Center Bailey Breen, who led Oceanside High of Rockland to two State Class B schoolgirl basketball titles in her three years, has verbally committed to attend the University of Maine.
Breen decided to leave Oceanside to play for three-time national champion Montverde Academy in Florida her senior year this season. Her younger sister, Olivia, went with her.
The 6-foot-3 standout received more than 25 scholarship offers.
Breen averaged 28 points per game on 65 percent shooting from the floor last season at Oceanside along with 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.1 blocked shots and 1.2 steals.
She was a Bangor Daily News All-Maine Schoolgirl first team selection after being a second team choice her freshman and sophomore seasons.
Breen said she chose UMaine because Black Bears head coach Amy Vachon “believed in me before anybody else.
“When I was young, she knew I could do it. I’ve had a relationship with them for a long time and I’m a big relationship person,” said Breen.
She said she has been on a “ton of (college) visits and I’ve seen everything. But being (at UMaine) feels like home. I grew comfortable being around them in their environment. They win, their style of play is fitting and I know a lot of girls on the team.
“They are very close and friendly with each other and it’s not fake. I’m really excited for that. I can’t wait to see how everything goes on the court,” she added. “I want to help put Maine on the map even more.”
Breen began practicing with Montverde on Aug. 20 and said she wants to learn as much as she can and she is learning “a lot.
“Everybody is very supportive. I’m playing with and against the best players in the country,” said Breen. “When you’re playing people who are bigger, stronger, faster and better than you, you have to adjust.
“I’m lucky. The coaches are really good and everything we do is explained. They break it down. We watch a lot of film. You know why you are doing what you’re doing. We have multiple options (to score) because we always have five weapons on the court. All 11 players on the team are capable of giving you 30 (points) any night,” said Breen.
Playing on such a talented team should bridge the gap between high school and college fairly well, she said.
“The transition is going to be hard no matter where you come from or how good you are but being here I will be able to bridge the gap as well as it can be bridged between here and there,” she said.
Montverde played in a tournament in October in Memphis and she said she played a half in each game, all of which were wins.
Breen is working on becoming a more consistent 3-point shooter from the college range and said she will obviously have to adapt to the pace of the college game.
She observed that Vachon likes to run her offense through the post and the post players are able to make reads.
“You can pass, step out and shoot the ball, and you can also drive to the basket,” said the daughter of Oceanside coach Matt Breen and wife Liz who like the fact she will have options to do any of those things and won’t be limited.
She is looking forward to playing with 2022-23 America East Player of the Year and two-time America East first team forward Adrianna Smith, one of the league’s top post players if not the best.
Smith has been lost for the season due to knee surgery but has announced her intentions to return to UMaine for a fifth year next season.
“I’m very excited to play with her. If you had the two of us in there together, we could be very dangerous,” said Breen. “(Vachon) said she wouldn’t be opposed to (having Smith and her in the game at the same time) so I’m excited to see how it all goes.”