Watch for a new style of basketball when new coach Jason Allen takes over the girls basketball program at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield next winter.

“Last year they played a lot of run-and-jump, trapping all over the place,” he said. “It was kind of helter-skelter.”

There won’t be any more of that next season once Allen institutes his half-court man-to-man defense.

Allen was hired recently to replace Bill Pullen, who resigned after last season, said athletic director Julie Treadwell.

Allen has been at MCI since 2000, when he graduated from the University of Maine-Farmington. In 2005 he won the Herbert F. Newhouse ’23 Fellowship, a teaching award given to a faculty member.

A 1995 graduate of Hermon High, Allen is MCI’s track and field head coach and spent the past four years coaching freshman boys basketball. He is also an assistant football coach.

“We decided to give him a shot,” Treadwell said. “He’s a good guy.”

Allen’s squad should be in good shape for next season with just one starter having graduated. He’s coaching the Huskies in a Waterville summer league.

MCI will return guard Victoria Huff, who was the Huskies’ leading scorer, as well as 5-10 forward Jenna Lorentson, 5-11 forward Ruth Oviatt and twin sister guard sets Bianca and Amanda Asaro, Kady Huff and Kylie Huff.

Victoria Huff is a cousin to the twins.

The Huskies showed steady improvement in each of Pullen’s four seasons. MCI was 2-16 in 2002-03 and made the prelims twice under Pullen, losing to Hermon in the 2003-04 season. His record at MCI was 27-46.

“Hopefully Jason can continue to lead them forward,” Treadwell said.

That might depend on how well the team adjusts to a new defense.

“I just hope they can make the transition,” Allen said. “If you can’t play half-court man you won’t get very far even if you get to the tournament. Good teams know how to beat traps so you have to have a defense you can rely on.”

Allen is the second member of the MCI humanities staff to be a varsity girls basketball coach. Fellow MCI history teacher Earl Anderson coaches the girls at Nokomis of Newport.

Anderson is known for his teams’ fine man defense.

“I’ve talked to him a little,” Allen said. “I’m sure I’ll [go to him for advice]. I’ve gotten a lot from him already.”

Pullen resigned after an 11-8 season in Eastern Maine Class B. The Huskies lost to John Bapst of Bangor 43-36 in a preliminary-round game.

“He’s been working on his master’s and things like that, so I think he wanted to make a change,” Treadwell said.