Keep ME Current

Winter Previews – Windham

http://news.keepmecurrent.com/winter-previews-windham-2/

By Adam Birt

Boys Basketball
Coach: Chad Pulkkinen
Last year’s record: 13-7, fell in semifinals to Edward Little
Key players lost: Chris Brown, Zach Petcher, Orion Beers, Austin McGowan, Connor Pittman
Key players returning: Nick Curtis, Mike Gilman, Dierhow Bol, Hunter Coffin, Cory Hutchison, Nazari Henderson, Andrew Wing, Mitch Budroe, Nate Watson
Key newcomers: Cameron Brown, Chris Naylor, Eric Weisser
Key matchups: Portland, Edward Little, South Portland
Outlook: The Eagles should be one of Class AA’s top threats. They return an exceptional core of scorers and a number of standout defenders. Curtis, an SMAA First-Team pick as a junior in 2016, led the league in assists per game (5.7), and ranked third in points per game (17.8). His ability to slice up the lane is a critical asset. Gilman, a Second-Team selection last winter, finished one slot back from Curtis at fourth in the league in points per game (17.3). Gilman is an excellent outside shooter—a perfect complement to Curtis. Bol earned All-Rookie honors last year especially on the strength of his blocking (1.1 per game, fifth in the league) and rebounding (6.8 per game, eighth in the league), but he’s also quite capable of dropping in bucket after bucket. Coffin and Henderson are both able scorers, but perhaps do their best work on defense, where they are knock-down, drag-out competitors; Coffin regularly throws himself headlong all over the court, instinctively sacrificing himself for the big play. Hutchison can also shoot, and brings excellent basketball IQ to the table. Fans won’t want to miss a single Eagles game: Watching this crew play should be thoroughly entertaining.