Pete Strobl launches The Scoring Factory PREP basketball academy in Pittsburgh

By: Dave Mackall
Wednesday, February 4, 2026 | 9:48 PM

Basketball fanatic Pete Strobl, the personal shooting coach with a knack for public speaking and clinical leadership, is brainstorming again.

Founder of Pittsburgh-based The Scoring Factory, Strobl on Tuesday announced plans for a new and unique boys basketball program designed for high school players seeking a post-graduate season.

“Welcome to The Scoring Factory PREP. Come get some,” Strobl says on a post on X appearing on The Scoring Factory website, which details plans for the new venture.

Welcome to The Scoring Factory PREP.

Engineered for high school and post-grad athletes committed to the pursuit of college basketball.

The future of Pittsburgh basketball starts here.

INFO: https://t.co/Ghdli48DQ4 pic.twitter.com/WJJufilcq1

— The Scoring Factory (@ScoringFactory) February 3, 2026

Strobl said he’s hoping The Scoring Factory PREP will attract the best players from the WPIAL and City League seeking a post-graduate season who otherwise might leave the area in search of a prep school.

The program will consist of one 12-player team coached by Brandon McClester, The Scoring Factory boys AAU director and a graduate of Allderdice. A former boys assistant basketball coach at Upper St. Clair, McClester played collegiately at Division III Pitt-Bradford and played professionally in the Premier Basketball League for the Jamestown (N.Y.) Jackals.

According to company’s website, “The Scoring Factory PREP is for players that want advanced basketball instruction and physical development, college-style offensive sets instead of outdated high school basketball plays, national exposure and an environment dedicated to connecting players with college coaches.”

The team will play a national schedule against a mix of teams at the NCAA Division III junior varsity, junior colleges and prep schools level with home games at the company’s Best Drive gymnasium in Emsworth.

Enrollment for the 2026-27 season begins March 1.

Strobl said The Scoring Factory PREP will offer limited amounts of financial aid for families who qualify.

“The practices are going to be very intense,” Strobl said. “That mindset is going to carry over to games, where players can be battle-tested. They’ll be seen by the people that decide if they’re good enough to play college basketball, the coaches themselves.”

With the NCAA transfer portal having changed the way college coaches recruit, Strobl said players need to be older and stronger and practicing against more advanced competition.

He said athletes will be screened by The Scoring Factory staff in order to determine their potential to play college basketball.

“We want to have a place right here in Pittsburgh for kids who want to play college basketball,” Strobl said. “Instead of them going to a prep school somewhere in Connecticut, Texas or Florida, we want them to stay home.”

Prospective players at The Scoring Factory PREP can remain at the school they attend or continue their online studies through a cyber school, Strobl said. He added that while he was hoping for a robust response from players locally, the program is open to all high school students.

Strobl, a Long Beach, Calif., native who played at Niagara before continuing on to a professional career as a player and coach in Europe, founded The Scoring Factory as an advanced, multi-faceted skills training operation.

The company also sponsors such programs as seasonal basketball leagues, specialty workouts, skills clinics and summer camps.

It first operated in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood before occupying for a time a spot at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association in the city’s Oakland section.

Rapid growth in staff and popularity caused The Scoring Factory to outgrow its PAA space. According to its website, it now operates in numerous gyms around Pittsburgh with multiple satellite locations.

For more information on The Scoring Factory and its latest venture, The Scoring Factory PREP, visit The Scoring Factory website.