. We have a mix of international and American players, but unlike last year we have a lot of veterans, guys who have been around the program for a while,” he added.
Vincent Eze, a 6-8 redshirt freshman, is UMaine’s primary post player, but help could come from the 6-7 Fleming.
“Andrew is going to have the chance to make an impact right away,” said Walsh. “He’s got a chance to be in the lineup, in the rotation. He’s versatile and tough, and he’s been really productive so far.”
The lone fourth-year players on the roster, Beal and 6-7 forward Marco Pirovic, will be rotational players who provide size and versatility as UMaine seeks to battle effectively inside and on the backboards. A third senior, guard Troy Reid-Knight, suffered a preseason ankle injury and is not expected to play this season, Walsh said.
lker Er, a 6-6 transfer from San Jacinto (Texas) Junior College, led the Black Bears in scoring in a preseason win over Husson University of Bangor and could one of their top shooters. Redshirt freshman Dennis Ashley, junior college transfer Austin Howard, freshman Danny Evans and returning sophomore Ryan Bernstein are expected to provide backcourt depth.
Dusan Majstorovic, a 6-5 sophomore guard, will sit out this season after transferring to UMaine from LaSalle.
“We’ve got a a lot of guys that I think can help us,” said Walsh. “The guys who show it on the practice floor and compete and defend like we need them to will probably see more time.”
Walsh has emphasized half-court defense, knowing that UMaine is unlikely to move up the America East standings if it doesn’t improve on the 86.9 points per game it allowed last winter.
“Our half-court defense hasn’t been where it needs to be and that’s on me completely,” said Walsh. “That’s who I am to my core since I’ve been a coach. I always say there are two types of coaches, those that clap when the ball goes in and those who get upset when the ball goes in. I get upset when the ball goes in.”
UMaine’s backcourt-heavy lineup — 13 of the 17 players are listed as guards — is likely to continue to press the attack offensively, but may pull back on the full-court defense it featured last winter.
“We want to get the ball in the air and take advantage of what I think is our skill and versatility at five spots,” Walsh said.
“We were up-tempo defensively last year, too, trying to increase the pace of the game, but I think this year we’ve got to get better on the defensive side of the ball — half-court defense and then clearing the glass.
“That’s the biggest area we need to improve on in order to have a chance in this league.”
