Commitment Catch-Up: Bouchard to Bentley

New England Recruiting Report | Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014

Lost amidst the confusion of a 36 hour period that included five local division I commitments last week, Houlton (ME) High School and Maine Athletic Club star Kyle Bouchard made a verbal commitment to Bentley.

The commitment was a big one for the Falcons as Houlton made a choice for the NE-10 program despite owning a pair of scholarship offers at the division I level.

Houlton has had a decorated career to date, earning first team all-state honors last year as a junior while averaging 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists.  He guided Houlton to an undefeated season and Class C state championship, in a game which he won at the free-throw line in the final seconds.  

This summer, he continued to anchor the Maine Athletic Club as they made a run to the finals of the BasketBull National Invitational in Springfield, advanced to the semi-finals of the Eddie Ford Kentucky Hoopfest a week later, and ended the month by placing 11th in the country at AAU 11th grade nationals.

Bouchard was instrumental in the team’s success, as he has been in each of the last three seasons, stuffing all categories of the stat sheet while also serving as one of the team’s primary ball-handlers.

More than perhaps anything else though, Bouchard is knwon for his toughness and high motor as MAC head coach Carl Parker told Ernie Clark of the Bangor Daily News:

“Kyle is highly motivated, a tremendous leader, and a hard worker who gets people to follow him because of how hard he plays,” Parker said.

The combination of intangibles and versatility is likely to make Bouchard an immediate contributor in the NE-10.

Bouchard joins another local Maine product, Zach Gilpin, to become the second player to commit to head coach Jay Lawson in the 2015 class.

The pipeline into the state of Maine is nothing new for Lawson and Bentley who already feature Tyler McFarland, Keegan Hyland, Alex Furness, and Andrew Shaw, from the Pine Tree State.