Former UM basketball player serving 30 days ‘Huggy’ Dye pleaded guilty to selling cocaine

BANGOR – A former University of Maine mens’ basketball player was sentenced Tuesday in Penobscot County Superior Court to four years in prison with all but 30 days suspended for selling cocaine.

Clinton “Huggy” L. Dye, 27, formerly of Bangor also was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay a $400 fine. He began serving his sentence immediately.

He was indicted in August on two counts of unlawful trafficking of scheduled drugs.

In a plea agreement with prosecutors, Dye pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count and the other was dismissed.

He faced up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000 on each count.

A native of Danville, Ill., Dye admitted selling cocaine in Bangor in March and April 2005.

Dye was a key member of the UMaine men’s basketball team for three seasons, the last two as a starter.

Dye was dismissed from the team on Oct. 8, 2001, the day after he assaulted his girlfriend. He pleaded guilty a month later to assaulting his 33-year-old girlfriend and was sentenced to 30 days in Penobscot County Jail, with all but two days suspended, and one year of probation.

He left the university without graduating, UMaine spokesman Joe Carr said in August.

Since January 2005, Dye has been convicted of a misdemeanor assault and driving without a license, according to court records.

The 6-foot-2 guard ranked third on the team in scoring during the 2000-01 season with 13.3 points per game and led the Black Bears with 58 3-pointers. He was an All-America East second-team pick as a sophomore in the 1999-2000 season.

Dye, who played a year of postgraduate ball at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield, finished his UMaine career ranked 16th in scoring with 1,076 points. He was an America East All-Rookie selection in 1998-99.