The University of Maine men’s basketball team has had four bench players enter the portal in the past two weeks, including sixth man Kristians Feierbergs.
Feierbergs, a 6-foot-8 Latvian native, was a mobile center during his three years with the Black Bears, averaging 6.3 points and 3.8 rebounds on 44.9 percent shooting (32.1 percent from beyond the arc) in 18.9 minutes per game.
Feierbergs had a down season this year, starting just 11 games and shooting 28.9 percent from three. His playing time was eaten up by 6-foot-10 defensive specialist Adam Cisse and second team All-Conference forward Peter Filipovity.
Feierbergs joins Filipovity and walk-ons Milos Nenadic, Bryce Lausier and Ayme Daguilh in the transfer portal, suddenly jeopardizing UMaine’s frontcourt depth moving forward and reshaping head coach Chris Markwood’s plan for offseason recruitment.
As is, the Black Bears don’t have any power forwards or centers ready for action next season, with fifth-year Cisse’s eligibility up in the air, and rising junior Keelan Steele of Alton, Ontario having only played two total minutes the last two years.
“[Cisse]’s trying to get a waiver for a sixth year, which is not as easy as we initially thought,” Markwood said. “We want him back, and he wants to come back, but it’s up to the NCAA.”
Cisse transferred over from Manhattan College last year and immediately became a valued physical presence for UMaine, appearing in 31 games (starting 21) and averaging 3.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 0.5 steals on 50 percent shooting.
Cisse sat out his entire sophomore year at Manhattan College due to injuries, and could be eligible for another season at UMaine because the NCAA extended an extra year of eligibility to all student athletes during the pandemic.
“It’s a whole new landscape, with the COVID rules and the transfer portal,” Markwood said. “There’s so much freedom of movement. We’re actually in much better shape than most teams, which have nine or ten open spots to fill — more than 2,500 Division I guys are already in the portal.”
During the pandemic, the NCAA also abolished its requirement that transfers sit out a year after changing schools, meaning that veteran additions are more readily available than ever before. Markwood plans on using the portal over the next two months to help replace Feierbergs, Filipovity and potentially Cisse.
“We’re recruiting high school kids from the northeast and Canada, but we’re also recruiting from the portal heavily,” Markwood said. “You have to cast a wide net, and get these kids up to campus. We’re looking for experienced guys that can pick up schemes quickly, and can get involved right away.”
Markwood and company are looking for big men that can provide a mixture of Feierbergs’ mobility and willingness to shoot with Cisse’s defensive presence in the paint. UMaine’s expected starting backcourt for 2024 — Kellen Tynes, Jaden Clayton and AJ Lopez — combined to shoot just 29.5 percent from three this year, so shooting is especially at a premium for UMaine.
“That shooting and passing aspect is big for us,” Markwood said. “We’re always looking for big men with skill. We’re recruiting that hard.”