LaPlante returns, to coach vs. Bears

Travelling from Jacksonville, Ala., to Orono, Maine, in late December probably isn’t the ideal trip in the minds of most people, but for Jacksonville State University men’s basketball coach Mike LaPlante, it’s perfect.

“It’s sort of a second homecoming for me, since I grew up in Massachusetts,” said the University of Maine alumnus and former Black Bear basketball player. “I’ve got a busload of friends and family coming up from Holyoke, Mass., to see the games this week and I’m excited about it.”

LaPlante’s Gamecocks are one of four teams which will be in action this weekend at the Maine Holiday Classic at Alfond Arena in Orono. Action tips off Saturday at 1 p.m. when 4-2 Husson College of Bangor tries for its second win in three meetings against 2-6 UMaine. The 3:30 p.m. game matches the 5-1 Gamecocks against the 3-6 University of Maine-Machias Clippers. Sunday’s 1 p.m. game will be Husson vs. UMM and Maine-JSU will follow at 3:30 p.m.

LaPlante, who played for Maine from 1985-89 and served as a UM assistant coach for another five seasons (1989-94), doesn’t consider the weather a big turnoff. In fact, he considers the trip’s timing to be ideal.

“We jokingly call it the snow belt schedule because we’ve been in Alaska, now Maine and then Michigan,” said the former Auburn assistant coach, whose Gamecocks dealt a solid UCal.-Santa Barbara team a loss at the prestigious Great Alaska Shootout. “From our standpoint, it’s a good time to take your players on the road because classes are out and I like playing road games this time of year since you won’t have big crowds at home with most of the students gone.”

The 36-year-old LaPlante says it’s a unique experience for his players as none of them has ever been to Maine.

Maine coach John Giannini and LaPlante, who played 95 games for Maine, stay in contact fairly regularly, and it’s that communication that indirectly led to JSU coming to Orono.

Giannini says he and LaPlante talk a few times a year for at least a half hour just to get caught up on what’s happening and say hello.

“When the opportunity presented itself, John called me and I was excited about it,” LaPlante said. “To be able to come back and let my players see where I played basketball, if I can use that term loosely, so it’s kind of fun for me.”

Giannini says this tournament is a no-brainer in terms of offering the best of all possible worlds.

“We get to play at home for the first time in a month. We have a strong, winning Division I program in the field and there are also two good local teams involved with local players, which consequently should generate local interest,” said Giannini. “I like it.”

LaPlante isn’t the only team member touring some old haunts this weekend. Assistant coach Michael White, son of former Maine and current Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White, joined LaPlante for lunch in Orono Friday as they visited with friends.

“Yeah, we’ve already been to Pat’s [Pizza],” LaPlante said.