ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine men's basketball team will compete in the fourth annual Skip Chappelle Scrimmage on Saturday, October 14 at 1 p.m. in Memorial Gym. Admission is free for the annual preseason intra-squad scrimmage.
 
The event will showcase both the plenty of new and returning faces in a game setting to get ready for the 2017-18 season. The homecoming event will precede UMaine's football game against the University of Rhode Island, which kicks off at 3:30 p.m.
 
"The Skip Chappelle Scrimmage is a great chance for our fans to get a look at our new team and it allows us to see our guys in a game situation," said head coach Bob Walsh. "With eight new players, evaluating what we have is important, and a public scrimmage will give us a good look at the progress we've made so far and what we still need to work on. "
 
Skip Chappelle, one of UMaine's most-decorated basketball players, averaged 20.5 points per game during his Black Bear playing career from 1959-1962. He ranks ninth all-time in scoring with 1,352 career points, and was a three-time All-Yankee Conference selection. The Old Town, native was selected as a Little All-American in 1961, and the following year was selected in the 11^th round of the 1962 NBA Draft by the St. Louis Hawks.
 
Chappelle returned to campus in 1972, leading the Black Bear program for 16 seasons. He ranks first among UMaine men's basketball coaches with 217 wins. Chappelle was inducted to the inaugural class of the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.
 
"To honor an all-time UMaine great like Coach Chappelle gives it special meaning to those invested in our program," continued Walsh "It's great to have the scrimmage as a small part of homecoming." 
 
Following the Skip Chappelle Scrimmage, the Black Bears will have home exhibition contests against Husson on October 28 at the Cross Insurance Center, and then closes out the preseason against St. Joseph's College of Maine on campus at Memorial Gym on November 5.
 
-UMaine-