Ed Jones may not have the big names as some of his counterparts in the NEPSAC Class A ranks, but the Maine Central Institute (Maine) head coach is still confident in his squad.
Chris Martin, a tough, hard-nosed 6-foot stocky guard out of New York by way of Christ the King (N.Y.), will take his leadership abilities and likely start at the point guard spot.
``The kid just knows how to win,” Jones said of Martin, who has committed to Stony Brook. “He gets things done.”
The only other guy that’s a sure-fire starter is 6-foot-9, 270-pound Wayne Porterlatin, a Connecticut native who will likely start in the middle.
``He’s got very good hands – he catches everything,” Jones said. “He’s not in great shape, but he can get up and down the floor.”
Two wings both have a chance to earn starting spots – 6-5 Chattanooga, Tenn., native Jeff Smith, who has committed to Tennessee-Chattanooga, and 6-5 Pat McCandies from Winston-Salem, N.C.
``They are both in the same mold,” Jones said. ``They are both very athletic and can shoot it, but both need to learn how to use their athletic ability on the floor.”
Devon McBride is a strong, physical 6-3, 215-pound shooting guard who has plenty of ability and will vie for a starting spot. Matt Bennett is a 6-2 combo guard from Carmel, Ind., who knows how to play and will likely see the majority of his time at the shooting guard spot.
Fred Williams is a 6-3 senior guard from Austin, Texas who defends and is a jack-off-all-trades kind of guy and another wing who should get some playing time is 6-3 Jermaine Cooper of Baltimore – arguably the team’s top outside shooter.
Michael Hunter (5-9) is a quick, scoring guard from Colorado that could see time at either backcourt spot while 5-10 junior Brandan Fisher will likely be Martin’s primary backup at the point guard spot.
MCI also features Shamar Davis, a 6-2 shooting guard from Baltimore; 6-5 forward Cecil Gresham, a strong versatile Connecticut native; and athletic 6-4 swingman Josh Jones out of nearby Erskine, Maine.
``I think our speed and depth are our biggest strengths,” Jones said. “We should be able to get up and down the floor in transition pretty well.”