KVAC

Edward Little and Lewiston locked horns in an unforgettable Eastern Maine quarterfinal game in February, and there’s no reason to think that the Red Eddies and Blue Devils won’t return to Augusta this season.

EL won that showdown after an up-and-down regular season. Three starters return, including Quin Leary, who has the potential to match his older brother Bo (2011) as a Mr. Basketball finalist. Sean Ford and Nate Alexander also bring size and all-around skills to the mix, and 6-foot-5 sophomore Llewellyn Jensen may be primed for a breakout season.

Likewise, the Blue Devils welcome back three of their top five players. Josh Thomas’ scoring and defense, Steven Patrie’s strength in the paint and Donne Agossou’s quickness and creativity give Lewiston the flexibility to win games of any style.

Oxford Hills has been mostly out of the tournament loop since it moved from Bangor to Augusta seven years ago, but the Vikings could make a run on the shoulders of junior point guard Matt Beauchesne and some athletic newcomers.

Week-one games against Skowhegan and Brewer will be a good measuring stick for young Mt. Blue and first-year coach Josh Bishop. The Cougars will start a four-guard lineup and emphasize defense with a starting five that includes a freshman and two sophomores.

Despite the graduation of several key components, Hampden is considered an early favorite to defend its KVAC and Eastern titles behind outstanding junior Zach Gilpin. Lawrence, Cony and Brunswick join EL and Lewiston in the pack of likely challengers.

Leavitt is now the lone local school in the Class B division. The Hornets will have a new look without Jordan Hersom, who has taken his 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds to Springfield College. But 6-foot-5 junior wingman Andrew Middleton may be poised to take his place as one of the most dangerous players in the league.

MVC

Anybody who’s waiting for Dirigo to take a step back to the pack, well, keep waiting. Led by the Frost brothers, T.J. and Tyler, defensive stopper Hunter Ross and forwards Robbie Babb and Kaine Hutchins, the reigning conference and Class C champions will have a rock-solid starting five.

If the competition is a lot tighter this season, it won’t be a reflection of the Cougars falling back to the pack, but a case of the pack stepping up its game. Boothbay is a threat to win the region with point guard Anthony DiMauro steering the ship and brothers John and Evan Hepburn and explosive Ben Dickinson in the mix.

Sam Shepherd and Zach Plummer lead Hall-Dale, which reached the Western Class C semifinals a year ago, and Austin Kane gives Madison its greatest preseason optimism in a decade.

The Class B delegation looks strong, as well.

Mountain Valley has a new coach, Tom Danylik, and a senior-dominated group paced by long-range marksman Jacob Theriault.

Spruce Mountain was the one team to defeat Dirigo in 2012. Although the Phoenix bid farewell to all five starters, the arrival of a deep, athletic sophomore class signals a bright future and a team that could save its best basketball for the second half of the season.

Oak Hill is excited about its move from the KVAC, where it was the smallest school, to the MVC, where it will be one of the largest. Don’t expect the Raiders to go 0-18 again. Nobody was lost to graduation, and three top players have returned after taking a year off from the sport.

As for the local schools that finished in the lower half of Western C last year, Monmouth and Winthrop may have the best chance of moving up. Ten veterans are back to lead the Mustangs’ pursuit of their third playoff berth in four years. Outstanding point guard Taylor Morang may hold the key to the Ramblers’ hopes of halting a four-year playoff drought.

St. Dom’s (Todd Flaherty) and Lisbon (Jake Gentle) enter the season with new coaches.

WMC

Poland celebrated only its second-ever trip to the Western Class B quarterfinals a year ago. That team overcame injuries on its way to Portland. This year’s Knights will have to navigate past the graduation of four starters to make that journey. C.J. Martin is the lone returning regular, but he leads a cast of seven juniors that aims to keep the new tradition going.

Gray-New Gloucester welcomes coach Ryan Deschenes after his successful six-year stint at St. Dom’s. The Patriots made strides with a young group in 2012 and still have only one senior in Kevin Cavallaro.

Yarmouth won its first state championship since 1968. Falmouth, York, Greely and Cape Elizabeth are among the teams standing in the way of a repeat.

EWC

Buckfield has a new coach, Chris Reed, and five new starters as it tries to repeat or exceed last season’s journey to the Western Class D quarterfinals.

No team in the conference will be as young as Rangeley, with three eighth-graders and three freshmen on a 10-man roster.

Neither team will have to deal with enormous preseason expectations. Defending regional champion Forest Hills is a co-favorite with Valley and Greenville.

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