Maine’s Gordon heading to league rival

The University of Maine’s worst fear involving John Gordon’s transfer has been realized as the basketball captain will head home to the University of Delaware.

Gordon, a 5-foot-10 guard who averaged 14.7 points per game for the Black Bears during his sophomore season, made his decision Monday night.

Gordon will receive a scholarship from Delaware, but can’t play in games next year. He will be allowed to practice and retains two years of eligibility.

Ironically, Gordon received his release to attend America East conference rival Delaware only after a mistake was made on his paperwork.

Both UMaine coach John Giannini and athletic director Sue Tyler originally said that Gordon’s transfer to a league school would be blocked to preserve a healthy competitive atmosphere in the conference.

But Tyler authorized placement of her signature stamp on a form she thought would only give Gordon permission to talk to Delaware. Tyler said she thought a second authorization was needed for Gordon to transfer.

In fact, there was no second form required, and with that stamp Gordon gained the right to go to Delaware if he chose.

Giannini wouldn’t comment specifically about Gordon’s decision Tuesday, but did say that he still felt strongly that in-conference transfers should be avoided.

“You’re with a program that supports you and promotes you, and where you have people who you feel are your friends. It’s very difficult to have someone who you feel so strongly about go to another program that’s trying to stop you from being successful,” Giannini said.

Giannini also pointed at the angry crowds that greet players when they return to their former school as opponents as a bad situation for basketball.

“As a basketball coach I don’t enjoy the negativism that comes from those types of things,” Giannini said.

Gordon announced in March that he intended to transfer primarily because he wanted to move closer to his mother, who lives in Wilmington, Del. Gordon said he never felt comfortable in rural Orono, and with his sister heading to college next year, his mother would be alone at home.

He also mentioned the desire to play in a more competitive conference, but said that was secondary in importance.

Gordon chose the Blue Hens from a list of five schools that offered him a scholarship.

Fordham was never a serious consideration, Gordon said, while Miami, Northwestern and St. Louis were far from Delaware.

“They were at the next level of basketball, which was a positive, but I wouldn’t have been any closer to home,” he said. “This weekend I had to take a step back and look at the reasons I was leaving.”

Gordon had hoped for an offer from St. Joseph’s University in nearby Philadelphia. But the Atlantic 10 school had no scholarships available, he said.

Gordon said he thought about UMaine officials’ stance regarding his transfer to a league school, but felt obligated to return home.

“When it came down to it, I had to take the selfish standpoint. [Fans] don’t know how things are going with my family and how things are going back home. If they did, they’d definitely do the same thing,” he said.

“I tried to avoid [Delaware] for the sake of the University of Maine, but for myself it was the best decision.”

Gordon said he talked with Giannini about the transfer of former Mountain Valley schoolboy star Andy Bedard from Boston College to Maine, but the prospect of Bedard as a backcourt mate for a year didn’t sway him.

Gordon’s transfer sets up the return of an immensely popular hoop hero to Delaware.

Sellout crowds were the norm during his high school days at St. Mark’s High, while the Black Bears were greeted by enthusiastic road throngs at Delaware due to Gordon.

“There’s probably 600 people who come [to Delaware games when Maine’s in town] from my high school, that I know about,” Gordon said. “The other people come because they saw me play through high school. It gets filled up every time we go in to play.”

Gordon said the effect he has on crowds in Delaware will be mirrored when Bedard hits the Alfond Arena floor.

“With Andy and I [transferring to our home states], I think we’re creating a lot of excitement in our conference.”

Gordon holds Maine records for most 3-pointers attempted and made in a season, and was the league’s top shooter from behind the arc last season.