Black Bears feeling stronger this season after last year’s adversity

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When it comes to evaluating the University of Maine’s 2001-2002 men’s basketball season, neither head coach John Giannini nor many of his players have much to say about it.

Guess they figure if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.

“It was the year from hell,” said the seventh-year head coach. “Last year was a nightmare, frankly. We just want to put it behind us.

“Last year has nothing to do with anything. We’re forgetting about it.”

Huh? What was so bad about a season in which the Black Bears came one win away from the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance?

Well, let’s see… A 1,000-point scorer was suspended from the team before the season’s start, another likely starter left the team for personal reasons before the first game, two other starters (Clayton Brown and Derrick Jackson) were sidelined a month with injuries resulting from an early-season car accident, and a torn medial collateral ligament scratched another starter (Rickey White) from the lineup for five weeks.

If that wasn’t enough to send Giannini to Home Depot to pick up a Waltons’ family-size keg of Maalox, the fact his 12-18 Bears were choking on home cooking likely was.

The normally rude blue-and-white hosts turned downright gracious when company came calling as they compiled a 4-7 record at usually accommodating for the Bears Alfond Arena.

“The fact we had a respectable home record – very respectable – and the way we trashed it last year was absolutely ridiculous,” said 7-foot senior center Justin Rowe. “Coach has such a bad taste from that … And the players as well.”

The Bears were 10-2 and 9-1 at home the previous two seasons, but just couldn’t parlay the Alfond’s friendly confines into a distinct advantage last year.

Despite what Giannini says, it’s not likely the 2002-03 edition of the Black Bears will be able to forget last season. In fact, most of the returning veterans are finding lessons to learn amid the disappointing memories.

“One thing we learned last year is how to win,” said Jackson, the team’s senior captain and unquestioned leader. “We kept having close game after close game after close game.

“We lost a lot of tough games, we lost some players, we had injuries, and no matter what, we found a way to win. We learned how to be tough toward the end and how to play tough in games and do the little things.”

Returning starter Clayton Brown thinks the setbacks of 2001-02 made his team better.

“I learned about adversity and how to take the good with the bad,” said the 6-7 senior forward. “When things were at their lowest point and couldn’t get worse, they did, and it just made the team stronger.

“We learned a lot about the team, each other. Personally, I think all the things that happened to us made us closer. With all the adversity we had last year, we only had each other.”

“More than anything, last year taught us we could overcome adversity,” said 6-4 senior forward Rickey White. “When we’re down, we know not to give up and keep playing hard.”

Jackson, Brown, and White find themselves back on a much deeper, more experienced squad returning four starters as well as some key role players. In addition, the Bears feature improved depth and talent in the backcourt – a particularly glaring area of weakness last season.

“We literally only had two guards, two players who could dribble last year, and we were vulnerable to pressure,” said Giannini. “This year we have very new and talented perimeter players and great guard play, especially when we get Udo [Boston College transfer Ludmil Hadjisotirov] in the lineup.

“I think we have better defensive quickness, better shooting, and more versatility. There is no area we’re not improved in.”

Joining seniors Rowe, an All-America East first team member, and Jackson are classmates Brown and White. Also back is 6-6 sophomore forward Joe Campbell, who was pressed into service faster than desired last year due to the team’s attrition.

With the team’s newfound backcourt depth and experienced frontcourt talent, Campbell will likely go from starter to reserve and buttress bench strength.

“The way it’s shaping up now, we have nine, 10, maybe even 11 guys on this team who should probably get some appreciable minutes,” said Giannini, noting that it’s a good problem to have, but a problem nonetheless.

“The ideal rotation is eight players, but I’m not about to complain after what we went through last year,” he said with a slight chuckle.

Giannini envisions a three-guard starting lineup which can attack opposing defenses either by distributing the ball to Rowe down low or working it around for a good shot. The top returning offensive players are Rowe (12.6 ppg), Brown (10.3 ppg), White (8.2 ppg), and Jackson (7.5 ppg).

The backcourt rotation is still taking shape, but true freshman Kevin Reed, a 6-1 Massachusetts native who comes to Maine from St. Thomas More Prep School, is making a strong bid for major minutes along with Jackson and 6-2 junior Eric Dobson, one of two junior college players on the roster. Hadjisotirov, who Giannini calls a “great talent,” is expected to be cleared to play by late December. Campbell’s shooting ability and quickness for a big man has him in the guard mix along with 5-10 junior Thomas Hill, the other juco player, who comes from the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (formerly Westark College).

Another player who could figure into the mix and someone who Giannini feels has plenty of potential is 6-10 junior forward Mark Flavin, who played in 12 games last season. Freddy Petkus, a 6-5 sophomore guard, could also carve out some minutes for himself.

With the pieces seemingly in place, it now falls on the coaching staff to figure out how best to play them.

“The players we had gave a great effort and never quit,” Giannini said. “We didn’t have the talent we recruited, yet as coaches we did a great job putting people in the right places, but in doing so much in that area, we didn’t do what we needed to do to prepare for late-game situations.”

That may explain Maine’s 8-11 record in games decided by nine points or less.

“The majority of your games will be decided by 10 points or less, and maybe four points or less in America East,” Giannini said. “All the distractions and losses we had forced us to spend all our time on the first 38 minutes and not enough on the final two last year.”

“We learned from our mistakes, but this year we’ve got to prove we did learn from our mistakes,” said Brown.

Class is now in session.

MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

November

11 ? Connecticut Stars (exhib.), 7:30 p.m.

17 ? G.T. Express (exhib.), 1 p.m.

23 ? UMaine-Fort Kent, 5 p.m.*

24 ? vs. Georgia Southern/John Jay, 2/4:30 p.m.*

28 ? vs. Tulane, 8 p.m.**

30? vs. Central Florida, 6 p.m.**

December

1 ? vs. Indiana State, Wisconsin-Milwaukee or SE Missouri State, 2, 4 or 6 p.m.**

7 ? at Clemson, TBA

9 ? at Morgan State, TBA

14 ? at Rhode Island, 7:30 p.m.

21 ? Husson, 1 p.m.***

22 ? vs. Jacksonville St./UMaine-Machias, 1/3:30 p.m.***

29 ? vs. Weber State, 6 p.m.****

30 ? vs. UT-Chattanooga/Lip-scomb, 6/8 p.m.****

January

2 ? Vermont, 7:30 p.m.

4 ? Albany, 7:30 p.m.

8 ? at New Hampshire, 7 p.m.

15 ? at Northeastern, TBA

18 ? Binghamton, 1 p.m.

22 ? at Vermont, 7 p.m.

26 ? at Stony Brook, 2 p.m.

29 ? Boston University, 7:30 p.m.

February

2 ? Hartford, 1 p.m.

5 ? New Hampshire, 7:30 p.m.

8 ? at Albany, TBA

12 ? Northeastern, 7:30 p.m.

15 ? at Binghamton, 1 p.m.

19 ?at Boston University, 7 p.m.

23 ? Stony Brook, 1 p.m.

25 ? Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, 7:30 p.m.

March

2 ? at Hartford, 2 p.m.

3-15 ? at America East Tournament

*Maine Tip-Off Tournament, at Orono

**New Orleans Knockout Tournament, at New Orleans

***Maine Holiday Tournament, at Orono

****Dr. Pepper Classic, at Chattanooga,

Tenn.