Quick Facts: 2009-10 Record: 8-21 (4-12 America East)
Lettermen Returning: 6
Starters Retuning: 3
Newcomers: 5
Head Coach: Cindy Blodgett (4th season)/ 20-69 career-record
One of the keys in rebuilding a program to a competitive
level is patience. As she prepares to enter her fourth season as head coach of
the Maine women's basketball team, Cindy Blodgett knows this program is getting
closer to the high expectations that she has it for it. Despite an 8-21 (4-12
America East) record in 2009-10, the Black Bears were much more competitive than
in previous seasons, as evidenced by losing eight games by single-digits over
the course of the season.
Entering this season, the goal for the program, which is
typically the most difficult in any rebuilding process, is to learn how to
convert close losses into wins. With the return of six letterwinners, including
three starters, there is certainly the hope that this is the year that consistent
improvement translates to more wins. One of the keys for success heading into
the season is the development of the young talent on the roster, which was
certainly helped by the foreign tour to Canada the team was able to take this
summer.
"Last year, our freshmen did get an awful lot of playing
time," said Blodgett. "It was sort of a Catch-22. They were thrown into the
fire, but they had to react. I think that experience has really helped them thus
far. Corinne Wellington played great in Canada. I thought she rebounded well.
She was much more sure of herself in what she was trying to accomplish. Katelyn
Vanderhoff played point guard for us the majority of last season. She did a
great job running our team and we expect her to do the same and even give us
more this year."
Another excellent option that Blodgett will have in the
backcourt is redshirt-freshman guard Amber Smith. Smith presents the Black
Bears with a terrific scoring-option from the guard position.
"She has come back and she is in great shape," Blodgett said
of Smith. "She has a new mindset. She is
a scorer and she was able to do that in Canada for us."
With so much youth and inexperience throughout the roster,
it will be up to the upperclassmen to provide the leadership and winning
mentality for this team. Since this is the first group of upperclassmen that
Blodgett recruited to the program, she has confidence that the three juniors,
including America East All-Conference Third Team selection Samantha Wheeler,
will excel as mentors to the younger players.
"This is their team now," emphasized the fourth-year head
coach. "They are our first recruiting class that we actually brought in. We
have all been anxious to get them to become upperclassmen. I think they are
doing a great job leading the team. We don't have any real vocal juniors, but they
lead by example and they are doing a wonderful job for us. I expect all three
of them to have very good seasons for us."
With Wheeler providing a strong presence in the paint, there
is the hope that Tanna Ross can return to the form that she displayed after
returning from an injury that her forced her to miss the beginning of the season.
If Ross can provide the excellent shooting touch that she is capable of, the
Black Bears could have an excellent inside-outside combination.
After spending the past three years bringing in the type of
talent that fits into the system she runs, there is sense that this could be
the year that Blodgett and her team turn the corner. It will be important that
this group earns some wins during the non-conference portion of the schedule,
as generating some confidence could go a long way towards a successful season.
If this team is able to enter America East play on a high-note, it could be one
of the major surprises during conference play.