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ORONO – Expectations are only significant when they are one’s own. That was the theory espoused Tuesday by University of Maine basketball coaches and players in relation to preseason polls during Tuesday’s America East media day at UMaine’s Dexter Lounge.
For the third straight year, America East coaches picked coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie’s Black Bear women to win the America East championship. Junior point guard Cindy Blodgett was a unanimous choice, and senior center Stacey Porrini also was named to the all-conference team.
Blodgett also received votes for the Associated Press preseason women’s All-America team, which was released Tuesday.
The Maine women received nine out of 10 possible first-place votes to tally 99 points, edging Vermont, which registered 91 points and one first-place vote. New Hampshire placed third with 78 points.
Coach John Giannini’s Black Bear men were tabbed the No. 6 team in the sampling of America East coaches. Boston University was ranked No. 1 with 99 points and nine first-place votes, followed by three-time defending champ Drexel (90 points, one first-place vote) and Delaware (78 points).
America East women’s coaches have accurately predicted UMaine’s success the last two years. The Bears boast Blodgett, last season’s conference Player of the Year and the nation’s leading scorer with 27.8 points per game, and Porrini, an all-league, first-team choice.
Maine also features nine underclassmen, but Palombo doesn’t expect any less than a league title.
“I think there’s a hunger that is very clear,” Palombo said. “I think we’ve been striving to try to get some recognition at the national level. We’ve taken little small steps to achieving that, but we haven’t consistently taken the steps we need to take.”
Porrini and Blodgett both preferred to defer any personal preseason accolades.
“It’s a nice honor and I think it’s something to strive for, but I’m just focusing on our season and where we want to go as a team more so than where I’m picked individually,” Porrini said.
Joining Blodgett and Porrini on the America East preseason squad are three other all-conference picks from last season. They are Sheila Danker of New Hampshire, Jen MacNeill of Drexel, and Vermont’s Alex Lawson.
America East coaches ranked the UMaine men sixth, but the coaches haven’t fared well trying to predict the Bears’ finish. Last year, Maine was selected seventh in the preseason poll, but finished third in the league tournament.
Giannini, who picked his own team fifth in the 10-team conference, has lofty goals for his team.
“I think that standards have to be set extremely high,” Giannini said. “The last thing I want to do is set standards for a .500 season or a winning season because I think we have some players who are capable of more than that.”
“I think our standard every year should be to compete for the America East championship,” Giannini said. “It’s a very difficult goal. I think an awful lot of things have to go right for us to approach that.”
Jeff Myers and Mike DeRocckis of Drexel, Tunji Awojobi of Boston University, Greg Smith of Delaware, and Hartford’s Ryan Howse were the men’s all-league choices.
There is no lack of motivation among UMaine’s captains, who are determined to make this season a success despite the departure of coach Rudy Keeling and his staff, and two 7-foot recruits.
“There was a fire that was ignited in everybody’s eyes the first time we took the floor in preseason,” said senior Terry Hunt. “We saw that even though it was a traumatic time through all the transitions that we had to go through, everybody was ready to get it done regardless.”
“To lose some of the guys that we have on this team right now would have been more of a loss than losing some recruits,” said senior Ramone Jones.
Women’s All-America
The 1996-97 Associated Press preseason women’s All-America basketball team with school, height, class and last season’s statistics; vote total by a national media panel in parentheses:
Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee, 6-2, sophomore, 16.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.1 apg (39)
Kate Starbird, Stanford, 6-2, senior, 20.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.5 apg, 84.7 ft pct (39)
Kara Wolters, Connecticut, 6-7, senior, 18.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 105 blocks, 63 fg pct (37)
Shalonda Enis, Alabama, 6-1, senior, 23.9 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.1 steals (32)
La’Keshia Frett, Georgia, 6-3, senior, 14.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 52.1 fg pct, 84.1 ft pct (17)
Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Keisha Anderson, Wisconsin; CINDY BLODGETT, MAINE; Tamecka Dixon, Kansas; Katryna Gaither, Notre Dame; Tiffany Gooden, Iowa; Marion Jones, North Carolina; Beth Morgan, Notre Dame; Ticha Penicheiro, Old Dominion; Angie Potthoff, Penn State; Nykesha Sales, Connecticut; Christy Smith, Arkansas; Tora Suber, Virginia; Tina Thompson, Southern Cal; Jamila Wideman, Stanford; Kim Williams, DePaul; Dana Wynne, Seton Hall.
College AMERICA EAST POLLS Women’s Preseason Coaches’ Poll Rank, team (1st-place votes) Points
1. Maine (9) 99
2. Vermont (1) 91
3. New Hampshire 78
4. Hartford 70
5. Drexel 48
Northeastern 48
7. Delaware 40
8. Boston University 35
9. Towson State 20
10. Hofstra 16
America East Men’s Preseason Coaches’ Poll Rank, team (1st-place votes) Points
1. Boston University (9) 99 pts.
2. Drexel (1) 90
3. Delaware 78
4. Hofstra 60
5. Hartford 51
6. Maine 44
7. Towson State 41
8. Vermont 32
9. Northeastern 28
10. New Hampshire 21
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