KENNEBUNK — When the time came for Kennebunk senior Zach MacKinnon to choose where he would spend the next four years, it came down to two options – a school he knew well and had a family connection with or taking a chance on a school out of state.

In the end, it came down to familiarity over the allure of the unknown as MacKinnon recently committed to play basketball at Division III Thomas College in Waterville.

“It was between Clark (University) and Thomas. With Thomas, I knew what I was going into,” said MacKinnon.

The main reason why MacKinnon is so familiar with Thomas is because his older brother, Carlos Gonzalez, just finished his second year with the Terriers’ basketball program.

“I have my older brother, Carlos Gonzalez, playing there. I’m up there a lot visiting and playing basketball with the team, so I already knew the team pretty well going into it,” said MacKinnon, who also considered Endicott College. “With Clark, I really didn’t know much about it. I didn’t really know anybody on the team, so it really came down to what my comfort (level) was.”

One of the aspects MacKinnon, who was named the Journal Tribune’s Most Valuable Player this past season, liked about Thomas was the size of the school.

“(Carlos) told me he really liked it because the class sizes were small and he and I are pretty similar in that way as in we learn better when the teacher knows you and you’re not really just a number,” said MacKinnon, who turned to his brother for advice. “He also liked it because the coach, coach (Geoff) Hensley, would always get on him if he wasn’t finishing stuff in school, so he was held accountable for everything and that’s really important.”

MacKinnon was happy to turn to his brother for advice as Gonzalez has become an important part of his life over the last few years.

“Carlos came into our family, I think it was three years ago, he was a senior in high school,” said MacKinnon. “Our family loved him so much that my parents offered for him to live with us.”

MacKinnon learned quickly that his new brother was someone he could trust.

“He’s a guy that will always help you. He’s one of the nicest people I have ever met. He will just always have your back … he’s a great guy and a great player,” said MacKinnon, who is hoping to live with Gonzalez at Thomas.

MacKinnon also looked to Kennebunk head coach Barrett Belanger for advice during the recruiting process.

“He was telling me just don’t rush it and enjoy it. He always had confidence in me that I would pick the right school,” said MacKinnon, who feels Belanger approved of Thomas. “I think he was pretty happy. He really just wanted what was best for me and I think he knew if I was going to Thomas that I would get a good education and I would get to play basketball.”

While MacKinnon is excited to play basketball for coach Hensley, he is also looking forward to his time in the classroom at Thomas.

“They are one of the top business schools in Maine,” said MacKinnon, who said his parents, Mike and Julie, have always stressed academics over athletics. “My parents always say ‘academics before basketball,’ and coach Hensley has said that to me before, too … I just have to stay on track with academics.”

MacKinnon believes this past basketball season – where he helped lead Kennebunk back to the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade – taught him a lot about leadership and will only help him in college.

“I think it was a great experience because we had an extremely young team. We had sophomores and freshmen that played a lot, especially the three freshman who were on the team this year. They really needed someone to help guide them through,” said MacKinnon, who led the Rams in scoring with 18.3 points per game.

The standout was especially happy to be there for freshman point guard Cam Lovejoy, who alongside MacKinnon, was able to put together a stellar rookie campaign.

“I think in the next couple years he’s going to be the guy at Kennebunk,” said MacKinnon of Lovejoy. “I’ve known him my whole life … I thought it was important for me to help guide him through this season.”

MacKinnon will be leaving one tight-knit team for another – and he feels like he should be able to fit right in with the Terriers.

“I actually know the whole team pretty well. I think that will be better for the team because the chemistry will already be there and you won’t have to work up to it,” said MacKinnon, who has played AAU basketball with some of the players on the Thomas roster.

MacKinnon is hoping to do something most college freshman struggle to accomplish – earn significant playing time right away.

“I think there’s a huge chance that I can play because with their senior class that just graduated, they (lost) their four top shooters, and that’s my specialty,” said MacKinnon, who holds Kennebunk records for most career 3-pointers, most 3-pointers in a single season and career free throw percentage.

While MacKinnon will be roaming the halls of Kennebunk High for seven more weeks, the future Terrier already has plenty of goals for his time at Thomas.

“Academically, I just want to do the best I can and the sky is the limit,” said MacKinnon, who is hoping to help the Terriers collect some hardware over the next four years. “I think the ultimate goal over the next few years is to win the conference championship.”

— Sports Editor Pat McDonald can be reached at [email protected] or at 282-1535 ext. 322. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @ JournalTsports.