2023 WPIAL bracketology: HSSN forecasts the girls basketball playoff pairings

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, February 12, 2023 | 12:15 AM

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The Path to the Pete will be revealed Monday when the WPIAL basketball playoff pairings are announced at 3 p.m. on TribLive HSSN.

While we wait to see what the WPIAL basketball committee decides, here’s a look at how HSSN’s Don Rebel would seed the girls basketball brackets.

Check out the WPIAL boys basketball bracketology here

Class 6A

Don Rebel’s bracket

Quarterfinals

No. 8 Baldwin/Butler winner at No. 1 Upper St. Clair

No. 5 Chartiers Valley at No. 4 Mt. Lebanon

No. 7 Peters Township at No. 2 Norwin

No. 6 Pine-Richland at No. 3 North Allegheny

Don’s take: Norwin was the midseason team to beat, but back-to-back losses to Upper St. Clair and North Allegheny have the Knights at the No. 2 seed. Could this be the year that USC brings home the gold after back-to-back 6A runners-up? While the district likes to keep teams from the same section away from each other in the first round, there is only one first -round game in 6A, thus defending champion Mt. Lebanon and Section 2 foe Chartiers Valley will hook up in a quarterfinals matchup.

Class 5A

Don Rebel’s bracket

First round

No. 16 Penn Hills/Kiski Area winner at No. 1 South Fayette

No. 9 Lincoln Park at No. 8 Woodland Hills

No. 13 Plum at No. 4 Trinity

No. 12 Shaler at No. 5 Indiana

No. 15 Montour at No. 2 Oakland Catholic

No. 10 Penn-Trafford at No. 7 Mars

No. 14 Hampton at No. 3 McKeesport

No. 11 Latrobe at No. 6 Armstrong

Don’s take: There should be some good debate for the top seed in 5A with South Fayette and Oakland Catholic both having the look of a team to beat. After that, I have the three section champs in Sections 1 and 2 taking a backseat to the runners-up in Section 3 and 4 with McKeesport earning the third seed and Trinity the fourth. After the top four teams, there is plenty of balance as per usual in 5A.

Class 4A

Don Rebel’s bracket

First round

No. 1 Blackhawk – bye

No. 9 Greensburg Salem at No. 8 Belle Vernon

No. 4 Knoch – bye

No. 12 Hopewell at No. 5 Highlands

No. 2 North Catholic – bye

No. 10 West Mifflin at No. 7 Beaver

No. 3 Elizabeth Forward – bye

No. 11 Laurel Highlands at No. 6 Quaker Valley

Don’s take: The three section champions getting byes is a no-brainer, but who gets the No. 4 seed? I gave it to Knoch thanks in part to a nonsection win over Mars earlier in the season. Nonsection games matter, folks. This classification is very strong at the top.

Class 3A

Don Rebel’s bracket

First round

No. 16 Yough/Charleroi winner at No. 1 Laurel

No. 9 South Park at No. 8 Keystone Oaks

No. 13 Beaver Falls at No. 4 Avonworth

No. 12 Seton LaSalle at No. 5 Waynesburg Central

No. 15 McGuffey at No. 2 Shady Side Academy

No. 10 Mohawk at No. 7 Apollo-Ridge

No. 14 Burrell at No. 3 Neshannock

No. 11 Mt. Pleasant at No. 6 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Don’s take: Another classification where the top seed is a tough choice. What a turnaround season Shady Side Academy has had. And after a few early hiccups, defending district and state champion Neshannock looks strong. However, the choice here is Laurel. A win over Freedom late in the season was impressive, and the Lancers beat Neshannock earlier in the schedule by 24 points.

Class 2A

Don Rebel’s bracket

First round

No. 16 Carmichaels at No. 1 Serra Catholic

No. 9 Aliquippa at No. 8 Chartiers-Houston

No. 13 Carlynton at No. 4 Shenango

No. 12 Winchester Thurston at No. 5 Burgettstown

No. 15 Rochester at No. 2 Greensburg Central Catholic

No. 10 Clairton at No. 7 Brentwood

No. 14 California at No. 3 Freedom

No. 11 Fort Cherry at No. 6 Washington

Don’s take: Not a lot separating the six section champions in Class 2A, but the advantage goes to the co-champs in Section 3 (Serra Catholic and Greensburg Central Catholic) followed by the co-champs in Section 1 (Freedom and Shenango). Section depth and quality wins out of section are the determining factor there. Top eight seeds are all either first- or second-place finishers. None of the third-place finishers did enough to wrestle home-court away from the top two in each section.

Class A

Don Rebel’s bracket

First round

No. 1 Union – bye

No. 9 Leechburg at No. 8 Avella

No. 4 Monessen – bye

No. 12 Jeannette at No. 5 Aquinas Academy

No. 2 Bishop Canevin – bye

No. 10 Geibel Catholic at No. 7 Riverview

No. 3 St. Joseph – bye

No. 11 Eden Christian at No. 6 West Greene

Don’s take: The four section champs earn the first-round byes with Union getting the top seed based on a nine-game winning streak at the end of the season, including a victory over Bishop Canevin, plus a 29-point victory over Monessen earlier in the year. This is a rare playoff field that features one team that did not win a section game all year and another that won only twice all season.