MDI standout commits to Maine Point guard Barker likes school, tradition of Black Bear program

Bracey Barker, the Mount Desert Island girls basketball point guard who has helped lead the Trojans to two straight Class B state titles, has verbally committed to play basketball for the University of Maine, she said Friday.

Barker, who committed in April but chose to wait until school was over for the year to announce her decision, will be a senior at MDI this fall. She will enter UMaine in the 2003-04 school year.

The school has offered her a full scholarship, she said.

Barker said the proximity of the school, the basketball program, and the academic offerings all played into her decision.

That, and growing up at a time when former UMaine star Cindy Blodgett and some of the program’s finest players were winning America East championships.

Barker said she attended several Maine clinics with players like Amy Vachon who conducted lessons.

“I liked watching Jamie Cassidy,” she said. “I grew up with those girls. … I feel pretty honored.”

The 6-foot-1 Barker, who is the daughter of MDI coach Burt Barker, is considered one of the top high school prospects in Maine.

Barker averaged 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists, four steals per game and set a school record for blocks in a season (49).

Among her honors this year, she was voted to the All-Maine first-team, earned the Big East Conference Class B Player of the Year honors and was named the Eastern Maine Class B tournament MVP.

Barker said Black Bear coach Sharon Versyp called her Friday, the first day coaches are allowed to have contact with players.

“The coach and staff, they wanted to know the whole picture [about me],” Barker said.

Versyp hasn’t giving Barker any idea of her plans, but Barker knows exactly what she wants to work on this summer and next winter.

“My strength, mostly, and ball-handling,” she said.

Aside from the tradition of the Maine program and the coaches, Barker said the school’s biology program interests her. The honor roll student is thinking doing something in the field of medicine after she graduates.

Barker had received information from two other schools she was considering, Vermont and Richmond.

Barker’s summer plans include playing AAU basketball on the Northstars team with other top basketball players from Nokomis High of Newport and Cony of Augusta.

Barker pitched for the MDI softball this spring and was named a Penobscot Valley Conference all-star pitcher. She has played soccer in past fall seasons, but may try something else this year.

Versyp cannot comment on Barker or other athletes who have made verbal commitments until they sign a National Letter of Intent.