The Eastern Class A boys basketball tournament is starting to look like the Hampden Academy Invitational. The Broncos have won the last three regional titles, and as the No. 2 seed this season, are a contender again.
Standing in Hampden’s way over a fourpeat is No. 1 Edward Little, and a deep field of talented Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference teams that just spent the regular season beating up on each other.
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Eastern A boys at a glance
Defending champ: Hampden
Players to watch: Nick Mayo, Messalonskee; Nick Gilpin, Hampden; Liam Stokes, Cony; Lew Jenson, Edward Little; Andrew Fleming, Oxford Hills; Alex Bandouveres, Brunswick; Isaiah Harris, Lewiston; Matt Pushard, Brewer.
Messalonskee vs. Hampden in the semifinals. Hampden won both regular season games, but each was close. The teams needed overtime to decide December’s game at Hampden, and the rematch at Messalonskee was a two-point contest until the final minute.
Team most likely to pull an upset: Cony over Lewiston. The Rams lost a pair of close games to the Blue Devils in the regular season, and could advance to the semis with a good shooting night.
We’d be surprised if: Anyone figures out a way to slow down Messalonskee’s Mayo. The 6-foot-8 senior was the KVAC Class A Player of the Year and is a dangerous offensive weapon in the paint or on the perimeter.
Predicted champion: Hampden
“There’s so much parity in our league,” Messalonskee coach Peter McLaughlin said. “We have confidence we can play with anybody.”
The tournament begins Saturday with No. 6 Oxford Hills (10-8) against No. 3 Messalonskee (13-5) at 4 p.m. at the Augusta Civic Center.
“This is like Hampden’s home court anyway,” Cony coach T.J. Maines joked about the Augusta Civic Center. “You go out and you play well, and you shoot the ball well, anything can happen. I think the year kind of proved that.”
Top-seed Edward Little (17-1) won seven games by five points or less, including a 54-49 win over its quarterfinal opponent, No. 8 Brewer (8-11). The Red Eddies are led by a pair of first-team all-conference players, Lew Jenson and Ian Miliekis.
The Messalonskee-Oxford Hills game features arguably the top two players in the state. Messalonskee’s 6-foot-8 forward Nick Mayo is heading to Eastern Kentucky University next season, while Oxford Hills junior Andrew Fleming is a Division I prospect. McLaughlin said the Eagles can’t get too concerned with Fleming, because the Vikings have a few talented players, including forward Tyus Ripley and point guard Blake Slicer.
“Fleming and Ripley both have the ability to take over a game. Slicer is a good shooter. He hit some big threes against us (a 55-42 Messalonskee win),” McLaughlin said. “They’re going to play good defense.”
Along with Mayo, Messalonskee has good shooters in Taylor Turner and Nate Violette. The Eagles enter the tournament winners of 10 of their last 11 games.
No. 5 Cony (11-7) lost a pair of games in the regular season to No. 4 Lewiston (11-7), but each was close. Maines feels his team is better equipped to play against Lewiston’s zone defense than it was early in the regular season, and is eager for another crack at the Blue Devils.
“It’s a fun matchup. I’m happy to get a chance to play someone who beat us twice, and see if we can rectify that in the tournament,” Maines said. “They have a 6-10 center, and our biggest guy’s 6-2. That gives us fits.”
The 6-10 player Maines referred to is Lewiston’s Trevor Irish. Isaiah Harris is a talented wing the Rams also must account for.
Cony is led by Liam Stokes, a first team all-KVAC player, and TJ Cusick, a second team all-conference selection.
No. 2 Hampden (16-2) takes on No. 7 Brunswick (9-9).
“It’s a tough draw. Hampden is a team that’s got experience and a championship pedigree,” Brunswick coach Todd Hanson said. “We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Hampden is the rare title contender that is full of underclassmen. First team all-KVAC player Nick Gilpin is a junior, while Brendan McIntyre is also a junior. Ian McIntyre, Hampden’s 6-4 center, is a freshman.
With many of his players also members of Brunswick’s Pine Tree Conference champion football team, Hanson felt his Dragons got a late start to the season. Alex Bandouveres is a key contributor to both Brunswick teams.
“I like the fact that we’ve shown improvement as the season went on,” Hanson said.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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