WATERVILLE, Maine — The University of Maine at Farmington men's basketball team was picked by the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) coaches to finish third in the conference this season.
After operating with East and West divisions for the past five seasons, the NAC has eliminated that format and will instead have all ten institutions compete as one conference. The top six teams will advance to the playoffs. Last season, the Beavers finished as the No. 3 seed in the NAC East Division after posting a 13–13 overall record and a 9–4 mark in conference play. Farmington went on to defeat the University of Maine at Presque Isle in the quarterfinals before falling to Husson University in the NAC semifinals.
Poll Results
- Husson University - 98 (7)
- UMaine-Presque Isle - 86 (2)
- UMaine-Farmington - 71
- Maine Maritime Academy - 65
- VTSU Johnson - 58
- SUNY Delhi - 49
- Thomas College - 36
- VTSU Lyndon - 34
- Lesley - 31
- SUNY Cobleskill - 22
Farmington will feature a mostly new roster this season after losing four of its top five scorers from last year. The Beavers graduated Simon Chadbourne (15.5 points per game), Dylan Griffin (12.8 PPG), and Will Harriman (9.7 PPG), along with other key contributors who did not return. Among the returning players, only 24 total starts come back — 20 of them from sophomore point guard Gabe Michaud (Gorham, Maine).
Michaud, a pass-first and unselfish facilitator, will be asked to generate more offense this season as the Beavers aim for a deep playoff run. He will be joined on the wing by sophomore Zach McLaughlin (Hampden, Maine), a dynamic scorer who served as the team's sixth man last year. McLaughlin averaged just over 18 minutes per game but contributed 12.0 PPG, finishing as the team's third-leading scorer. He earned Maine Basketball Coaches and Writers Association All-Rookie Team honors a season ago.
In the frontcourt, Farmington will look to junior Jason Reynolds (Winslow, Maine) and junior transfer Charlie Houghton (Dixfield, Maine). Reynolds is a versatile big who can stretch the floor, shooting 35.6% from beyond the arc. He's also a relentless rebounder, averaging 5.6 per game last season and 7.4 as a first-year. Houghton brings similar versatility, with the ability to shoot from range and create offense off the dribble.
Junior Brayden St. Pierre (Readfield, Maine) will also be heavily relied upon this season. St. Pierre is known as a lockdown defender who routinely takes on the opposing team's top scoring threat.
Off the bench, sophomore Kory Donlin (Warren, Maine), junior transfer Braden Camire (Saco, Maine), and first-year Tristan Robbins (Caribou, Maine) are all expected to see valuable minutes.
Season at a Glance
Farmington opens its season on Saturday afternoon, hosting Suffolk University at 3:00 p.m. The Beavers will look to avenge their season-opening loss to the Rams from a year ago.
Other key non-conference matchups include road games on November 25 against defending GNAC Champion St. Joseph's College of Maine and on December 10 against the University of Southern Maine. The Beavers will also host Bates College on January 20 in a rematch of last season's heartbreaking buzzer-beater loss.
The Beavers will play 18 conference games this season, opening NAC play at home against SUNY Cobleskill on November 21.
