HAMPDEN, Maine — In one sense, the pressure is off Messalonskee of Oakland basketball star Nick Mayo.
The 6-foot-8-inch senior forward already has achieved one dream, earning his choice of Division I scholarship offers. Those came with a whirlwind spring and summer on the AAU circuit, when he often dominated some of his top age-group peers in the country.
The Belgrade product helped coach Carl Parker’s Maine Athletic Club 17-and-under team finish 11th at the AAU Division I 11th-Grade National Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, then earlier this fall accepted a full ride to nearby Eastern Kentucky University.
“He did a phenomenal job down there,” said Messalonskee coach Pete McLaughlin. “He didn’t need to impress the coaches by doing something spectacular because that isn’t in his character, but by doing the things he does, execute and be fundamentally sound and play the game he loves playing every day. He did that, and then there was kind of a domino effect.”
Mayo will begin playing at EKU next fall for a team that is the reigning Ohio Valley Conference champion and is coming off an NCAA tournament appearance.
But first comes the challenge of his final season of high school competition with a Division I target on his back, and so far Mayo is thriving while leading Messalonskee to a 3-1 record.
Coming off a 32-point, 14-rebound, four-blocked-shot night during Tuesday’s 64-62 overtime loss at four-time defending Eastern Maine Class A champion Hampden Academy, Mayo is averaging 30.8 points and 13.8 rebounds per game.
“I thought he was an absolute horse out there,” said Hampden coach Russ Bartlett. “He’s as good a player as I’ve seen in a while step on this floor and play, and we’ve had some good players here, obviously.
“He’s like a bigger version of Zach Gilpin [the 2014 Maine Gatorade Player of the Year from Hampden now at Bridgton Academy]. At 6-foot-8 he’s hard to handle.”
Versatility is one key to Mayo’s game. Not only can he overpower opponents near the basket, but he is shooting approximately 90 percent from the free-throw line this season — he was 13 of 14 on Tuesday night — and his shooting range extends beyond the 3-point line.
That long-range accuracy was on full display with three seconds left in the fourth quarter against Hampden, when Mayo struck from beyond the arc to send the game into overtime.
“We thought he was probably going to take the shot,” said Bartlett, whose team went on to win in overtime on a late Nick Gilpin drive to stretch its home-court winning streak to 42 games.
“They ran a little screen-the-screener action and Jake [Black] was there but he made a pretty tough shot over a kid who’s 6-3 and who’s got pretty good bounce off the floor, so hat’s off to him.”
Mayo averaged double figures in scoring and rebounding each of the past two years, last winter amassing 15.1 points and 13.6 rebounds per game while also leading KVAC Class A with 2.5 blocked shots per game and by shooting 81 percent from the free-throw line.
Mayo subsequently was named a first-team KVAC all-star and Bangor Daily News All-Maine honorable mention.
And this season? He’s another inch taller and riding the momentum of a memorable AAU season.
“He’s gained 20 pounds from last year, but I think the big thing for Nick now is confidence,” said McLaughlin. “We sat down before the season and talked about how he was the man now and he said, ‘Coach, I’m ready and I’m going to give you everything I have.’
“That’s the type of kid he is, and basically he spent all summer in the gym getting bigger and stronger and on the court getting better.”
While Hampden challenged Mayo with man-to-man and 2-3 zone defenses, McLaughlin said the otherwise youthful Eagles — the other four starters all were JV starters last winter — will face many more defensive variations.
Mount Ararat of Topsham, for instance, used a box-and-one against Messalonskee in their season opener, only to have Mayo score 41 points and grab 16 rebounds.
“We need to focus on having some sets to work against a variety of defenses and being really creative in trying to get the big man the ball in a variety of situations because no matter where he catches on the court I feel pretty confident in whatever he’s putting up,” said McLaughlin.
“But we have to be a complete team, we can’t just look at Nick to do everything. He knows that, and he’s a phenomenal passer, too.”
While the focus is on the current season, particularly Thursday’s game in Oakland against undefeated Edward Little of Auburn, McLaughlin admitted he can’t help but think a bit about Mayo’s pending basketball career at the next level.
“We have big expectations for this year,” he said, “but I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you we’re all excited about what the future holds for Nick and going on some road trips to Eastern Kentucky to watch him play. I’m proud of him.”
