Women’s team expected atop the LEC once again
The USM women’s basketball team looks to be a force in the LEC this year as they are coming off a 2008-2009 season in which they were conference champions for the 19th time.
Veteran Coach Gary Fifield returns to the sidelines for his 22nd season as Huskies head coach after retiring a year ago. Fifield and his team dive into the 2009-2010 season with a whole new look but are still confident they will be able to stay atop the standings in the LEC.
The Huskies squad features a combination of veteran leadership and young talent that is meshing together well so far, something they need as they lost one of their top scorers (Stacy Kent) to graduation last year. USM is currently ranked 12th nationally in the USA Today/ESPN WBCA Top 25 Coaches’ Preseason Poll and 13th in the D3hoops.com Preseason Poll.
Coach Fifield announced on Nov. 3rd that seniors Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, CT) and Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan) will serve as the teams captains this year.
Johnson, who is a 6’0″ forward that broke into the starting line-up last year as a junior, will provide height and experience after she averaged 6.8 rebounds per game (2nd on the team) and 7.4 points per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the field.
Paradis, who is a 5’4″ point guard, returns for her senior season as she has been a three year starter for the lady Huskies. Paradis, who is a co-captain for the second year in a row, brings energy and flashy style of play to the team, and is known for her perimeter shooting. In the 2008-2009 season Paradis averaged 3.2 assists and 9.9 points per game and also earned All-LEC second team honors as well as first team All-Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association honors.
The rest of the USM women’s basketball team is made up out of a mixture of talented juniors and sophomores, and four highly touted freshmen. Junior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay), who was the 2009 LEC Conference Tournament MVP, will provide solid ball handling and spot-on three point shooting as she averaged 13 points per game in her 2008-2009 campaign. Junior forward Kristi Violette (Readfield) and sophomore forward Courtney Cochran (Waite) will be combining as a force on the low post and freshman guard/forward Curran Leighton (Dover, NH) looks to offer solid all around play.
USM will open their season on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at the University of New England in a 6 p.m. start.
A whole new look to the USM men’s squad
USM men’s basketball brings a different team into the 2009-2010 season, as Head Coach Karl Henrikson enters his seventh season leading the Huskies.
Henrikson announced his 2009-2010 captains on Nov. 4, appointing junior John Sewell (Bath), junior Troy Jellison (Bangor) and sophomore Mike Poulin (Readfield) to the position. Henrikson believes these three have natural leader qualities that are necessary in a captain.
Sewell, who is a 5’10” shooting guard, brings a quick, play maker style to the court for the Huskies as he contributed 9.8 points per game last season.
Jellison will be providing experience, as he has been a key contributor since he was a freshman. The 5’10” guard has a will to win which is something that Henrikson and his staff love to see.
Six-foot sophomore guard Poulin plays with a confidence that is rare to see in a young player, as he was a big contributor in his freshman season. He led the team in assists last year with 59 and averaged 4.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game playing in all 28 games and starting in 18 of them.
The men’s basketball team also welcomes several newcomers to the team, along with six other returning players. Junior guards Luke Pollock (Eliot) and Kione Morgan (Garland, TX) will be key returning players for the Huskies, and 6’3″ junior transfer Cortez Isaac (Washington, DC) will be a great addition as he will provide an all around solid skill set. Senior Will Clemmer (Windham) and freshman Mike Foustoukos (Gorham) are a pair of 6’6″ forwards that will give USM height in the low post.
The USM men’s squad will join the women’ team at UNE on Nov. 17 as they take on the Nor’easters in a 8 p.m. start.