Prep Profile - Bridgton Academy

Friday, November 29th, 2019

Bridgton Academy is off to a 3-3 start to the season after opening with home wins over KEBA Prep and Central Maine CC before going on the road to score a league win over Hoosac School. They then battled New Hampton valiantly but came up on the losing end before suffering a pair of loses at last week’s National Prep Showcase. 

Under head coach Whit Lesure the team is bound to maximize the sum of their individual parts, learn the essence of what it means to truly compete, and continue to improve, both individually and collectively, throughout the course of the season. 

Key Players

The Wolverines will rely on a pair of post-graduates from the MIAA to play pivotal roles this year in Brookline alum Chris Camille and Abington alum Bryson Andrews. Camille’s career began with the type of lofty expectations that are often more burden than blessing for a young player. He’d show glimpses of stardom and then virtually disappear from the circuit for stretches at a time. Now, he’s a powerful 6-foot-5 wing with an aggressive attacking style. He reminded college coaches and various media outlets alike of his talent at last week’s NPS as he went for 21 points and 6 rebounds. 

Andrews is another player who seized the opportunity to make an impression last week. Coming off a summer in which he earned scholarship offers at the division II level, the power guard continues to take his game to new levels as he knocked down five threes in a game last weekend while finishing with 25 points. He looks poised to be a focal point for the Wolverines all season long and should consequently have an opportunity to keep increasing his options for the next level. 

Other Local Products

Another local product who started both games last weekend was King Philip alum Bruce Saintilus. The 6-foot-5 wing is a glue guy who is in great shape, capable of plugging a variety of different holes on the roster, and willing to get after it defensively. 

Speaking of fitness, Mark Barrett had made tremendous strides with his body since arriving in August and is on the verge of taking his game to new levels. He’s a highly versatile guy who is extremely tough and such a good passer that he has some point forward type potential at 6-foot-5. 

Liam OConnell is the lone returner from last year’s squad. A knockdown shooter with a strong body and very diligent approach to the game, he should be capable of carving out a bigger role for himself as the season goes on. Fellow New Hampshire native Kevin Yonkeu is a 6-foot-8 big man who is getting just his first taste of high-level basketball, but has tools and potential. 

New to the Region

Myles Corey, a wiry combo-guard from California, not only started both games this weekend but was the only player to score in double figures in both. He has speed and quickness with the ball, is capable of making some shots, and hoping to play his way into some scholarship level interest this season. 

Another potential scholarship level prospect is Sean Trumper, a 6-foot-7 skilled forward from England who arrived in early October and is still just adjusting to the American game but has the skill and strong build to eventually make more of an impact. 

Derrick Thomas II is a versatile 6-foot-5 forward from Maryland and Mike Gretta is a 6-foot-10 big man from New Jersey who is another guy that will hopefully grow into a bigger role as the weeks go on. 

Defining Characteristics

They’re unique because the entire roster is compromised of post-grads, which in theory means that they are older and more physically developed, but also means that they come into the season starting from absolute scratch with each other. 

Bottom Line

A Class AAA championship isn’t necessarily the goal here, but competing on a nightly basis is, and with Whit Lesure at the helm of the program, nothing short of that will be tolerated. Bridgton may not be a gym littered with high-major prospects anymore but it is still a place where old-fashioned disciplined and hard work still exists.