There is no doubt that the University of Maine men’s basketball team had a successful and historic 2024-25 season. From breaking records to gaining multiple accolades, the unforgettable season is one that made the community proud and revived the program.
After finishing third in the America East Conference standings with a record of 20-14 overall and 10-6 in conference play, the team accomplished a home advantage playoff game for the first time in 30 years against UMass Lowell. The Pit had an electric environment filled with passion and the support of the fans who were excited to see UMaine basketball live again. The 72-64 win set up a matchup against the University of Vermont, the reigning America East tournament champion. Maine had a dominant 57-42 victory, which sent the Black Bears into their first America East Championship game in 21 years against Bryant University. Both teams battled hard to get a spot in the NCAA tournament, but the Bulldogs ended up getting the win in a 77-59 game. Although the final did not go in Maine’s favor, their season is one for the history books.
The season started off in North Carolina against Duke, one of the most well-known powerhouse schools in men’s basketball. Despite the loss, the out-of-conference competition and games set the tone for the season, as Maine had their best start to in-conference play in more than a decade, holding a record of 7-2. The momentum carried into January, where the team went on a six-game winning streak throughout the month, and became a threat in the standings. The Black Bears continued to fight the rest of the season, earning four more wins. The team ended with a total of 2,409 points, averaging 70.9 points per game.
After only three years of being the head coach, Chris Markwood led his team to 13 wins and a playoff berth, the most victories for the program in a season since 2010-11. He also coached and developed fourth-year guard Kellen Tynes, who was the first ever America East Defensive Player of the Year in program history, and continued to deservingly win this award for three straight years. Tynes was also named to the America East All-Conference Second Team as well as to the America East All-Defensive Team. At the end of the season, he had the second most steals per game of any player in the nation and posted career-highs across the board. Tynes was a key player for Maine and proof in Markwood’s mindset that good defense wins games.
Another outstanding player for the Black Bears is fourth-year guard AJ Lopez, who also earned a spot on the America East All-Conference Second Team. Lopez was ranked in the top-10 in every scoring category for conference games and achieved a 91% shooting accuracy from the free-throw line, which was the seventh-highest in all of the NCAA. The National Basketball Coaches Association (NABC) named Tynes and Lopez to the NABC DI All-district Second Team for the North Atlantic District to add to their accolades.
The 2024-25 men’s basketball season rejuvenated UMaine’s passion for the game. Their success created a stronger community that came together to cheer on and support the Black Bears. There is excitement and hope for what the future of UMaine men’s basketball can bring.
