Trib HSSN 2024-25 WPIAL Class 3A boys basketball preseason breakdown

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, November 26, 2024 | 7:20 PM

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Class 3A boys basketball will have a different look in the WPIAL this season.

First and foremost, two-time defending champion Deer Lakes moved up to Class 4A, but that’s just the beginning.

Two other teams that won or shared section titles departed with Yough joining Deer Lakes in the climb up to Class 4A and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart dropping back to 2A. In all, the class lost three teams, going from 28 the last two years to 25 teams once the realignment shuffling of the deck was finished.

There are five new teams in 3A. Aliquippa and Bishop Canevin came up from 2A while South Allegheny and Southmoreland dropped from 4A. Carlynton bumped up two classifications, moving from Class A to 3A. Imani Christian Academy was the only other school that went up more than one class after they volunteered to move from Class A to 6A.

Here is a rundown of players to watch, top 5 teams and other notables in WPIAL 3A boys basketball this season.

Preseason Player of the Year

Josh Pratt, Aliquippa

6-2, Jr., guard

17.0 ppg last season

Players to watch

Bobby Fadden, Mohawk

6-2, Jr., G, 21.2 ppg

Luke Scarff, South Park

6-8, Jr., F, 19.7 ppg

Drew Cook, South Allegheny

6-0, Jr., G, 18.0 ppg

Pat Weldon, Seton LaSalle

6-2, Sr., G, 15.2 ppg

Parker Hollick, Ligonier Valley

6-1, Sr., G, 14.1 ppg

Preseason Top 5

1. Aliquippa (26-5 last season)

Following back-to-back WPIAL Class 2A championships and coming off a PIAA state title in 2024, Aliquippa will be searching for more titles in Class 3A as the Quips move up in classification. Leading the way this winter will once again by Josh Pratt, who was all-section first team averaging 17 points per game as a sophomore and scored 33 points in the WPIAL finals against Greensburg Central Catholic. Also returning for the Quips are juniors Marques Council Jr. and QaLil Goode. While the Quips are poised for a third straight district championship, the one bit of bad news is senior Tikey Hayes will not be playing basketball this winter.

2. South Allegheny (18-9)

The Gladiators boys basketball program continues to be a force in the district and is now moving down to 3A following an 18-win season and a berth in the district quarterfinals and the state playoffs in Class 4A. Drew Cook is back after a very solid sophomore season in which he averaged 18 points per game. Joining him in the backcourt is senior guard Cameron Epps, who averaged 15 ppg a year ago. South Allegheny also has experience in the front court with senior forward Josh Jackowski also back after averaging 10 points per game.

3. Mohawk (20-9)

The Warriors were 3-6 when December ended last season; however, Mohawk came out flying in January and won 12 straight games to clinch the Section 1-3A crown before a regular season-ending loss to Neshannock. The Warriors were stunned by Burrell in the district semifinals and lost to Girard in the state quarterfinals to finish 20-9. Bobby Fadden followed up a strong freshman season with an even better sophomore campaign last year, averaging over 21 points per game and being named to the all-section first team. Sophomore Drew Wrona, younger brother of former Mohawk standout Jay, is poised for success after a strong finish last season.

4. Seton LaSalle (16-7)

The Rebels underwent a coaching change in the offseason with longtime bench boss Mark Walsh leaving to take the Mt. Lebanon girls job and being replaced by athletic director Kenny Klase. Seton LaSalle will be led by senior guard Patrick Weldon, who averaged over 15 points per game a year ago. Manning the front court is 6-4 junior forward Keenu Brooks, a starter from the Section 2-3A co-section championship team in 2024. Keep an eye on Charles Crummie, the grandson of the former Central Catholic coach, who will be starting at point guard.

5. South Park (13-9)

Can some of that golden pixie dust earned by the Eagles football team be sprinkled on the basketball team? Two expected starters for South Park will be guard Kenyan Brown and forward Eric Doerue, once their season in the gridiron ends. Junior forward Luke Scarff returns after averaging 20 points and 19 rebounds last season. Senior guard Danny Battista and junior forward Cooper Hochendoner round out the returning starting five for the Eagles.

Notables

• There will be a new 3A champion this season after Deer Lakes moved up to 4A. The Lancers became only the third WPIAL school to repeat in Class 3A in the last 25 years, joining Lincoln Park, which captured 3A district gold in the 2018 and 2019 postseasons, and Moon, which won three straight district titles from 2004-2006.

• Over a half-century of coaching experience is taking over the Charleroi boys basketball program. Joe Dunn, the former head coach at Seton LaSalle, Mt. Pleasant and Trinity, takes over the Cougars and will be joined on the bench by veteran head coach and recent assistant coach at Keystone Oaks, Johnny Lee. They take over a Charleroi team that finished tied for fifth place in the seven-team Section 4-3A last season with an 8-14 record.

• Since Section 1 has seven teams and Sections 2, 3 and 4 have only six teams, all four sections will have the same playoff format. The top four teams in each section will qualify for the WPIAL playoffs. If there is a tie for fourth place and head-to-head does not break the tie, all of the tied team will qualify. If there are no ties for fourth place, then 16-teams will qualify for the 3A playoffs with no byes and no preliminary round games.

• There are plenty of other teams to watch in Class 3A that didn’t make the top 5 cut, at least not yet. They include Beaver Falls and Ellwood City from Section 1, Bishop Canevin, Keystone Oaks and Washington from Section 2 and Ligonier Valley and Southmoreland from Section 4. Section 3 is loaded with South Allegheny, Seton LaSalle and South Park ranked in the top 5. Don’t forget about traditional power Shady Side Academy, which, despite the loss of Eli Teslovich and his nearly 22 points per game, will be in the hunt again this winter.

• Class 3A is the oldest of the six classifications dating to the 1909 season when Pittsburgh Central (later became Schenley) won the first WPIAL boys basketball championship. Other 3A anniversaries:

• One-hundred years ago, Uniontown won the 1925 Class 3A championship

• Seventy-five years ago, Homestead (now Steel Valley) claimed 3A gold

• Fifty years ago, once again it was Uniontown winning it all in the 1975 3A title game

• Twenty-five years ago, Blackhawk captured its second straight championship and its sixth title in 11years when it won the 2000 3A finals

• Ten years ago, one of the most incredible title runs concluded in dramatic fashion as Indiana defeated Chartiers Valley to win the 2015 3A championship

Alignment

Section 1: Aliquippa, Beaver Falls, Ellwood City, Freedom, Mohawk, New Brighton, Riverside

Section 2: Bishop Canevin, Carlynton, Keystone Oaks, McGuffey, Sto-Rox, Washington

Section 3: Apollo-Ridge, Seton LaSalle, Shady Side Academy, South Allegheny, South Park, Steel Valley

Section 4: Brownsville, Charleroi, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant, Southmoreland, Waynesburg Central