WINDHAM – And to think he has another year left.
While the Windham boys basketball team missed the playoffs with an 8-10 record this season, the future looks bright for the Eagles, especially since Nolan Allen will be back in the lineup next year.
Allen, a junior, was recently named the winner of the Southwestern Maine Activities Association boys basketball most valuable player award, a recognition that he said was a very meaningful one.
“To be selected as MVP of the league is a real honor,” Allen said, adding that the fact that he beat out some talented seniors for the award makes it all the more special. “We are in one of the best leagues in the state, and it really means a lot to me to be selected as a junior.”
Allen ran away with the scoring title in the SMAA this winter, scoring 396 points for an average of 24.8 points per game, a full 5.2 points per game higher than Thornton Academy’s Andrew Shaw, who averaged 19.2 points per game. Allen also averaged 74.4 percent from the free throw line this season and he knocked in 14 shots from beyond the 3-point arc.
While it was tough missing the playoffs, Allen said there were some bright spots to this season, and he shared the credit for the wins with his teammates. “The highlight of the season was beating Deering at home,” he said. “And beating Marshwood on the road (was another highlight). In both wins, Ben Noble and Drew Gagnon stepped up their games and that is what made us successful as a team.”
With this season behind him, Allen is already looking forward to next year, saying he has high hopes for the Eagles’ chances next winter. “Next year I’m looking forward to returning a few starters, including Matt McLean, Tommy McGowan and Soren Madsen,” Allen said. “Everyone is committing themselves in the offseason, and that will lead us to a better season next year. We should be a higher seed next year and make a playoff run.”
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