His senior season ended in defeat on March 4, but Julian Dunkley’s basketball career took a big step forward on Tuesday … though he may not know it yet.

University of Maine coach John Giannini said Dunkley has earned an invitation to the prestigious Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational, an NBA-affiliated basketball tournament for college seniors.

Assistant coach Ed Jones said the coaching staff received a notification letter on Tuesday, but Dunkley, who is in Florida for spring break, had not been reached by mid-afternoon.

Giannini said the tourney is a huge opportunity for the 6-foot-10, 225-pounder from Cherry Hill, N.J.

“That is a tremendous honor and we are tremendously excited for him,” Giannini said.

“Playing well in this camp dramatically helps a player’s chances of being drafted,” he said.

About 60 college seniors will head to Virginia for the tournament, which runs from April 4-7. Among those players: America East foe Norman Richardson of Hofstra.

Dunkley averaged 15.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for the Bears this season and a second-team All-America East selection.

Giannini believes Dunkley’s most productive playing days were ahead of him.

“I told all the scouts that he’s got a chance to be a much better pro than he was in college,” Giannini said, pointing out that competing against smaller players didn’t allow him to take advantage of his skills.

Dunkley is relatively quick and possesses very good skills for a 6-10 player, and if he is guarded by another big man, he can step out and shoot the 3-pointer.

Jaskulski fired as Towson coach

Former University of Maine men’s basketball assistant coach Mike Jaskulski will not be retained by Towson University (Md.) for the final year of his contract as the institution’s head coach, the school announced Tuesday.

Jaskulski directed the Tigers to a 37-76 record during his four seasons.

“We are concerned with the program’s lack of progress and with the level of competitiveness in America East, in particular with our lack of success against Delaware, Drexel and Hofstra, three schools with which we will continue to maintain long-term athletic affiliations,” said Towson director of athletics Dr. Wayne Edwards.

Towson and the three schools he mentioned will leave the league to join the Colonial Athletic Association for 2002-03.

Prior to taking the Towson job, Jaskulski served as an assistant at the University of Miami, where he worked with current Washington Wizards coach Leonard Hamilton for four years.

Jaskulski spent six seasons at UMaine under former coach Rudy Keeling, who recently was let go as the Northeastern head coach. Jaskulski began his career as the head coach at Loras College (Iowa) from 1984-88.

Jaskulski’s dismissal, coupled with the recent firings of Keeling and Drexel’s’s Steve Seymour, leaves three America East coaching positions vacant.