Truth be told, the men’s basketball program at the University of Maine has been known for years in this corner as Southeast Penobscot Valley State.

The recruitment over the years of transfers and junior college players with little allegiance to the university other than as a place to play the sport hasn’t captured the imagination of this hoops junkie. Based on attendance figures, it hasn’t captured the imagination of the state, either.

Not only has the Southeast Penobscot Valley State approach not proven all that popular, it hasn’t been all that successful. The Black Bears have been competitive, but the next time Maine wins America East will be the first.

To some extent the quick-fix approach shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that the State U. has become Steppingstone U. for coaches in many of its highest-profile sports save for hockey, a big fish in a smaller NCAA pond, and football, which seems to have gotten it right with a leader who has bled blue and white since arriving on campus as a quarterback in the mid-1970s.

Maine seemingly has gotten into the habit of hiring many coaches and athletic administrators for the short term, and that’s not a good thing for Steppingstone U. in the long term. How do you create stability in an athletic department when you’re busy conducting nationwide searches? And when you do hire coaches for the short term, who can expect anything but a short-term coaching approach designed to enhance a resume.

But the most recent moves of the men’s basketball team represent signs of a more grass-roots approach to building a program. Rather than allowing homegrown stars merely the opportunity to walk on in hopes of earning a scholarship one day or to bail out a depleted team when injuries or other issues arise, second-year coach Ted Woodward is actually giving scholarships to Maine kids.

The news that Jordan Cook of Hampden Academy and Sean Costigan of Cheverus High in Portland have made verbal commitments to Maine offers hope of a locally based renaissance within the program, one that may indeed recapture the attention of basketball fans throughout the state. It also may offer hope to future high school standouts that there is a place for them at State U.

Granted, some Mainers with Division I talent like former Mountain Valley of Rumford star Andy Bedard have used Maine as a fallback once their initial big-time aspirations weren’t fulfilled, in Bedard’s case after two years at Boston College. Then there are the Mainers whose talents have exceeded UMaine’s level, like Nik Caner-Medley, who has gone on to an all-Atlantic Coast Conference career at Maryland.

Players like Caner-Medley, Ralph Mims and T.J. Caouette all opted for basketball beyond Maine’s borders. One wonders if beyond everything else, they didn’t find the Southeast Penobscot Valley State approach all that appealing.

As for Cook, Costigan and several other standouts among Maine’s high school basketball Class of 2006, there is a unique opportunity – to collectively take the program to unseen heights, the NCAA tournament. Whether or not Woodward is able to attract the likes of Bangor’s Mark Socoby, Deering of Portland’s Carlos Strong, and-or Falmouth’s Bryant Barr to join Cook and Costigan on the Orono campus beginning in the fall of 2006 remains to be seen. But the foundation of a homegrown nucleus is taking shape.

Perhaps Southeast Penobscot Valley State basketball is evolving back into the University of Maine, and that’s a good thing.

Ernie Clark may be reached at eclark@bangordailynews.net or at 990-8045 or 1-800-310-8600.