WPIAL Boys Basketball Preview

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, February 12, 2016 | 3:20 PM

There are 74 boys teams that begin the Path to the Pete in the hopes of raising one of the four championships at the Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh on February 26th or 27th. Here are some factoids to help you get ready for the 2016 WPIAL Boys Basketball Playoffs.

CLASS AAAA

TOP SEED: Latrobe (20-1). The Wildcats have a chance to win a WPIAL championship for the first time since 1985 when brothers Neal and Keith Fenton were standout guards. This team has a threesome of standout guards – Austin Butler, Sean Graytok and Jake Biss. Butler and Graytok were the only tandem in the WPIAL to average more than 20 points a game. Latrobe is most certainly capable of winning the title, but some question the Wildcats because they come from Section 1. No team from Section 1 has won the WPIAL since Norwin in 1988.

DEFENDING CHAMP: Chartiers Valley.

POINTING THE WAY: Austin Butler, Latrobe, 25.7 ppg; Nick Smith, North Hills, 23.0.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Many are calling this the most balanced Class AAAA field in a long time. That means there are no overwhelming teams, but a lot of good teams. The balance could make for a might interesting tournament. There are a number of interesting first-round games, including Butler vs. Penn Hills, Plum vs. Penn-Trafford, Bethel Park vs. Gateway and North Hills vs. Baldwin. … This is Plum’s fifth appearance since 2010, but the Mustangs have lost in the first round three of the past four times. … Chartiers Valley is the No. 2 seed, but many thought the Colts should have been No. 1. Coach Tim McConnell is trying to win his seventh title. Only three other WPIAL coaches have won seven or more – Farrell’s McClusky, Blackhawk’s John Miller and Midland’s Ed Olkowski.

DID YOU KNOW? The Class AAAA record for most points in a playoff game is 41, by Fred Ingles of Mt. Lebanon against Laurel Highlands in 1988.

CLASS AAA

TOP SEED: New Castle (21-1). The Red Hurricanes were undefeated until losing to Allderdice on the final night of the regular season. New Castle doesn’t have a starter taller than 6 feet. Coach Ralph Blundo has another team that plays tough defense, shoots well and handles the ball well. New Castle averages only seven turnovers a game. Senior guard Marquel Hooker averages 21 a game.

DEFENDING CHAMP: Indiana.

POINTING THE WAY: Karlyn Garner, West Mifflin, 24.2 ppg; Antonio Ionadi, Hampton, 22.5.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Since the preseason, it seems Class AAA has been New Castle, Mars, Beaver Falls – and then everybody else. That seems to be the case for the playoffs, although No. 4 seed Highlands has been impressive at times this year. Beaver Falls is the No. 2 seed and Mars No. 3. Mars has never been to a title game, but the Planets have been shooting for this season. They are experienced and talented and have some size. How well they defend will be a key. … It seems some have forgotten about Beaver Falls because of its two losses to New Castle, but the Tigers’ inside game with Josh Creach and Donovan Jeter makes them a team still capable of winning it all. Guard play will be key for them. … Ambridge plays West Allegheny Tuesday in a first-round game, but Ambridge will probably be without coach Mark Jula. Sadly, his son, Brett, was killed Thursday in a car accident in St. Louis. Right now, the plan is for an Ambridge assistant to coach.

DID YOU KNOW? New Castle has a 130-9 record over the past five seasons.

CLASS AA

TOP SEED: Aliquippa (21-0). The Quips are trying to become only the second team in WPIAL history to win consecutive WPIAL titles with an undefeated record. New Castle was the first, winning three in a row with perfect records from 2012-14. It’s questionable whether this Aliquippa team is as good as last year because the Quips don’t have high-scoring guard Stephon McGinnis this year. But they do have guard Jassir Jordan and forward Charles Humphries, two of the best players in Class AA.

DEFENDING CHAMP: Aliquippa.

POINTING THE WAY: Darton McIntire, Waynesburg, 25.8 ppg; Noah Brown, Brownsville, 24.2.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Aliquippa is the No. 1 seed, but Lincoln Park might be 1A. The Leopards are talented and feature guard Nelly Cummings, one of the top juniors in the WPIAL. They are definitely good enough to win it all. … Waynesburg’s McIntire is only a sophomore, but led the WPIAL in scoring this season. Four of the top eight scorers in the WPIAL in the regular season are in the Class AA playoffs. Besides McIntire, Brown was third, Charleroi’s Sam Miceli seventh and Cummings eighth. … Quaker Valley was the second-place team in Aliquippa’s section, but Quaker Valley was given the No. 3 seed. … Watch for Greensburg Central Catholic. It seems there isn’t much talk about the Centurions, but they have only one loss. … Bishop Canevin are both section champs, but they will meet each other in a first-round game. Brownsville got a No. 11 seed because it comes from a section that is viewed as weak.

DID YOU KNOW? Forty-six years ago, a future star at Pitt scored 41 points in a playoff game for Braddock. That was Billy Knight. That point total is still tied for the most in a Class AA playoff game with Hal Bentley, who scored 41 in 1980.

CLASS A

TOP SEED: Monessen (19-3). The Greyhounds were an overwhelming choice to be the No. 1 seed. They have been awfully impressive, not only in Class A, but against teams in higher classifications. They have wins against Ambridge, Chartiers Valley and Norwin. Norwin averages 92 points a game and has four players averaging 16 points or more, which is unheard of in the WPIAL. But one game on Monessen’s schedule makes you doubt whether Monessen will run away with this title. The Greyhounds defeated Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic only by 75-72 at Monessen in December.

DEFENDING CHAMP: Monessen.

POINTING THE WAY: Jonathan Murphy, Trinity Christian, 24.1 ppg; Dwight Moore, Monessen, 21.3.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Sewickley Academy is the No. 2 seed and very good. Then you have to look at Eden Christian, the No. 3 seed. It owns a victory against Sewickley Academy. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic will be reckoned with. The Trojans have won 12 of 13, including a win against AAAA Butler on Monday. The only loss in that time was to Sewickley Academy. But maybe Clairton and Jeannette will make a championship run. They tied for a section championship.

DID YOU KNOW? Since 2000, only two teams have won back-to-back Class A titles. Sewickley Academy did it in 2009-10 and Monessen in 2001-02.