The future is looking up for the USM men’s basketball team. In his first-year as head coach, USM alumni Karl Henrikson has already led a young Huskies squad to seven wins and if the team gets hot down the stretch a few more victories could be forthcoming.
“He’s been great for us. He’s really organized and he’s always ready to teach us new things,” Junior co-captain Jason Levecque said of the Huskies’ new coach.
Henrikson feels strongly about Levecque as well. Levecque has clearly been Henrikson’s best player this season. He currently leads the team in scoring, averaging just below 18 points a game. In addition, the 6’2 shooting guard from Westbrook is averaging three rebounds and two assists per game. If that wasn’t enough, he is second on the team in steals. “Jason is a great athlete; he’s a lot of fun to watch,” said coach Henrikson.
Henrikson took over the head coaching job at USM on Sept. 16, just two months before the start of the current season. Henrikson, a former USM basketball player, took over the team, which finished the 2002-2003 season with a 4-21 record, with the hope of making the Huskies more competitive. He has already nearly doubled last year’s win total.
Besides Levecque, point guard Mike Francoeur has also done a lot for the Huskiest this year. Francoeur, the team’s floor general, is second on the team in scoring with better than 11 points per game and also leads the Huskies in steals and assists.
Sophomore center Jesse Mckinnell has also put up solid numbers in his first season with the team. The 6’6 center from Manomet, Massachusetts is averaging eight points and nearly eight rebounds per game. Mckinnell also leads the Huskies in blocked shots with 21 on the season.
The Huskies have six games remaining in the season and Levecque would like the Huskies to finish up strong. “We have some games coming up that we think we can win, it would be nice if we could get up to double digits in wins,” said Levecque. The team currently (at press time) stands at 7-13.
USM snapped a five game losing streak with a win over in-state rival St. Joseph’s on Feb. 4. Coach Henrikson believes that his team has lost a lot of close games this year because they lack the confidence necessary to win the tight games.
“The kids are working as hard as they can,” Henrikson said, “We’re in a lot of games, we’ve just had a hard time winning the close ones.” Some of the Huskies’ last minute struggles may result from the team’s losing history. “It’s hard for a team to win when they’ve never experienced winning before,” said Henrikson.
At 7-13 the Huskies may not have an impressive record, but their coach is pleased with their effort. “The kids we have are very hungry for success. They listen and are very attentive, and always go out there and play hard,” said Henrikson.
Next season USM will bring back the entire team and the future seems to be looking up for the Huskies. The Huskies will have a strong backcourt next season with both Jason Levecque and Mike Francoeur returning for their final season. The Huskies also have a couple of talented recruits coming in next season. “Things bode well for a good season, next year,” said Henrikson.
Kevin Moran can be contacted at [email protected]