Gabe Michaud of Gorham is now a sophomore at the University of Maine at Farmington. Michaud was one of the driving force playmakers for the Rams Basketball team in the hunt for the state title in 2024 (the program’s first trip back since 2005). Michaud is now a proud member of the UMF Basketball squad, which capped off a stellar season by earning a bid to the National Championship. The UMF Beavers won the NAC championship, knocking off the University of Maine at Presque Isle by a landslide score.

Michaud is ranked eighth in the nation in assists and third in assist/turnover ratio and was named to one of the All-Conference teams in the NAC. On Feb. 9, UMF faced Montclair State University, which was ranked No. 1 in the nation (they had lost one game and dropped a bit but UMF faced them in round one). The UMF team came out on fire for that game. Montclair full court pressed UMF the entire game. Michaud was exactly on point; nearly flawless (zero 10-second violations, close to no turnovers).

Michaud, UMF’s playmaker, took over as the controller and was the glue, with many assists. He got the layups and was seeing the openings in that game. Fans of the team would describe this team as a charismatic, young, fun, and talented group made up of mostly sophomores that have a very bright future. Gabe’s coach, first-year head coach for the Beavers Quinn Newton (joining UMF from Bates College), had a lot of praise for Michaud and his teammates. Coach Newton shared, “Gabe is a player who probably doesn’t always get the recognition he deserves, but within our program we know how valuable he is. He was a key piece to our success all season.

“Night after night he showed he could be one of the best guards on the floor, regardless of the opponent. As a coach, there’s a lot of comfort going into a game knowing you have a competitor like Gabe leading your group.” He continued, “What stands out the most is his competitive spirit. Gabe is the type of player who will do whatever it takes to help the team win – whether that’s making plays, defending, or bringing energy when we need it most. During the tournament he faced some of the best guards in the country, and he never backed down for a second. For a sophomore to play with that level of confidence and toughness on that stage says a lot about who he is as a player and a competitor.”

According to Coach Newton, his team, from the summer through the preseason and into the year, set big goals and committed themselves to chasing them every single day. They worked for eight or nine months with a shared purpose, and they stayed grounded and connected even as the success started to build. When outside attention and expectations grew, our guys did a great job keeping the focus on each other and on the process. That level of trust is what made this group special. This group set a program record for single-season wins, won the program’s first conference championship since 2010 (under longtime beloved coach Dick Meader) and earned an NCAA Tournament first-round victory. Coach Newton concluded, “What made this team unique was that every single player in our locker room had a role in our success. Our guys embraced a mindset we talk about often: ‘sometimes you, sometimes me, always us.’ They truly lived that out throughout the year.”