Looking for a no doubt, odds-on, no-brainer ironclad lock to win the Eastern Maine Class D boys basketball tournament?

Hmmm, Central Aroostook of Mars Hill is a preseason favorite, perennial power, and losers of just one game this season.

Then there’s Calvary Chapel Christian School. The defending state Class D champs are back in the thick of it with just two losses, two starters back, and a lot of scoring punch.

Don’t forget annual contender Deer Isle-Stonington, which returned all five starters and six of the top seven players from an Eastern quarterfinal squad last year that brings a 15-3 record and plenty of experience into these playoffs.

“The top teams are so close, if there is an edge, that would probably be it,” said first-year DI-S coach Glenn Billings.

It wouldn’t be wise to overlook Lee Academy, a talented, defensive-minded team which was dueling Central Aroostook for the No. 1 spot the latter part of the regular season, despite the fact that the Pandas haven’t made a Bangor Auditorium tourney appearance in 13 years.

Oh, and you can’t discount a solid Washburn Beavers team featuring plenty of size and one of the most talented Eastern D players in Jason Thompson.

The same applies to Katahdin of Stacyville, a well-coached, veteran squad with two starters back from a 2004 regional semifinal team.

And lest we gloss over Greenville, which is 14-4 against a West-flavored schedule and a bit of an unknown commodity for most Aroostook and Hancock County teams.

Let’s see… That brings the total number of legitimate contenders to three, five… seven teams? Uh, so much for that ironclad, prohibitive favorite.

“I’ll be surprised if the same top eight [teams] now are the same top eight in the tournament just because of the competitive nature of teams one through eight 1-8 and down through 15,” said Calvary Chapel coach Ross Bradford. “I predict at least two upsets in the preliminaries.”

Bradford’s Sabers aren’t quite as loaded offensively as they were last year, but the cupboard’s anything but bare as they return Ross’ son Brock, a 6-foot-1 point guard averaging 31 points, six rebounds, and five assists per game. Also back is 6-2 shooting guard Mike Astle (11.0 ppg) who has teamed with 5-11 power forward Bryan Miller (10 ppg, 10 rebounds per game), 6-4 sophomore center Ian Seekins (5.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg), 5-7 senior guard Fernald Haverlock (6.0 ppg) and reserves Peter Nelson (6-0 forward) and Brandon Scovil (5-9 guard).

Even if there are upsets, the Eagles will have a stack of formidable foes arrayed against them in the tourney field.

Central Aroostook’s Panthers and Lee Academy’s Pandas are at the top of that stack.

The Panthers, whose lineup isn’t particularly big or small, are averaging about 75 points per game while holding opponents to an average of 60.

“It’s more like a team of guard-forwards,” said CAHS coach Tim Brewer. “We’re all guards pretty much so yeah, we can give up some size inside, but it makes it hard for other teams to match up with us in other areas too and it gives us a lot of versatility. We can play a lot of different styles.”

The Panthers’ rotation includes 6-1 senior point guard Jason Woodworth (18.5 ppg), 6-1 junior shooting guard Andrew York (17 ppg), 6-2 power forward Brock Burtt, 5-11 junior forward Taylor McLaughlin, and 6-0 sophomore swingman Tim Carlson (13.5 ppg), 5-11 sophomore forward Sam Clockedile, 5-11 junior forward Eric Martinez, 6-0 senior center Bryan Shaw, and 5-10 freshman point guard Cameron York.

It’s a renaissance season for Lee, which hasn’t played a tourney game in Bangor since 1992, but if they’re looking for good omens, the No. 8 Pandas made the most of that appearance by winning a preliminary game and then knocking off No. 1 Central (East Corinth) before losing by three in the semis.

“Yeah, hopefully it won’t be the opposite if we go in first this year,” said Lee coach Randy Harris, who has been just as surprised as anyone with his team’s success. “I’d never had a No. 1 team in 21 years and we’ve scored more Heal points than any previous Lee boys team.

“I really felt the absolute best we could do was six or seven, so they have far exceeded my expectations,” he admitted. “This is by far the best defensive team I’ve had in 21 years and I think that’s a big reason we are first.”

The Pandas lineup features 6-5 center Matt Scott (11.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.0 bpg), 6-2 senior point man Jerry Worster, (8.5 ppg), senior off-guard Neil Cowan (11.0 ppg), 6-1 sophomore forward Tom Bird, 6-1 junior forward Chris King, 6-0 guard Peter Pickering, 5-10 guard Tyler Thompson, and senior Aaron Coulombe, who’s filling in for 6-0 guard Jeremy Tripp, a 6-0 guard who broke his left foot with two weeks left in the regular season, but hopes to return.

In addition to experience, the Mariners feature maturity and versatility.

Key players are 6-4 center Thomas Robbins, 6-3 forward Tim Parker, 5-10 forward Josh Eaton, 6-0 guard Nick Ciomei – all seniors – 5-10 sophomore Bryant Ciomei, and 6-0 sophomore forward Shane Eaton, who started last season.

“I think we’re a stronger, deeper team than we had last year,” Billings said.