James Connellan was the architect of the T defense, a Three One One collapsing zone . He spent more than four decades working with basketball programs in Maine, coaching championship teams at Cony, Winslow, Cheverus, Rockland and Portland. His T defense was used at Cony, Winslow and Westbrook Junior College, and at Cheverus to win a State Championship. The Cheverus team was the last team to beat Waterville in 1943, before Waterville’s 67 game winning streak. He served as a mentor to basketball coaches throughout Maine. Connellan also won consecutive Maine State Basketball Championships as a player for Portland High School in 1910 and 1911.
