Eastern Maine Class A basketball covers a wide geographic swath, from just north of Portland to the Canoe City, Old Town.

But the bulls-eye within the division isn’t in the center of that area, but to the north – Bangor High School, a regional finalist last winter and state champion three of the last five years.

The Rams would be a target of its Eastern A brethren anyway, given a solid returning nucleus led by senior co-captains Aaron Gallant, a third-team NEWS All-Maine choice in 2004, and Jordan Heath.

But an additional influx of talent – in particular first-team NEWS All-Maine selection Mark Socoby, a 6-6 junior transfer who led Houlton to the 2004 Class C state title – has made the Rams an even bigger focus of preseason attention.

“In the Big East, you’ve got to look at Bangor certainly being at the top of the list,” said Brewer coach Mark Reed. “They have so much leadership back, and size, depth and toughness. They’re great defensively, and they added a pretty good player in Socoby who will fit in well because he’s coming in to such a strong group of kids.”

While Gallant and Heath are the only fulltime starters back, Bangor boasts a wealth of depth. Heath is back at point guard for the second year, while Gallant is a defensive stopper who teams with seniors Anthony DeRosa and Jesse St. John as veteran presences on the wing.

Socoby can play either inside or outside, while 6-7 senior Andrew Trundy and 6-6 junior Andy Mead provide height in the low post.

The Rams also have a pair of highly regarded youngsters in 6-4 sophomore Alex Gallant and 6-2 freshman Lee Suvlu to add to the mix.

“At this point, we’re quite deep,” said Bangor coach Roger Reed. “I wouldn’t be afraid to play any of our kids.”

Hampden Academy returns its entire team from a year ago, a contingent led by 6-9 junior center Jordan Cook.

“Everyone has an extra year of experience,” said second-year Broncos’ coach Russ Bartlett. “And everyone has a better foundation of what I expect from them on and off the court.”

Hampden hopes to expand its attack this winter so teams can’t double- or triple-team Cook. Sophomore Daniel McCue and senior Blaine Meehan will be two keys to that effort from their guard slots. Seniors Josh McNutt and Pat Moran and juniors Sam Hodgdon and Jay Uhrin also will be major contributors.

“We’ll look to play a little differently this year,” said Bartlett. “Last year we were somewhat one-dimensional, but we have great leadership this year and that will help. We just need to find other people to step forward.”

Brewer features a premier guard in junior Chris Wilson, who will be asked to play a leadership role on a relatively inexperienced team.

“Chris is a very, very talented guard, and a great kid to coach,” said Mark Reed. “He enjoys working on the details of the game, and he understands how working on them will make him a better player.”

Senior guard Isaac Bell is another backcourt veteran, while seniors Drew Francis and Justin MacDonald are top frontcourt players for the Witches.

Seniors Derek Macomber and Ben Davis and sophomore Ryan Babin also figure prominently in Brewer’s plans.

“We’re going to have some challenges ahead of us, because we’re not as deep as we’ve been in the past,” Reed said.

John Bapst of Bangor is expected to play at a deliberate pace in order to capitalize on its overall height in its last season in Class A.

The Crusaders, who will move to Class B next season, have four starters 6-2 or taller, including 6-3 senior point guard Kyle Ferrill. Travis Carey, a 6-3 senior, and 6-2 junior Tyler Yeo will play inside, while additional inside help should come from 6-3 junior Joe Novak, who missed most of last season with a dislocated shoulder.

Other key contributors will be 6-1 senior Sean Snyder, a defensive specialist, and 5-11 guard George Keefe.

“I think we’ll be better this season,” said Bapst coach Jason Mills. “But the record may not show it because the league is so much tougher this year.”

Nokomis returns a pair of starters in senior Evan McDaniel and Tyler Norris. The Warriors will rely on quickness to overcome a lack of height, with 6-3 Zack Wing the team’s tallest player. Junior Brandon Oldenburg and sophomore Benson Mensah-Bonsu, an exchange student from England, also will help the Nokomis cause.

“This is the smallest team I’ve coached,” said Nokomis coach Jim DiFrederico. “We’re going to have to change our style and really toughen up on the boards and continue with our defensive effort. We’ve made great strides with our man-to-man defense, and we’re a lot quicker this year.”

Old Town welcomes a new coach in Brad Paradis, who replaces the retired Marty Clark after seven years as the school’s freshman coach.

Paradis inherits a young club, with just five players – none of them starters – back from the 2003-04 squad.

Junior guard Logan Bouchard and junior forward Travis Shaw will be pivotal players for the Indians, while seniors Travis St. Louis, Adam Avery and Jake Fogarty are other returning veterans.

“I’m hoping we can slide under the radar a little,” said Paradis. “It’s a rebuilding year, but we’ve got some talent that could make some noise.”

Oxford Hills of South Paris and Brunswick were ranked 1-2 in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference preseason poll, and for good reason.

Oxford Hills, defeated by Bangor in last season’s Eastern A semifinals, graduated standout Corey Tielinen but returns its other four starters. That contingent is led by twins Tom and Leif Kothe, a pair of 6-4 forwards that give coach Scott Graffam’s club a strong inside game. Matt McDonnell, a 6-2 guard, is another catalyst for the Vikings, who will try to create a fast pace with fullcourt defensive pressure and an up-tempo offense.

Brunswick suffered an even bigger graduation loss in Mr. Basketball Ralph Mims, now at Florida State.

But Mims was one of just three seniors to graduate from coach Todd Hanson’s team. The Dragons return three impact players from last season’s Eastern Maine championship contingent in 6-4 senior center Kevin Scully, 6-1 senior forward Jesse Kaplan and 6-0 senior guard Justin Gauvin.

Mt. Blue of Farmington is another KVAC threat, with Jim Bessey’s club featuring a quality big man in 6-5 senior Ted Neil.