UMaine men鈥檚 basketball adding more homegrown talent
ORONO, Maine (BVM) — The 2020-21 University of Maine men鈥檚 basketball team will display a wealth of talent from around the area. After just one season at West Point Prep Academy, former Bangor star Matthew Fleming has returned home to team up with his old high school rival, Wol Maiwen, as members of the Black Bears.
In 2019, Fleming and Maiwen were both standout forwards for their high school teams. Maiwen from Edward Little High School and Fleming from Bangor High School, had been the top players at their programs. During their time on the court, the two have been a part of some of the top head-to-head battles in the state. The most notable coming when Bangor bested Edward Little for the 2019 Class AA state championship.
During the boys title game matchup, Fleming posted 27 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Rams to their championship victory, 56-52. The Red Eddies may have come up short, but Maiwen did everything he could adding 23 points, 13 rebounds, and six blocks. The two will end the rivalry there as they become teammates at UMaine next season.
Maiwen most recently played at Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Mass. The 6-foot-5 forward was a Maine Mr. Basketball finalist in 2019, and helped lead his team to an 18-3 record. He was also an integral part of Edward Little鈥檚 2018 state championship victory.
Fleming is coming off a season at West Point where he helped lead his team to a 26-5 record. He shot above 40 percent from behind the arc in his lone season. The 2019 Gatorade Maine Player of the Year and Mr. Maine Basketball, will look to create his own legacy at UMaine where his brother, Andrew, recently finished off his four-year career.
Fleming is making the transfer because West Point doesn鈥檛 offer an education major and UMaine coach Richard Barron, who recruited him in high school, was interested in bringing him in. Fleming will join his basketball rival, Maiwen, for the second time as the two were part of the same summer AAU team.
Adding to the Black Bears鈥� incoming recruiting class is Leyton Bickford. In Bickford鈥檚 senior season at Sanford High School, he averaged 18.1 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game, placing him second in both statistics for Class AA South. The 6- foot-6 forward is a two-sport athlete, excelling as a tight end and defensive end in football. Before officially signing with the University of Maine, Bickford mulled offers to play college football. The fourth ranked player in Maine鈥檚 Class of 2020, is expecting to redshirt his freshman year for the Black Bears though.
Capping off the Maine talent is UMaine鈥檚 rising sophomore guard, Taylor Schildroth. Schildroth graduated from George Stevens Academy (GSA) in 2018, where he was a finalist for Maine鈥檚 Gatorade Player of the Year and Mr. Maine Basketball. While at GSA, he helped lead the Eagles to a 64-2 record and three Class C titles. He appeared in 12 games this past season as a freshman for the Black Bears.
With a handful of in-state players slotted to play together at some point for UMaine, there should be some familiar faces on the court for Black Bears fans.
