Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week for Feb. 14, 2023

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, February 14, 2023 | 9:09 PM

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Bishop Canevin guard Shea Champine was asked about his unique first name. He said he asked his mother and she explained that she thought it was different and she liked it.

Most of the Crusaders opponents find Champine’s game unique and very few have been able to slow him down.

Champine totaled 96 points in three more Bishop Canevin wins last week, each time scoring at least 30 points. That’s standard fare for the senior, who is averaging over 30 points per game. He has the third-highest per-game average in the WPIAL.

“Shea just keeps getting better every day because of how hard he works,” Bishop Canevin first-year coach Tim McConnell said. “He even hates to lose in drills we do in practice.”

The week began for the Crusaders on Tuesday with a rematch against Eden Christian. The Warriors handed BC its only loss earlier in the season.

“They kind of caught us off guard, I would say. They shot the lights out” Champine said. “We were like, we need to get them back, they’re not better than us, they’re not more athletic than us. They got us at their place, so we needed to get them at our place.”

Champine stepped up in a big way by scoring 35 points in the Crusaders’ revenge victory, 57-44.

The next night, it was a nonsection battle against the second-place team in Section 3, Serra Catholic.

“We started off a little slow, offensively and defensively,” Champine said. “Once halftime hit, we had a nice talk with Coach McConnell and got fired up. Came out in the second half, built the lead to 10 points and then just kept on going.”

The Crusaders cruised past the Eagles, 86-57, as Champine led the way once again with 30 points.

The regular season came to an end Friday with a section game at Winchester Thurston. Champine scored 31 points as the Crusaders finished 9-1 atop Section 2-3A with an overall record of 18-4 after the 93-52 win.

“It was a pretty fun game,” Champine said. “They tried to get the ball out of my hands, so I got my team involved early in the game. My shots then started falling and I was able to get to the rim, and our lead kept growing and growing.”

McConnell has been very pleased with the consistency of Champine’s game night in and night out.

“The way he gets to the rim and his pull-up jumper are hit biggest strengths,” McConnell said. “What stands out most, though, is not how Shea scores his points, but how he rebounds, passes and plays defense as well.”

Coach Gino Palmosina led Bishop Canevin to three straight WPIAL boys basketball crowns before taking a job this offseason as head coach of Moon.

So how as the adjustment been for the Crusaders playing for McConnell, the legendary Chartiers Valley boys and girls coach?

“For me personally, I would say it’s gone pretty well,” Champine said. “I can see it with different guys that he’s making them better. I notice everybody on my team getting better. He just brought out something in all of our guys that you won’t see most coaches do.”

Champine helped the Crusaders earn the No. 2 seed in the upcoming WPIAL Class 2A playoffs. BC will open up on Tuesday at home against either Carmichaels or South Side.

“I like where we are right now,” McConnell said. “We need to stay focused and keep working hard.”

Trib HSSN Players of the Week

Week 5 – Vinnie Cugini, Aquinas Academy

Week 4 – Makahi Valentine, Steel Valley

Week 3 – Royce Parham, North Hills

Week 2 – Jaydis Kennedy, Geibel Catholic

Week 1 – Joe Roth, Ellwood City

Tags: Bishop Canevin