WPIAL Class 6A boys basketball breakdown

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, December 2, 2017 | 6:54 PM

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Preseason Player of the Year

Ethan Morton

Butler

6-5, So., point guard

14.0 ppg in 2016-17

Players to watch

Carson Cohen

Fox Chapel

6-2, Sr., G, 16.2 ppg

Reed Fenton

Latrobe

6-3, Jr., G/F, 14.0 ppg

Phil Jurkovec

Pine-Richland

6-5, Sr., F, 16.5 ppg

Luke Nedrow

Central Catholic

6-7, Sr., F, 18 ppg

Seth Younkin

Connellsville

6-4, Sr., F, 17.3 ppg

Preseason Top 5

1. Pine-Richland (28-2)

The defending WPIAL champion and PIAA runner-up Rams lost all-state guard Andrew Petcash to graduation but return a trio of starters, including Division I football players Phil Jurkovec and Andrew Kristofic in the paint.

2. Butler (19-10)

Last season’s WPIAL runner-up, Butler again should challenge Pine-Richland and will be led by Morton, who has numerous Division I offers, including Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Penn State.

3. Fox Chapel (19-7)

After sharing the Section 3 title last season, the Foxes return a talented backcourt of all-section point guard Carson Cohen, a Tufts (Mass.) recruit, and sharp-shooting junior Ben Kelly.

4. Mt. Lebanon (14-9)

Senior all-section guard Antonio Garofoli (11.6 ppg) leads the Blue Devils, who won the Section 2 title last season but graduated guard Mark Lamendola (14.1 ppg).

5. Woodland Hills (16-10)

Led by senior guard Amante Britt (924 career points), Woodland Hills reached the PIAA playoffs last season.

— Bill Hartlep

Tags: Butler, Central Catholic, Connellsville, Fox Chapel, Greensburg C.C., Latrobe, Mt. lebanon, Pine-Richland, Woodland Hills