Bedard, Caouette accept Division I challenge

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – It was just like old times in the Mountain Valley Conference Saturday afternoon.

Mountain Valley High School’s Andy Bedard playing against his close friend, T.J. Caouette of Winthrop High.

But there were some differences, among them a national TV audience via CBS instead of a handful of local media, and 8,606 spectators instead of 1,800.

And the stakes are much higher these days.

Rumford’s Bedard is a sophomore guard at Boston College and Caouette is a freshman guard/forward at Villanova.

Bedard played 20 minutes on this day, contributing 10 points, a team-high four assists, and two steals in his team’s 84-66 loss to the Wildcats. He has averaged 21 minutes, 6.2 points, and 2.4 assists per game.

Caouette played six minutes, one less than his average, and had a dunk to help maintain his 1.8 ppg average. His high school coach, Dave Poulin, and the current Winthrop High School basketball team were in attendance along with family members, including his grandmother, Elinor Caddigan, who was celebrating her 84th birthday.

Bedard also had friends and family in attendance.

Caouette and Bedard, former AAU teammates, chatted briefly before and after the game.

“To see these two kids from little Class B and C schools playing at this level on national TV is amazing,” Poulin said.

After being perennial All-Staters in Maine, life in the fast lane of the Big East has required adjustments.

“Things haven’t changed that much for me this year. I’m in the same role,” said Bedard, who started five games at the beginning of the season while Big East Rookie of the Year Scoonie Penn was ineligible due to an academic technicality problem.

“I go in and play as hard as I can. I try to be a spark whether they need me to hit a shot, play good defense, or make an extra pass. I try to do whatever it takes to put us ahead,” he said.

Bedard, who averaged 3.8 points, 1.9 assists, and 16 minutes per game last year, said he has improved thanks to a weight training regimen and 10 extra pounds.

He will use the added strength to penetrate more. That’s what coach Jim O’Brien wants from him.

The 6-foot-1 Bedard feels he needs to tune up his entire overall game because playing time can boil down to a matter of “who makes the least amount of mistakes and who doesn’t turn the ball over. My game was pretty good when I came here, but everybody’s game is real good when they come here.”

He said he is happy at BC, but qualified it by saying, “Things could be better. But things could be worse. Everybody could say that.”

The 6-7 Caouette will have to adjust to being a perimeter player in college after spending a lot of time in the paint in high school.

“Coach [Steve Lappas] tells me to go out, set a lot of screens, get people open, and, if I have an open shot, to take it,” he said.

“I’m trying to do the little things so I’ll get more playing time. But as long as we keep winning, you won’t get any complaints from me,” added Caouette, who pulled down an impressive 3.5 grade point average in his first semester.

Lappas said his staff loves Caouette and calls him an unbelievable worker.

“He’s progressing very well. He will be a three man [small forward], no doubt,” Lappas said. “His biggest adjustment is on defense because instead of covering forwards and centers like he did in high school, he’s covering perimeter shooters who can hit the `3′ now.”

Caouette should figure more prominently next year as Villanova will graduate four players and freshman phenom Tim Thomas, who signed after ‘Nova recruited Caouette, may elect to enter the NBA draft.