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A lot of enthusiasm for the University of Maine men’s basketball program, which had planned to return all five starters for the second consecutive year, died on Tuesday with the announcement that leading scorer Mark Socoby will be transferring to another school.
Socoby, a junior from Houlton who played high school ball at Houlton and Bangor, indicated to the Bangor Daily News that his decision to leave was not an indictment of the team’s performance.
“The last few years, we’ve had some pretty good teams, and things didn’t work out the way we wanted them too or hoped they would, but I’ve had a lot of fun and good experiences in those three years,” he said. “I just think as a whole, [with] basketball and as a person and a student, I want to go in a different direction. Exploring other options will hopefully help me reach my potential and help me become a better player and better person.”
The move came as something of a shock to coach Ted Woodward who, according to the BDN, was “somewhat surprised” by the decision, but granted him the release request and wished him the best of luck.
Socoby said he does not have any specific destinations in mind, and is unsure whether or not he will even remain on the Division I level.
“This isn’t a decision I haven’t thought a lot about. You don’t want to burn any bridges, but at the same time, I know it’s the right decision for me. I’d like to stay at this level, but at this point, there’s no promises or guarantees,” Socoby said. “At this point, I’m still going through the process of filling out the paperwork and once that’s done, I’ll have a chance to talk to a lot of other teams.”
If he chooses a Division I school, he will have to sit out one year. If it is an America East conference school he will have to sit out one extra year. The only way he will be able to play next season is if he transfers to a non-Division I institution.
“In Division I ball, there are always going to be some transfer situations,” Woodward said. “The majority of people who transferred did so in a search for more playing time, and many of them have gone to play at a lower level of NCAA ball.”
UMaine will have a hard time replacing Socoby’s scoring and playmaking ability, but they will return 10 of 12 players, including second leading scorer Gerald McLemore and point guard Junior Bernal.
Bangor Daily News