2023 WPIAL bracketology: HSSN forecasts the girls basketball playoff pairings
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Sunday, February 12, 2023 | 12:15 AM
Blackhawk’s Kassie Potts scores against Quaker Valley on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, in Leetsdale.
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. 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.
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