DIXFIELD – Another week, another basketball camp for Thomas Knight.

Well, at least for the next five days, the soon-to-be senior at Dirigo High School won’t have to shoehorn his 6-foot-8, 240-pound frame into an airline seat or the back seat of the family vehicle.

“I’m going to the Colby College camp,” Knight explained. “Just for a fun thing.”

Hoops have been a haven for Knight, a source of pride and contentment, for as long as he can remember.

He is seeing the sport through different lenses, however, now that he has evolved from curiosity into commodity.

Knight has sweated out the summer months showcasing his size and skills at some of the elite schoolboy showcases in the country.

Most notably, he joined the short list of local players in his lifetime invited to the Reebok All-American Camp in Philadelphia.

“All the top players in the country were there,” Knight said. “College coaches were packing the stands for all the games we played.”

Shortly after drawing rave reviews, raised eyebrows and adoration from some surprising names in the City of Brotherly Love, Knight joined his AAU team for a national tournament at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando.

There, the spotlight shone more brightly on the burly power forward, even as the outcome on the scoreboard fell shy of his wildest expectations.

“We did all right. We won a game,” Knight said. “I wish we had done better.”

Ever the consummate team player and customarily strapped for words when asked to talk about himself, Knight failed to acknowledge that July and August strengthened his status as Maine’s hottest collegiate prospect from the Class of 2009.

Knight, who has led his Dirigo team to two consecutive berths in the Western Class C championship game, scored 17 points in 17 minutes according to one account of his final game in Philly.

Those numbers would be sensational in the Mountain Valley Conference. Now consider that Knight knocked down his shots and altered others’ at the expense of players bound for the Big East and ACC.

“I saw Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski) from Duke sitting in the stands beside the same court all day one day,” Knight said. “You can’t talk to them. NCAA regulations don’t allow them to talk to you.”

ESPN college basketball analyst Mark Adams reported that Louisville coach and former Boston Celtics boss Rick Pitino praised Knight’s performance to a Holy Cross assistant. Pitino was playfully pointing out, wrote Adams, that Knight could be playing himself out of a mid-major offer and into a higher bracket.

Knight’s stock made another jump in Florida. College recruiting web site Rivals.com listed Knight as one of its five top surprises of the AAU nationals along with players from Iowa, Pennsylvania and Florida.

The default center for the Cougars since his varsity breakthrough as a freshman, Knight is projected at the ‘4’ forward slot in college.

His shooting touch, quickness and defense have surprised scouts. Knight’s physical gifts are only expected to improve in a top-tier strength and conditioning program.

All signs point to Knight having the opportunity to follow Andy Bedard, T.J. Caouette and Nik Caner-Medley into the stratosphere of Maine players to earn Division I major college scholarships. The state has provided a steady pipeline of talent to mid-major programs in this decade, as well.

Notre Dame is the biggest name to make Knight an offer to date. Among the others expressing interest: Seton Hall, Providence, Michigan and Texas Christian.

Maine, Holy Cross, Northeastern and American University (Washington, D.C.) may hold advantages of proximity and more immediate playing time.

“I’d like to stay in the northeast,” Knight said. “I plan to start to talking to people soon. Then I’ll probably take a couple of trips to visit some schools.”

In the meantime, he has earned that week’s retreat in Waterville.