LA, Medomak Basketball Stars Adapt To the College Game Gabe Hagar and Kristian Schumann Play for Maine Maritime Academy

A pair of local athletes are finding that college basketball is a whole different ball game than what they experienced while dominating the hard courts at local high schools.

Gabe Hagar, who graduated from Lincoln Academy in 2024, and Kristian Schumann, a 2025 Medomak Valley grad, recently completed their season playing together at the NCAA Division III level for the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine.

Both Hagar and Schumann experienced a high level of success while playing for local high school basketball teams.

Hagar reached the coveted 1,000 point milestone during his senior year for the Eagles, one of eight players in the history of the school to achieve the feat.

Schumann was a speedy sharpshooting guard for the Panthers who was named to the KVAC Class B All Conference Second Team after his senior season. He also won the state foul shooting championship held during the 2025 Maine McDonald’s All-Star Game. Schumann drained 48 out of 50 attempts from the foul line to earn the title.

 

The two athletes had their MMA season come to an abrupt end in a 75-71 loss to State University of New York at Cobleskill in a North Atlantic Conference quarterfinal playoff game on Feb. 19 in Castine. Hagar tallied six points on a pair of 3-pointers, pulled down four rebounds, had one assist, and recorded one steal in the game. Schumann, who has seen limited playing time this season as a freshman, did not get into the action in the playoff game.

Hagar noted that the biggest difference playing in college is the overall level of athleticism. “In college, you can see a huge difference in strength, quickness, and how high people can jump,” said Hagar.

Schumann agreed with Hagar’s assessment.

“Everyone is bigger, faster and stronger,” Schumann said. Another key difference is that players are assigned roles to play in college, and both of the athletes have had to adapt to being more of a specialist with a role on a team full of exceptional athletes.

“I’ve had to learn how to become more of a 3-point shooter and a defensive player on this team,” said Hagar. “We have a few very skilled players who score the ball well, so being a guy that can help support on the offensive end when needed while also playing good defense is something I’m learning to do.”

Despite a more focused approach toward playing strong defense, Hagar made strong contributions to the MMA offense during his sophomore season, averaging 6.5 points per game. He also averaged 3.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.0 assist per game during the season in which the Mariners compiled an 11-15 record, including 11-7 in conference play. Schumann played in six games and scored a total of four points. Listed at 5’7” and 140 pounds on the MMA roster, Schumann has had to overcome a size disadvantage, even more than he did in high school when the average player was significantly smaller than what he faces in NCAA Division III.

“I need to use my short frame as an advantage by using more fakes to create space and by getting extra low on offense and defense,” said Schumann.

Both local athletes are thankful for the people that helped them pursue their dream of playing college basketball.

“My parents Seth and Amy helped prepare me a lot mentally,” said Hagar. “They always taught me to stay composed and level-headed, which has helped on the court, especially with people heckling, and also off the court with the emotions that come with playing a college sport. LA coach (Ryan) Ball helped in my development as a player, and gave me the confidence that I needed to take my game to the college level … He is super underappreciated for what he does in the community and for working with so many kids coming through the youth and high school programs.”

Ball shared his thoughts on what has made Hagar a successful college athlete. “Gabe is just an awesome competitor that has always worked incredibly hard on his game,” Ball said. “He was a pure shooter his first couple years (at LA) but learned to create more looks with a mid-range game and by taking the ball to the rim.”

Ball said he thinks the biggest adaptation Hagar made for the college level was getting stronger by working out in the weight room more and following a healthy diet.

“There’s a lot more opportunity in college to take the time to work on your basketball game and getting your body in shape,” Ball said.

Schumann also credited his parents and coaches with his development into a college athlete.

“I can never say enough thanks to Coach (Nick) DePatsy, Coach White, both Coach Lashes, all of my teammates through the years, and my parents,” said Schumann. “They held me to a high standard and pushed me to work hard and stay consistent, which has been the biggest factor in me being able to play at the next level.”

While both athletes have enjoyed their basketball experience at MMA, they have fond memories of the glory days of high school hoops in Lincoln County.

“I miss the community and environment that high school ball brings,” said Schumann. “Everywhere you go in Maine the school spirit and love for the game is just so amazing and infectious, even more so than college.”

“I miss the atmosphere and being able to play in front of the whole community on a regular basis,” said Hagar. “It was always so much fun to play on a Friday night with the LA gym being packed, and seeing everyone come out to support the team.”

While they both miss aspects of the high school basketball experience, they were quick to point out some of their favorite things about competing at the college level.

“My favorite part about college basketball is how competitive it is. Even practices are so game like because the commitment to success is so high,” said Schumann.

“The relationships that I have built with my college teammates are my favorite thing so far,” said Hagar. “They are some of my best friends and they come from all over the country. They are people I never would have met without basketball and they make the whole experience more enjoyable.