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Greatness on the basketball court is achieved by few players.
Truly great players are versatile. They can score, make pinpoint passes on the fast break, grab clutch rebounds in traffic, pick off momentum-generating steals, and play tough defense.
Those are some of the qualities exhibited by the 15 players who make up the 37th edition of the Bangor Daily News All-Maine Schoolboy Basketball Team.
The All-Maine squad was picked by the NEWS with voting input from high school and college coaches, media, officials, and veteran hoop observers.
Mark Reed of Bangor, the top vote-getter for 1992, and South Portland’s John Wassenbergh, who led their respective teams into the Class A state title game, headline the NEWS First Team.
Joining Reed and Wassenbergh are Matt Arsenault and John L’Heureux, both of Old Town, and Matt Greenleaf of Deering in Portland.
Keith Gendron of Sanford paces the Second Team, which also includes Waterville’s Jason Jabar, Jeff Hogan of South Portland, Jeff Woodman of Rockland, and Antoine Morin of Forest Hills in Jackman.
The Third Team consists of Caribou’s Jason Belanger, Bill Newman of Bangor, Winthrop’s Jeff Love, Chad Fenton of Narraguagus High in Harrington, and Hermon’s Rick Sinclair.
THE FIRST TEAM
REED, with his heady all-around play, served as the hub of the Eastern Maine Class A champion Bangor team. The 6-foot-3 junior floor leader came to the forefront in big games.
Reed stepped up his scoring in key situations, averaging 17 points per game. He also hit the glass for six rebounds, handed out 6.6 assists, and chipped in with 3.1 steals every time out.
Reed, an All-Big East Conference pick, also was a defensive stalwart, who was steady every game and came up with steals in pressure situations.
“He does some things that you can’t teach, things that come instinctively on the court,” said Bangor Coach Roger Reed. “His ability to read the court and understand the options coming down the floor was important to us. I think the kids have a lot of confidence in him and his overall ability to lead on the floor.”
WASSENBERGH was unstoppable, powering South Portland to the Class A state title. The 6-2 transfer from New York utilized his strength and nifty moves while dominating underneath.
The senior forward averaged 25 points, nine rebounds, and two assists a game, shooting an incredible 73 percent from the field. Wassenbergh, a Southern Maine Activities Association first-teamer, was especially dangerous while initiating the fast break.
He also played strong interior defense and was a physical intimidator. Wassenbergh is considering St. Joseph’s, Assumption, and Brandeis.
“He also has a tremendous ability to receive the ball on the block and make something happen,” said Red Riots Coach Tony DiBiase. “Because of our excellent guard play, he was allowed to stay in the blocks and play with his back to the basket.”
ARSENAULT was Old Town’s sparkplug. The 5-11 junior point guard, Maine’s Gatorade Player of the Year and the Big East Conference MVP, poured in 25 points per game on 56 percent shooting.
Arsenault was elusive with his silky smooth ballhandling. He made sure the ball met its intended destination, either the basket or a teammate, averaging less than one turnover per outing.
Arsenault, one of four junior All-Mainers, was a prolific scorer, especially with pull-up jumpers in the lane. Yet, he also averaged four assists, four steals, and four rebounds.
“He was invaluable for us. We really couldn’t afford to take him off the court in any close situations,” said Old Town Coach Marty Clark. “We always wanted the ball in his hands because he’s such a great weapon. In the open court he’s unstoppable.”
GREENLEAF came into his own while leading Deering into the WM finals. He won the Vinal Trophy as the top player in the Class A tourney. The versatile, 6-7 forward-center owns a feathery shooting touch and excellent range for a big man.
Greenleaf averaged 21 points, 11 rebounds, and seven blocked shots. He played a lot underneath, where Deering could make use of his height and agility on offense. He was an intimidating defensive presence.
The senior SMAA All-Star may attend prep school to improve his options as a college prospect.
“He has really blossomed into a tremendous player,” said Rams Coach Dave Brenner. “Because he’s 6-7, we played him inside a lot, but he’s much more comfortable catching and facing the basket, shooting from 15 feet. He’s a great shooter and he’s got very soft hands.”
L’HEUREUX set the standard for Maine’s big men. Old Town’s powerful 6-7 center exhibited a successful mixture of muscle and finesse, dominating the action around the basket.
The junior post player possesses a soft shooting touch, but also can use his strength to overpower opponents. Despite facing constant double- and triple-teaming and enduring lots of contact, L’Heureux averaged 18 points and 12 rebounds.
L’Heureux, an All-Big East choice, improved his defensive play and was relentless, leading the BE in rebounding.
“His best skill is his hands,” said Clark. “He’s got great eye-hand coordination and really soft touch inside the paint. He can catch anything thrown close to him and he’s got a nice assortment of moves in the paint. At 6-7, 240, he’s got to be the smoothest kid I’ve seen.”
THE SECOND TEAM
GENDRON carried Sanford with his scoring prowess. The 6-3 senior forward tossed in 23 points per game, hit 46 percent from 3-point range, and handled the ball against pressure.
Gendron, named Mr. Maine Basketball, earned All-SMAA honors and led the league with 12 rebounds a game. He defended opponents’ top post players. He likely will attend Wesleyan.
“He’s a great scorer, but he was very unselfish,” said ‘Skins Coach Doug Roberts. “He was a consummate team player.”
JABAR fulfilled many roles for Waterville. The 6-3 power forward was a tough matchup in the post, but also handled the ball well and was a superb defender.
Using a quick first step and his strength down low, Jabar scored 15 ppg while averaging 10 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He’ll attend UMaine on a football grant.
“I was really pleased this year that he emerged as a leader for us,” said Panthers Coach Ken Lindlof. “The highest compliment is he makes everybody around him better.”
Rockland’s WOODMAN was a deadly shooter and pressure performer for the Class B state champions. The 5-7 off-guard connected for 17.5 ppg, shooting 36 percent from 3-point range and 66 percent inside the arc.
Woodman, Rockland’s go-to guy, was a great leader. He played tenacious defense and averaged 4.3 assists and 4.2 steals.
“He was able to take most of the pressure, put it on his shoulders, and withstand it,” said Tigers Coach Chris Elkington. “There was no question who the leader was out on the court.”
South Portland’s HOGAN was a key cog in the Red Riots’ title run. The 6-0 senior guard provided perimeter scoring, rebounding, and aggressive defense.
Hogan tossed in 19 ppg and added eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals per game. He also excelled from the foul line.
“Hogan is your complete off-guard,” said Coach DiBiase. “He can shoot, rebound, play defense, pass the ball. He showed a great deal of leadership. He’s super quick for a big kid, a real physical type of player.”
MORIN was the class of Class D and could have played for any team. The 6-4 senior swingman played power forward for the Tigers, but had the agility to play the point, the size to play inside, and the finesse to score outside.
Morin averaged 25 points and 13 rebounds while showing a flair for open-court passing and playing hard-nosed defense.
“He’s so smart and anticipates the game,” said Forest Hills Coach Jamie Weggler. “He’s one step ahead of the others. He can do it all, so he puts a lot of pressure on the other team.”
THE THIRD TEAM
BELANGER paced Caribou with consistent all-around play. The 6-0 swingman, elusive in the open court, averaged 21 points (on 56 percent shooting), six rebounds, and 2.6 steals. He will attend Husson College of Bangor.
“I’d call him a complete player,” said Caribou Coach Jeff Holmes. “His strengths are his quickness and taking the ball to the basket.”
NEWMAN was an accurate outside shooter, slashing penetrator, and strong defender in Bangor’s memorable season. The 6-foot guard-forward tossed in 15 ppg and led the fast break with exceptional quickness. He is headed to prep school.
“He was a great shooter for us,” said Coach Reed. “He’s got great quickness and was one of the keys to our defense.”
LOVE’s ability to perform in the clutch sparked Winthrop to the Class C title. The 6-0 junior swingman, a 3-point specialist, averaged 17 ppg while serving as the Ramblers’ defensive stopper.
“He’s a money player, there’s no question,” said Winthrop Coach Dave Poulin. “Many times during the season he made big hoops down the stretch to win ballgames. He has that knack.”
‘Guagus’ FENTON was a scoring machine, pouring in 29 points per game. The 6-0 senior guard also averaged five rebounds, five assists, and three steals with his superb court vision and his ability to make things happen.
“If he was just a great scorer, he’d be a great player, but he brings out the best in everyone else,” said Knights Coach Larry Worcester.
SINCLAIR carried Hermon with his potent play in the post. The 6-6 senior forward averaged 17 points and 13 rebounds while blocking five shots per outing. He will attend Husson College.
“He totally controlled games with his shot-blocking and his ability to score when we needed a basket,” said Hermon Coach Clayton Blood. “He was double- and triple-teamed a lot.” ALL-MAINE TEAMS
First Team
Name School Year
John Wassenbergh South Portland Senior
Mark Reed Bangor Junior
Matt Arsenault Old Town Junior
Matt Greenleaf Deering Senior
John L’Heureux Old Town Junior
Second Team
Name School Year
Keith Gendron Sanford Senior
Jason Jabar Waterville Senior
Jeff Woodman Rockland Senior
Jeff Hogan South Portland Senior
Antoine Morin Forest Hills Senior
Third Team
Name School Year
Jason Belanger Caribou Senior
Bill Newman Bangor Senior
Jeff Love Winthrop Junior
Chad Fenton Narraguagus Senior
Rick Sinclair Hermon Senior
Honorable mention
Adam Baldwin, Nokomis; Jamie Beaudoin, Orono; Wayne Benjamin, Morse; Mike Boissonneau, Portland; Matt Cassidy, Calais; Steve Coombs, Lee Academy; Chris Cote, Biddeford; Darren Elder, Windham; Jethro Ferguson, MCI; Jason Foster, Hall-Dale; John Francis, Washington Academy; Aaron Harris, Lawrence; Scott Hill, Jay; Mark McInnis, Winslow; Corey McIver, Woodland; Garrett Quinn, Skowhegan; Ken Rassi, John Bapst; Ryan Schoppee, Machias; Mike Simonds, Scarborough; Scott Springer, Old Town; Tony Tobin, Limestone; Tyson
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