Coming off a big freshman season at Spruce Mountain, Jace Bessey will spend his spring and summer teaming up with some of the state’s top players on the Maine United AAU basketball team.

Bessey said that soon after the Phoenix’s season ended, Aaron McClure, the father of former Maranacook standout Cash McClure, wrote in Facebook post that Bessey should be getting more attention. 

The post grabbed the attention of Maine United assistant coach Kelly Flagg, Maine United assistant coach and two of the team’s players, Nokomis freshmen Ace and Cooper Flagg. Maine United’s Gabe Lash broke his leg recently, opening a spot on the roster for a new player. Kelly Flagg invited Bessey to a practice last week to try out. 

“I was so nervous, I’ll be honest,” Bessey, the son of Spruce Mountain coach Scott Bessey, said. “Being around all those good players, I was definitely nervous. As soon as I walked in and saw Cooper and all them I thought, ‘Wow, this is the real deal.’”

Maine United head coach Andy Bedard said the team already had its eyes on Jace Bessey.

“We don’t have a deep roster, we have eight (players), but we were going to bring him in to look at him, anyway,” Bedard said. “Whether we were going to travel with nine or not, we weren’t sure. Gabe ends up breaking his leg, and so he’s out for three months. Going out and playing, especially with COVID and with crazy travel, vaccinations, having seven is tough.

“We were really impressed with Jace’s ability to create space and get his shot off. Just his overall IQ. He’s an older kid (for a freshman), a strong kid for his size, and he’s a coach’s son, so he will have that ‘thing.’ We wanted to bring him in and see what he could do with our guys.”

Bessey played well at the tryout and when he got home he was sent forms to fill out to join the team. The Spruce freshman brings shooting to a team that has size and athleticism in the Flaggs, Bangor High School’s Landon Clark and Bedard’s son, Kaden, of Montverde Academy in Florida.

“(Bedard) knew my skills were good, but my main focus was defense in that first practice,” Bessey said. “It’s going to be way different in these next few months and my competition level needs to be way higher than it is.”

Before playing at Boston College and the University of Maine, Bedard was a standout player at Mountain Valley High School, which, like Spruce Mountain, competes in the Mountain Valley Conference. So he has an idea of how Bessey’s game is perceived.

“I’d argue he’s playing against tougher competition today than he had all year,” Bedard said the day after Bessey’s tryout. “Which, I came out of the MVC, it was one of those things where people would say, ‘Well, who is he playing against?’ He’s hearing the same thing, and it’s either you can play or you can’t play. How I view that is once he gets to playing with us, his ceiling will continue to get higher, he’s going to get better and better, and the game will get easier for him.”

Bedard hasn’t promised playing time Bessey with Maine United but said that he will be a much better player after the Nike Elite Youth League circuit, which is played at sites throughout the country from early April through the end of July.

“Just the fact that he’s included in the practices will make him a ton better, and we are excited to see him get better in a hurry,” Bedard said. “I’d argue he’s playing against tougher competition today than he had all year. Playing against Kaden every day is something that will make him tougher and understand how hard you have to work. Scoring and getting open while being that physical — when he goes back to high school it’s going to be a lot easier.”

Bedard said that, like the other Maine United players, Bessey embraces hard work and being coached.

“We’re excited about him, and he’s such a good kid, too,” Bedard said. “He’s a hard worker and that’s one of the things that he had that we have, I am going to get on them pretty hard, but it’s like they’re all my kids. The parents all get it, this isn’t some sort of agenda, it’s us trying to help them achieve their goals. His makeup and the way he holds himself, he’s a loyal kid and that’s what these guys are.”

Maine United is playing at Hoop Group New England this weekend in Westford, Massachusetts. It is their second round of games after playing against XL Thunder last Friday in Saco. 

“The first game, as soon as I got in, I was a little nervous, but I tried to be aggressive,” Bessey said. “If I was open, I was going to shoot it. I think I only had two free throws in the first game, and the defense I still have to work on. I gotta get better at not getting beat, and defense, in general. I thought I played well overall.”

Bessey said the team wants him to shoot the ball if he’s open. He’s excited to travel with the team and play basketball as it’s his first time with an AAU time full-time since fourth grade. 

The team’s goal is to qualify for Peach Jam, a tournament for the top 16 teams in the country, in July. 

“The atmospheres are somewhat hostile, it gets loud, obnoxious, the pressure is win or go home,” Bedard said. “There are a lot of situations that I can’t simulate in practice. You miss a free throw? You’re going home. That’s the reality of it. There’s a lot of pressure opportunities, and you’re playing against kids that are mostly Division-I kids. I think they’re playing at different levels this year as freshmen. For freshmen to come in and contribute is kind of a rare thing, and I think after this year when they come back the game will be a lot slower. You’ll see them take a huge leap this year — with all of our practices, games, they all want it.”

« Previous

Photos: CMCC celebrates national champions in Auburn

Next »

U.S. Alpine Championships: Super-G championship races canceled due to weather