AUGUSTA — Caleb McGuire grew up and attended high school about 20 minutes away from the University of Maine at Augusta, yet he knew very little about the school or its basketball program before coach Jim Ford recruited him after one of his games at Erskine Academy.

“I didn’t really know it was here until then,” said McGuire, who is now a 6-foot-7 junior forward for the Moose. “He invited me to come play ball and it’s been a good experience so far.”

UMaine-Augusta’s men’s and women’s basketball teams hosted Central Maine Community College in a Yankee Small College Conference doubleheader Thursday night in front of about 75 fans at the Augusta Civic Center.

Many of those in uniform played in high school tournament games in front of crowds 20 times that size in the same arena. Many played in front of bigger crowds in their own high school gyms.

But it is precisely that low-key atmosphere, combined with the promise of playing right away while getting a quality, affordable education close to home, that attracts central and western Maine basketball players to the more non-traditional programs.

Less than a year ago, Seve Deery-DeRaps was leading Rangeley to the Class D state championship game. The daughter of Rangeley coach Heidi Deery, she wanted to continue playing in college and considered several larger schools before joining fellow Laker Taylor Esty in selecting CMCC.

“It caught my eye because it’s just really a family,” Deery-DeRaps said. “They pull you in and they want you to be successful and they do what they can to help you be successful.”

Deery-DeRaps enrolled in the school’s two-year new physical fitness specialist program and is one of nine freshmen on coach Andrew Morong’s roster. Former Carrabec star Macy Welch is a sophomore on the team. Eight of the 12 players on the roster are from Maine.

“At the end of the day, we want to end with Maine kids,” Morong said. “They’re fundamentally sound. They typically work extremely hard. They sacrifice their bodies for their teammates. They play with a lot of pride.”

By contrast, CMCC’s men’s team has six Mainers on a roster of 19, including former Valley star Carrington Miller and former Forest Hills star Tanner Daigle.

“We have a lot of kids that are thinking about playing at a four-year school but may not be ready yet,” CMCC coach Dave Gonyea said. “Instead of going to a four-year school, sitting and waiting and waiting, come with us, get a taste of it and probably play more than you would play at a four-year school.”

McGuire chose UMA over Division III schools such as UMaine-Farmington.

“Looking at Farmington, if I had gone there, I probably wouldn’t get that much playing time until my junior year,” said McGuire, a liberal studies major with a business minor. “Coming here, I started as a freshman and played the majority of the game.”

Deery-DeRaps started and was on the floor during crunch time of the Mustangs’ 69-63 loss to the Moose on Thursday. Most of the players on each side were freshmen or sophomores.

Miller, by contrast, is a junior, as is UMaine-Augusta star Jamie Plummer.

Miller followed in the footsteps of older brother Curtis, who also played at CMCC. Also enrolled in the physical fitness specialist program, he said small schools like CMCC and UMA appeal to small-town Maine kids.

“When I visited, it was a lot like home, you know, small, friendly campus,” said Miller, a student in CMCC’s physical fitness specialist program. “It’s a small community.”

Smaller education costs also appeal to Maine student-athletes, UMaine-Augusta men’s coach Jim Ford said.

“A lot of youngsters are looking at the finances of private institutions, of going out of state costs. It makes sense financially to look at a school in Maine,” Ford said. “If it fits the budget,there are a lot of great schools in Maine and quite a differentiation of schools to choose from in Maine.”

Plummer transferred to UMaine-Augusta from Bates College as a freshman. She’s been the Moose’s best player, and one of the top players in the YSCAA, ever since.

UMaine-Augusta women’s coach Jennifer Laney said the emergence of Plummer shows the possibilities a small school can offer basketball players.

“Jamie had the opportunity to play at a lot of different schools, and the fact that she chose UMA says a lot,” Laney said. “You don’t have to go far away to get a good college experience and be able to compete at a high level.”

“I think it’s really starting to grow,” said Plummer, a biology major, of small schools appealing to Maine high school players. “I think girls are realizing they can play college basketball, too, at a school that’s affordable and local and would be a good fit.”

Morong said that awareness is making the smaller schools more prominent in the recruiting game.

“The recruiting is ever-changing,” Morong said. “When I first started, it was more or less take what we can get. And now, if you’re not a top-50 player, it’s tough to find a role. We’re always looking for the top players in the state of Maine that are being looked at by scholarship schools, the elite Division III schools. I don’t think people realize who we’re recruiting against.”

Randy Whitehouse — 621-5638

rwhitehouse@mainetoday.com

Twitter: @RAWmaterial33

Related Stories