- Season Opener -
The Black Bears are set to open the 2025-26 season at George Washington on Nov. 3 with almost an entirely new looking roster as they are without their top five scorers from a season, three of which graduated and two of which transferred.

Among the five projected starters for the Black Bears, only two have made a previous appearance as a Black Bear, those being Caleb Crawford and Keelan Steele. Steele is the only joins Gribben as the only two Black Bears who have previously started a game at Maine.

Crawford made seven appearances last year as a Black Bear, only playing more than five minutes one time.

Ryan Mabrey (Quinnipiac), Mekhi Gray (UMass Lowell) and TJ Biel (SMSU) are projected to start along side Crawford and Steele as all three transfers will make their Black Bear debut.

- Lean on the Defense -
Since Chris Markwood was named the Head Coach of the Black Bears prior to the 2022-23 season, the defensive side of the ball has been a staple of the recent success that the Maine program has seen over the past few seasons. In 2024-25, Maine concluded the season with the 33rd ranked defense in all of the NCAA as they allowed only 66.1 points per game.

The Black Bears forced 14.9 turnovers a game last season, their highest mark under Markwood as they forced 13.2 in the 2023-24 season and 13.9 in the 2022-23 season. Three returning Black Bears had at least 12 steals last season and all three did so in less than 18 minutes per game each.

- Mainers on the Squad -
The Black Bears have three native student-athletes to the State of Maine on their 2025-26 roster, their highest mark of the Markwood era.

Highlighted by Ace Flagg (Newport, Maine), a three-star recruit who won three state championships in high school in three different states, two of which he did along side his twin brother, Cooper. He joins the group of John Shea (Auburn, Maine) and fellow first year player, Emmitt Byther (Old Town, Maine) as the trio looks to help the Black Bears capture their first conference championship in program history.

- Preseason #2 -
 The Black Bears enter the 2025-26 season being picked in a tie for second in the America East preseason poll, their highest ranking in over 20 years. Maine made their first America East Championship game appearance last season since the 2003-04 season, a game they ultimately fell in to the Bryant Bulldogs.

-UMaine-

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