Class C South

Players to watch: Sr. G Jacob Hickey, Winthrop; Sr. F Garrett Tsouprake, Winthrop; Sr. C Matt Holt, Richmond; Jr. G Zach Small, Richmond; Sr. F Mitchell Jarvais, Madison; Sr. G Haven Cutko, North Yarmouth Academy; Sr. F Jake Malcom, NYA; Soph. G Alec Byron, Hall-Dale; Jr. G Kyle Ames, Boothbay; Sr. F Yai Deng, Waynflete; Sr. G Barrett Grant, Searsport; Sr. C Ethan James, Wiscasset; Jr. G Ian Regan, Old Orchard Beach; Sr. F Tanner Wheeler, Telstar; Jr. F Cooper Chiasson, Dirigo.

Favorite: Winthrop

The Ramblers rolled through the Mountain Valley Conference to an 18-0 record, winning by an average of 19.8 points per game. Only Hall-Dale finished within single digits when the final horn sounded (55-51 in the season finale).

Winthrop has taken impressive records into the tournament in recent years, too, and come up shy. But what separates this team is its experience, balance and depth. Eight seniors figure into coach Todd MacArthur’s rotation. In addition to Hickey, one of the best shooters in Class C, they have the inside presence of Tsouprake and 6-foot-8 sophomore center Cam Wood. Defensively, the Ramblers can be suffocating at times. Few opponents present a match-up they don’t have an answer for in their lineup.

Darkhorse: Waynflete

The defending regional champions graduated some of the keys to their overtime victory over Winthrop in last year’s regional final. But their replacements will benefit from a challenging Western Maine Conference schedule that included some strong Class A and B foes.

Two of last year’s catalysts, Deng and Christian Brooks, are back in the paint (although Deng can step out and hit 3s, too). Complementing them is a fleet (pun intended) of quick guards who create havoc at the defensive end and can knock shots down from the perimeter.

Overview:

The region is full of questions: How well did playing an East-West Conference schedule with a few WMC teams mixed in prepare No. 2 Richmond for the tournament? Was Hall-Dale’s finale against Winthrop an indication the Bulldogs had closed the gap on the Ramblers? Are Boothbay and NYA flying under the radar despite some impressive wins? Can Madison give Jarvais enough scoring help to go deep in the tournament?

Ultimately, Winthrop can render all of those questions moot if it plays up to its ability. The Ramblers have all of the ingredients, including the best player in the tournament in Hickey. They are also playing with the sense of purpose and urgency that give senior-laden teams an edge.

Prediction: Winthrop