SMAA Week 1 Basketball Power Rankings

For games played through Dec. 6

In this inaugural edition of the Current Publishing SMAA Basketball Power Rankings, sports reporter Tom Minervino gives his list of the top teams in the conference, as well as those looking to move up. Just a game into the season, there is plenty of time for teams to rise and fall. Over an 18-game schedule, teams will deal with numerous issues – injuries and illness, peaks and valleys. But right now, this is how the teams measure up.

Boys Basketball Front Five:

1. Cheverus (1-0): In the words of D’Angelo Barksdale (for you fans of HBO’s “The Wire”), “The king stay the king.” The defending state champs have three starters back from a year ago, so it’s tough to put the Stags anywhere but at the top. Mick DiStasio and Indiana Faithfull lead a seasoned group that toppled Noble by 58 points in the opener on Saturday. Cheverus did have a couple defections in the offseason with Ian Barwise and Will White transferring to Thornton Academy and Portland, respectively.

2. Thornton Academy (1-0): The Golden Trojans turned what was supposed to be an opening night thriller into a one-sided affair, easily handling Portland on the road on Friday night. James Morse poured in 34 points to pace Thornton, which got eight points off the bench from Barwise. The Trojans have established themselves as the No. 1 contender. They’ve also got revenge on their minds, as the Stags knocked them off in last year’s Western Maine final.

3. South Portland (1-0): While the Red Riots don’t have a single senior on the team, they have a deep and talented group of juniors. Led by Keegan Hyland, the reigning SMAA scoring leader, South Portland likes to run. Hyland has great range and can score 30 on any given night, as he demonstrated in Friday’s 86-45 win at Massabesic in the opener when he dropped 32.

4. Westbrook (1-0): The Blue Blazes were without 6’6″ junior Dominic Borelli (back spasms) in the opener, but classmate Nich Jobin, also 6’6″, picked up the slack to lead Westbrook to a 49-37 win over Biddeford on Friday. Jobin scored 19, showing three-point range as well as a powerful inside game. Once Borelli is back, the Blazes’ size will present problems for any opponent.

5. Portland (0-1): Despite being walloped by Thornton in the opener, the Bulldogs will be a major factor this season. In 6’6″ center Ed Bogdanovich, they have one of the conference’s best rebounders and interior scorers.

The rest of the pack: Scarborough won in Joe Johnson’s head coaching debut, topping Marshwood at home… Windham won its opener over Gorham, spoiling Josh Longstaff’s first game at the helm for the Rams. Windham has a veteran bunch and could be a dark horse this season… Biddeford lost 6’5″ center Cam Neumann for the season with a broken wrist suffered before the first game. The Tigers will need to find scoring and rebounding elsewhere… Deering, though inexperienced, should be competitive once again. The Rams cruised past Sanford in the opener… Bonny Eagle is 1-0 after handling Kennebunk on Friday night.

Girls Basketball Front Five:

1. Deering (1-0): Right now, it looks like there’s Deering and then there’s everyone else. The defending state champs graduated only one starter from a year ago. The Rams have a balanced attack and topped Sanford by 20 in Saturday’s opener. Coach Mike Murphy is in his first year with Deering, but the former Westbrook coach knows the conference well.

2. Biddeford (1-0): The Tigers used a smothering full court press to cruise to a 71-31 win over Westbrook in Friday’s opener. Eleven players scored for Biddeford, with four registering double figures. Aimee Mortensen led the way with 14, Jen Vadnais had 12, Lauren Rousseau had 11 and Keila Grigware had 10. The Tigers have good depth and aren’t yet at full strength, as several players are still coming back from injuries and illness. Their up-tempo style will be tough for any team to deal with.

3. Scarborough (1-0): The Red Storm have the athleticism, depth and experience to be a contender in the conference. The team opened Friday with a win over Marshwood. On Dec. 19, Scarborough hosts Deering after three straight road games. It will provide a good measuring stick for the Red Storm.

4. Noble (1-0): The Knights return most of the starters from last year’s Western Maine finals team. They opened with a win over Cheverus, a team that is also expected to have a good year.

5. South Portland (1-0): The Red Riots have one of the conference’s top inside combinations with senior Brianna Hawkins and sophomore Abby Hasson. The duo combined for 22 points in Friday’s 41-36 win in the opener. South Portland had the game firmly in hand until the fourth quarter, when the Riots were outscored 13-3. Finding someone to take control late in the game from the guard position will be key for the Riots moving forward.

The rest of the pack: Gorham opened with a home win over Windham. The Rams lost star Rachele Burns to a knee injury before the season. She’s impossible to replace, but if other players can step up, the Rams could still be a factor…Portland topped Thornton in the opener in a game between two teams that expect to be playoff caliber… Bonny Eagle beat Kennebunk in a low-scoring opener to match its win total from a year ago… McAuley, though not as strong as in past years, will likely be in the mix again this season.