Jan. 16, 2008
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Men's Basketball Team has made a few changes to its current roster. The Hawks will add one new player, Gary Lee (Flint Mich./Northwestern Univ.) to its roster and remove two walk-ons who had not played this season. Another key player, Aleksandar Popovic (Novi Sad, Serbia/Weatherford College), will miss four to five weeks with a right foot fracture.
Lee comes to UMES after transferring from Northwestern University. He started his career with the Wildcats in the 2004-2005 season and red-shirted the entire year. He then left and sat out his mandatory year, due to NCAA DI transfer rules, in 2005-06 and missed the 2006-07 year earning his eligibility.
Lee made his collegiate debut with the Hawks this past weekend, playing in the Winston-Salem State game where UMES fell 105-59. In that game Lee scored eight points and pulled down four rebounds. He then earned his first collegiate start at South Carolina State University (SCSU) on Monday. UMES fell 68-60 and Lee scored nine points and pulled down five boards.
Popovic is expected to miss four to five weeks with a stress fracture in his right foot. He suffered the injury during practice. He hopes to return by UMES' homecoming when the Hawks host Florida A&M on February 23, 2008.
Popovic had played in every game this season up until the SCSU contest and started 13 games. He was averaging 4.3 points per game and 6.6 rebounds. He led the team in blocks with 11 on the year. The loss of Popovic leaves UMES without an inside presence. In the SCSU contest UMES started a small line-up of three guards and two forwards. The only other player on the roster listed as a center is Brandon Moore (Baltimore, Md./Southern H.S.), a walk-on junior listed at 6-9.
In other news UMES has officially removed walk-on guards Kevin Burwell (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep H.S.) and Roland Dunston (Bear, Del./ Glasgow H.S.) from its roster. Neither player had seen action this season for the Hawks.
UMES, without Popovic, will face North Carolina A&T State University on Saturday in Princess Anne. Tip-off will follow the women's game which begins at 2:00 p.m.
