There’s plenty of talent in the Western Maine Class D boys basketball tournament which begins this morning at the Augusta Civic Center. The good news for the casual fan is it’s spread out among all eight teams.

“It’s as close as I’ve ever seen it in D,” said Forest Hills coach Anthony Amero, whose team is seeded No. 1. “It’s wide open.”

Amero’s Tigers have beaten everyone in the tournament at least once, but they’ve also dropped five games. They face No. 8 Rangeley in the first round and, despite losing by 16 points to the Tigers during the regular season, Rangeley coach Matt Clark is looking forward to the game.

“I kind of like the matchup, size-wise and ability-wise,” he said. “We have a little more depth than they have on their bench.”

If the tournament doesn’t have a favorite, it has a little of everything else. Three-time defending champion Richmond doesn’t have the depth it’s enjoyed in recent years, but the Bobcats have a strong starting five and are as good as anyone in the tournament.

They also gained experience playing on the Civic Center floor at the Capital Area Hoop Classic. They face Elan, a private school from Poland Spring, in the opening round.

“That’s the only team I haven’t seen,” Richmond coach Phil Houdlette said. “I know they’re 16-2.”

Among those who have seen Elan play, the consensus is senior guard Jack Peters is one of the best players in the tournament. He’s averaging 20 points, 11 rebounds and six steals a game.

“Peters is the most athletic kid in the tournament, hands down,” Amero said.

Islesboro also went 16-2 and was one of the teams to beat Elan. The Eagles have an exceptional guard in junior D.J. Johnson, who averages 23 points and 10 rebounds a game and surpassed 1,000 career points this season. They also have another potent scorer and rebounder in senior center Jason Hatch (19 ppg, 10 rpg).

“The most dangerous team is Islesboro,” Clark said, “because they’ve got two shooters.”

The Eagles play Vinalhaven, a team they beat 56-28 the final game of the season and one that’s battling lingering illness coming into the tournament.

Valley squeaked into the tournament in the No. 7 spot and will face Greenville, but there’s no team hotter than the Cavaliers are right now. They won their last five games of the season, knocking off Richmond, Vinalhaven and Rangeley in the process.

“I think they’re feeling pretty good about themselves,” Valley coach Wade Morrill said of his team.

Gary Hawkins — 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com