Why basketball star Bailey Breen chose UMaine despite 25 scholarship offers
Center Bailey Breen, who led Oceanside High of Rockland to two State Class B schoolgirl basketball titles in her three years, said UMaine coach Amy Vachon's belief in her was one of the primary reasons she verbally committed to attend UMaine.
The 6-foot-3 standout received more than 25 scholarship offers and is currently playing for three-time national champ Montverde Academy in Florida after passing up her senior year at Oceanside. Her younger sister, Olivia, is also with her at Montverde.
Breen said Vachon "believed in me before anybody else.
"When I was young, she knew I could do it. I've had a relationship with them for a long time and I'm a big relationship person," said Breen. "They win, their style of play is fitting and I know a lot of girls on the team."
Breen began practicing with Montverde on Aug. 20 and said she wants to learn as much as she can.
"Everybody is very supportive. I'm playing with and against the best players in the country," said Breen. "When you're playing people who are bigger, stronger, faster and better than you, you have to adjust.
Playing on such a talented team should bridge the gap between high school and college fairly well, she said.
"The transition is going to be hard no matter where you come from or how good you are but being here I will be able to bridge the gap as well as it can be bridged between here and there," she said.
Montverde played in a tournament in October in Memphis and she said she played a half in each game, all of which were wins.
Breen averaged 28 points per game on 65 percent shooting from the floor last season at Oceanside along with 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.1 blocked shots and 1.2 steals.
She was a Bangor Daily News All-Maine Schoolgirl first team selection after being a second team choice her freshman and sophomore seasons.
Breen is working on becoming a more consistent 3-point shooter from the college range and said she will have to adapt to the pace of the collegiate game.
She observed that Vachon likes to run her offense through the post and the post players are able to make reads.
"You can pass, step out and shoot the ball, and you can also drive to the basket," said the daughter of Oceanside coach Matt Breen and wife Liz.
She is looking forward to playing with 2022-23 America East Player of the Year and two-time America East first team forward Adrianna Smith, one of the league's top post players if not the best.
Smith has been lost for the season due to knee surgery but has announced her intentions to return to UMaine for a fifth year next season.
"I'm very excited to play with her. If you have the two of us in there together, we could be very dangerous," said Breen.
