BANGOR – At 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, Jon McAllian has the prototypical build for a college shooting guard – not to mention an accurate touch from beyond the 3-point arc.

It’s a combination that has drawn considerable attention from college coaches in recent months and will take him to the University of Maine beginning in the fall of 2008.

McAllian, who will begin his senior year at Bangor High School this fall, recently made a verbal commitment to accept a basketball scholarship to join the Black Bears and will formally sign a National Letter of Intent during the NCAA’s early signing period in November.

“I’ve been going to camps up there since the second grade, and pretty much since then I’ve wanted to go there,” McAllian said. “I don’t think I would feel at home anywhere else.”

McAllian’s decision came after a flurry of recent interest in the guard sparked by his performances on the AAU level, including at a national tournament in Orlando, Fla.

After that tournament, in which he played for a Maine Hoops 17-and-under team coached by Len Holmes that also included Maranacook of Readfield standouts Ryan Martin, Mike Poulin and Will Bardaglio, McAllian received heightened interest from several other Division I programs, including the University of New Hampshire, Central Connecticut State, William & Mary and Virginia Commonwealth.

But there really was no changing McAllian’s mind.

“[Maine] coach [Ted] Woodward has been to pretty much all of my events this summer,” said McAllian, the son of Don and Janet McAllian. “He’s been there the most of any coach by far, and whenever he wasn’t there, his assistant was there.”

Woodward can’t comment on McAllian’s status until he has signed the NLI.

McAllian struggled at times during his junior season with the Bangor High School boys basketball team and saw limited action during the Rams’ tournament run to the 2007 state championship.

“Last year I wasn’t as mentally tough and I wasn’t as mature as I am now,” said McAllian. “But during the AAU season I think I’ve become more mature and more focused on playing well and helping the team win. I think I definitely have a lot more confidence now.”

Bangor coach Roger Reed sees a bright collegiate future for McAllian.

“It just takes time to develop everything you need to be a good basketball player, even though some people might think it just comes overnight,” said Reed. “But nobody loves the game more than Jon, and nobody works harder at it than Jon. He’s a great kid to coach.

“Obviously Jon has a tremendous upside.”

McAllian has been working during the off-season on improving his individual skills, including ballhandling, rebounding and offense closer to the basket.

McAllian will be the second Bangor High graduate on the Maine roster when he joins the program – along with guard Mark Socoby – and one of a growing number of Maine natives recruited to the Black Bears’ basketball program by Woodward.

They include Jordan Cook of Hampden, Sean Costigan of Cheverus of Portland, Jason Hight of Westbrook, Brian Andre of Valley of Bingham and incoming freshmen Sean McNally of Gardiner and Troy Barnies of Edward Little of Auburn.

In the interim, McAllian is poised to help Bangor attempt to defend its 2007 state championship next winter.

“It’s definitely a relief,” he said of his college decision. “But I still want to try to be the best I can be this season to help the team and to give Maine no regrets for giving me a scholarship.”

McAllian’s joining the basketball program is contingent upon his admission to the university and compliance with NCAA initial eligibility guidelines.