Caribou basketball star charged in burglaries All-Maine second-teamer Sam attending UMPI

In April, James Sam was recognized as one of the state’s top high school basketball players when he was named a NEWS All-Maine second-team selection.

On Sunday, Sam was in Houlton County Jail, unable to make bail, after being arrested in connection with various break-ins in Aroostook County.

Sam, 18, was a high school standout at Caribou, where he averaged 24.2 points and 10.7 rebounds a game while helping the Vikings to the Eastern Maine Class A semifinals.

Sam was arrested, along with 19-year-old Brian Saunders and 21-year-old Rodney Towson, and charged in connection with Caribou break-ins at the Catholic Charities, the Doctors’ Center, at the office of Dr. Bruce Freme, as well as at County Auto Parts.

In May, Husson College announced that Sam would head to the Bangor school to study and play basketball. He never ended up making the trip.

“I haven’t [corresponded with him] him since the first week of August,” Husson basketball coach Warren Caruso said Sunday night. “At that time he was all set to come to Husson.”

But Caruso, who said he had difficulty getting in touch with Sam after that, said Sam never showed up for orientation at the school.

“And then, after a number of phone calls, I found out he went over to the University of Maine-Presque Isle to enroll,” Caruso said.

UM-Presque Isle coach Rich Ward said Sam was a part-time student carrying nine credit hours at the school and was ineligible to compete or practice because of his part-time status.

“I think he intended on getting on the team next semester,” Ward said.

Ward said that when Sam arrived at Presque Isle, he was surprised, too.

“One day I saw him unloading things in the parking lot and I said, ‘I thought you were going to Husson.’ I had stopped recruiting him in March,” Ward said.

Ward said he doesn’t know whether Sam will ever play at UMPI.

“If he was on the team, I probably would have dismissed him at this point,” Ward said.

But because Sam isn’t on the team, that makes the situation a bit different, Ward said.

“I don’t know, a year from now, what that will mean for him,” Ward said. “I’m a big believer in second chances. And he is a really nice kid.”