ORONO — This is why Chris Markwood came back to the University of Maine, where he played his college basketball and where he began his coaching career. To do what he’s doing with the Black Bears right now.

“They embraced the grind and the work,” said Markwood, who won Mr. Maine Basketball in 2000 as a senior at South Portland High. “This program has been built on the people who are in it. We’ve been very meticulous on who we take, in terms of character first and foremost. Team first guys, hard workers.”

Thursday’s 78-74 win over the New Jersey Institute of Technology, in front of 717 fans who went out in the snow to get to The Pit, improved the Black Bears to 7-2 in America East, 15-9 overall. Maine is in second place in the league behind Bryant, and the Black Bears find themselves somewhere they haven’t been in the second half of the America East season in a long time: relevant.

It’s been 15 seasons since Maine finished with a winning record. It’s been 20 years since the Black Bears won an America East tournament game. It’s been 30 years since they hosted a conference tournament game. That was so long ago, the league was still known as the North Atlantic Conference. All those decades-long streaks could fall this season.

Never making the NCAA tournament? Well, even if that doesn’t get checked off the list in March, the Black Bears are undoubtedly improved, and with prized local recruit Ace Flagg (you may have heard of his twin brother) coming next season, positive signs are everywhere in the Maine men’s basketball program.

It’s hard to pinpoint one or two things the Black Bears are doing better than they have in recent years, but let’s try.

First, the offense. Maine entered Thursday’s game fifth in America East in scoring, averaging 72 points per game. The Black Bears finished the 2023-24 season last in the league in scoring at 67.6 points per game. Maine’s field-goal percentage entering Thursday was .468, fourth in the league, after finishing last season seventh (.437). The 3-point percentage, .468, is fourth, after finishing sixth last season (.440).

The defense, which was among the conference’s best a year ago, is still near the top, second in the league at 65.6 points per game allowed. Now the Black Bears have the offense to match that defensive intensity, and it shows.

The big thing, senior guard Kellen Tynes said, is this team is tight. Markwood said he sees it, too. You don’t make the improvements the Black Bears have made without being a connected basketball team, he said.

“We spend almost too much time together. We’ll go eat together after practice, play video games together. We’re really connected, and I think it shows on the court,” Tynes said.

Early in the first half, Tynes made a steal, the 244th of his career. That moved this season’s NCAA leader in steals past Marty Higgins as the program’s all-time leader. Considering he did it in just under three seasons after playing two seasons at Montana State, tip your cap to Tynes and hope he doesn’t snatch it from your grasp.

“He’s just unique, you know? He’s lightning quick, he has great hand-eye coordination, and he’s got a really high basketball IQ,” Markwood said. “When you combine the physical traits with the basketball mind, he’s just got a knack for the ball. He always has, since I watched him in high school.”

Tynes had three steals Thursday, and also coaxed every inch of his 6-foot-3 frame into the air to pick up two of Maine’s eight blocked shots. His 16 points were a bonus.

Tynes is doing exactly what he was expected to do, exactly what he did each of the last two seasons, when he was America East Defensive Player of the Year.

What senior guard AJ Lopez is doing can only be described as a pleasant surprise.

Lopez came to Maine last season, a transfer from New Hampshire. He played in 26 games, starting one, and averaged 8.6 points per game while shooting 41.4% from the field and 34.2% from 3-point range. Lopez came back this season a completely different shooter. Entering Thursday night’s game, Lopez was shooting 49.6% from the floor. His 45.1% from 3-point range would rank No. 9 in the country if Lopez wasn’t just under the minimum of 4.5 attempts per game. As it is, Lopez is second in the conference.

Lopez scored 23 points Thursday. A shoulder injury slowed him last season, he said. Now he’s healthy, and he understands the offense after having played in it a full season.

Tynes said something else is the key to Lopez’ offensive development.

“He’s just confident. You can’t shake his confidence, and that’s one thing we love about him,” Tynes said. “He earned it. He probably could’ve been a starter last year, he’s that talented. But he stayed down. He waited his turn, and you see what’s happening right now.”

There’s still a lot of work to do, Markwood said, and he’s right. Maine has eight more conference games. A few more wins, and they would guarantee a home game in The Pit for the first round of the America East tournament. The other three teams at the top of the conference standings — Bryant, third-place Vermont and fourth-place UMass Lowell — all have to make the long trip to Orono in the coming weeks.

The best Maine men’s basketball team in years might just be getting started.

“I wanted to try and do my part and leave the place better than when I came here,” Tynes said. “Not just me by myself, but my teammates and coaches, we’re doing a pretty good job of that so far.”