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Over the last four months, Chris Bruff has burst onto the scene for the University of Maine men’s basketball team. A 6-4 forward from Bloomfield, Conn., Bruff is the Black Bears’ second leading scorer and has amassed the best shooting percentage in America East in 2006-07.
Using an impressive array of post moves and courage in the block, Bruff has career highs of 10.7 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game, including 12.9 and 6.7 in conference action.
Just after leading his squad to its third straight Senior Day win with 17 points, Bruff – sporting a 2007 seniors Maine Stein T-shirt – talked about a few of his favorite experiences over the last four years:
Q: What’s the feeling walking off the floor at Alfond for the last time?
Bruff: It’s good. I think it’s a great home field advantage when you come into Alfond because the temperature always gets to every other team. This year it hasn’t as much, but you get the fans and band going and it’s a good atmosphere here.
Q: If you had to pick your best or favorite game personally over the last four years, which would you choose?
Bruff: I’d probably say Vermont last year [an 85-82 UMaine win at Alfond in which Bruff scored 26 points]. That game went to overtime and it was just a game where no matter what they threw at us, we always had an answer back for them. Freddy [Petkus] hit big shots, I got breakout dunks; Phil [Bofia] played really well down low – that was a fun game.
Q: Who’s the best player you’ve played with or against over your career?
Bruff: I’d go with Kevin Reed. There’s nothing he can’t do. He shoots the ball, he gets loose balls, he’s a leader in steals, he passes the ball really well and he finishes.
Q: You’re a guy who’s been known for some impressive, athletic slam dunks. What’s your favorite or best dunk?
Bruff: Against Harvard this year. They had a big seven-footer and he didn’t see it coming at all. It was off a rebound, and I just kind of climbed over his back and threw it down for an and-one [made shot and the foul].
Q: Being one of the shorter guys down low, what’s it like battling against the bigger centers in this league?
Bruff: It’s tough, battling with guys who are 6-5 and 6-6 and are rock solid. By the end of the game, when you see me on my knees, I’m really starting to feel it. It’s pretty tough, especially by the end of the season, but the other thing is on offense, I can get it back. The only thing I can really do on offense is keep them from catching the ball; once they catch it I usually need some help from Olli [Ahvenniemi], who’s a great defender.
Q: Opposing coaches say your quickness makes you a tough matchup offensively; What’s your approach on the offensive end of the floor?
Bruff: It’s either go around them, or use my jumping ability to shoot over them.
Q: As a communications major, what are your thoughts on career plans after college?
Bruff: I’d like to do some radio play-by-play or some video sports action. Anything like that would be good.
Q: Do you ever find yourself calling your own games?
Bruff: I do quite a bit of calling games while I’m watching other ones; I’ve always felt like I needed my own TV show, but we’ll see about that.
Q: What are your thoughts heading into the last week of your career and the America East tournament?
Bruff: This last week is going to be important for us. Obviously, they will be our last games. But if we keep up our intensity like we did in the second half today and remember how we get that and where it comes from, and how to bring it out every single game, then there’s going to be no team that can stop us.
Bangor Daily News