Black Bears eager to play Top 10 Fightin’ Illini

Huggy Dye remembers the moment he heard his University of Maine men’s basketball team was going to begin his junior season on the road, in his home state, against a national-title contender.

It was early summer. Dye was heading home to visit. And though he didn’t actually call any of the University of Illinois players he’d battled growing up, he did get word out about the impending matchup.

“I sent out little rumors, saying that we’re going to beat ’em up a little bit,” Dye said.

The only problem with that scenario, Dye realizes, is this: Illinois is one of the nation’s tough teams.

“It’s gonna be interesting,” Dye maintains. “It’s gonna be fun.”

It’s also going to be a challenge. The Black Bears will be making their season debut in front of a hostile crowd at Assembly Hall in Champaign (capacity 16,450).

Among the Black Bears with ties to the state of Illinois are Dye, senior forward Carvell Ammons (who played two games for the Illini in 1998), Errick Green (who attended Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Ill.), and coach John Giannini.

Giannini served as a graduate assistant on the staff of former Illini coach Lou Henson from 1987-89, and has fond memories of his time there.

Giannini said Wednesday that he’s looking forward seeing the longtime secretary in the basketball office, Dorothy Damewood.

“Friday’s her birthday, and we’re going to go out to lunch after our shoot-around,” Giannini said.

Giannini said his team’s second game against the Illini in four years is extra special to the players on his roster who grew up watching Illinois play. Giannini said a trip to that region is a yearly part of the Black Bears’ schedule.

“The most important reason we play a Midwest game every year is for our players [to return home] and for our recruiting,” Giannini said.

Giannini said the transition to Maine is easy for Midwest players who grew up with two qualities: an ingrained respect for large state schools, and a tolerance for harsh winter weather.

“At the same time, they are far away from home, and it’s a big thrill to go back home to play,” Giannini said. “It’s even more of a thrill for them to go back and play a Top 10 team.”

Ammons said he’s looking forward to the challenge of playing a potential Final Four squad in his home state, but said he’d like the Bears to play more teams like that one.

“I want to start [the season] tough … I wish we could play all of our non-conference games against Top 25 teams,” Ammons said. “It can’t hurt you. It can only help you. And I think that’s what we need to do if we’re really serious about going to postseason tournaments.”