A familiar team is the preseason pick of Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A boys basketball coaches to emerge as the eventual regional champion come February.
The Hampden Academy Broncos were the choice to finish atop the division — all 12 Class A North teams are KVAC members, with the top nine qualifying for postseason play — during a preseason coaches meeting Thursday night.
Hampden, which did not have a senior starter last winter, finished the regular season at 14-4 in second place before being upset by No. 7 Cony of Augusta in the quarterfinals.
Coach Russ Bartlett’s Broncos have veteran returning cast led by 2017 Bangor Daily News All-Maine center Ian McIntyre, now a senior. Other key returnees include senior forward Tommy Raye and junior guard Kory Winch.
Gardiner (10-8, 4th), ousted by eventual regional champion Messalonskee of Oakland in the quarters, was picked second in the poll followed by Nokomis of Newport.
Gardiner, which must play and practice at alternate sites for at least the early part of the season after the roof was blown off the high school gymnasium during a windstorm in late October, is led by senior forwards Cole Heaberlin and Connor McGuire and senior guard Isaiah McGee.
Nokomis (11-7, 6th), will feature the 1-2 punch of senior guards Zach Hartsgrove and Josh Smestad.
The Nos. 5-9 teams in the poll were Erskine Academy of South China, Messalonskee, Skowhegan, Medomak Valley of Waldoboro and Camden Hills of Rockport.
Other Class A North players to watch, according to the coaches, are senior Kobe Rogerson and junior Isaac Cummings of Brewer, seniors Noah Heidorn and John Curtin of Camden Hills, seniors Jordan Roddy and Amahde Carter and junior Austin Parlin of Cony, senior Noah Bonsant and juniors Jack Jowett and Braden Soule of Erskine Academy, and junior Kobe Nadeau of Lawrence of Fairfield. Also, senior Brent Stewart and sophomore Gabe Allaire of Medomak Valley, seniors Chase Warren and Cole Wood of Messalonskee, seniors James Anderson and Marshall Doyon and junior Garrett Reynolds of Mt. Blue of Farmington; and senior Cam Barnes and junior Marcus Christopher of Skowhegan.
Practices for high school teams around the state are scheduled to begin Monday, with the 2017-18 regular season set to start Friday, Dec. 8.
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