MAINE
Record: 3-12
Last Game: L, 83-71, at Columbia 12/30
Last 10: 3-7
Last Meeting: Stony Brook 67-66 on 2/12/17; Nyama career-high 26 points, including tie-breaking FT with 0.5 seconds left
KenPom RPI: Stony Brook 193, Maine 335
KenPom Prediction: Stony Brook 77, Maine 62
Listen/Watch:TV:
http://www.espn.com/watch/?gameId=400991534&league=NCAABMaine radio:
https://tunein.com/radio/WGUY-1230-s132177/Stony Brook radio:
http://www.943theshark.com/listenlive.aspxNotables:5-11/185 sr G Aaron Calixte 14.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, .391 3-pt FG%
6-6/210 sr F Ilker Er 9.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
6-7/220 so F Andrew Fleming 8.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg
6-6/180 fr G Isaiah White 8.3 ppg, .391 3-pt FG%
6-5/180 fr G Vernon Lowndes Jr. 7.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, .525 FG%
Square one. Let's start building some momentum right here and now.
Maine's just what we needed – an ideal matchup to start conference play on a positive note. I know, Norfolk State was supposed to be a pushover, but it should be crystal clear to our guys that we can beat and lose to just about anybody.
Maine is perpetually a mess, and little looks different at this point. Two of their three wins came against local Division III opponents, and KenPom projects them to go 0-16 in conference. Wes Myers, their best player a year ago who had 22 against us in our last meeting, transferred to South Carolina in the offseason. He was one of six players, including THREE STARTERS, to leave the program – point guard Ryan Bernstein (Kent State) and Austin Howard (Charleston) being the others.
More on the transfer trend that has plagued Maine:
http://bangordailynews.com/2017/05/14/sports/college/this-is-the-reality-now-umaine-basketball-teams-at-epicenter-of-transfer-trend/So it's not surprising that the Black Bears have been pretty hopeless this winter. In their last three, they were down 19 at the half against Columbia only to crawl back within 12, down 34 at one point at UMass before losing by 11, and a 27-point loss at Central Connecticut State.
But who here is ready to take anybody lightly???
There are still some familiar faces from years past. Calixte and Er are going to fire away from three, and Fleming is a solid post option who was named to the AE All-Rookie team last year. They're likely to be without transfer guard Trae Bryant, who started the first seven games but has missed the last eight with an undisclosed injury.
Let's just cut the crap and take care of business.
Happy new year, all!