Shaler Area, South Fayette, Greensburg Central Catholi and Rochester earn top seeds.
The WPIAL (PIAA District 7) announced its basketball playoff fields Tuesday with four classifications in each the boys tournament and the girls tournament.
Here is a closer look at each classification:
CLASS AAAANumber of teams in the field: 17
Number of teams qualifying for PIAA Playoffs: 5
Last year's title game: Mt. Lebanon 57, Gateway 51
Top 4 seeds: 1.
Shaler Area (Pittsburgh) (21-1; Ranked No. 2 in PA by MaxPreps.com); 2.
Mt. Lebanon (Pittsburgh) (20-2; Ranked No. 5 in PA by MaxPreps.com); 3.
North Allegheny (Wexford) (19-3; Ranked No. 10 in PA by MaxPreps.com); 4.
Gateway (Monroeville) (18-4; Ranked No. 20 in PA by MaxPreps.com).
Key Players to watch: Geno Thorpe, Shaler (17.7 ppg);
Devon Cottrell, Gateway (18.8 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 4.6 bpg);
Tyler Scott, Gateway (21.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg);
Matt Palo, Norwin (30.1 ppg);
Anthony Dallier, North Allegheny (25.1 ppg);
Paul Lang, Mt. Lebanon (No stats available).
Final Four: Shaler over Gateway;
Chartiers Valley (Bridgeville) (2010 PIAA Class AAA runner-up; WPIAL Class AAA champion) over Mt. Lebanon.
Title game will be: Shaler over Chartiers Valley
State qualifiers will be: 1. Shaler; 2. Chartiers Valley; 3. Gateway; 4. Mt. Lebanon; 5.
Butler.
CLASS AAANumber of teams in the field: 20
Number of teams qualifying for PIAA Playoffs: 6
Last year's title game: Chartiers Valley 63, Hampton 50
Top 4 seeds: 1.
South Fayette (McDonald) (19-1; Ranked 17th PA by MaxPreps.com; Was 2010 PIAA Class AA Champion); 2.
West Mifflin (20-2); 3.
Blackhawk (Beaver Falls) (15-7); 4.
New Castle (16-6).
Key Players to watch: Mike Lamberti, South Fayette (18.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg);
Pat Zedreck, South Fayette (14.3 ppg, 8.2 apg); C.J. Hester, West Mifflin (18.6 ppg; coming off an injury);
Micah Mason, Highlands (34.1 ppg); Josh Valentic, Trinity (30 ppg);
Corey Eggleston, New Castle (18.9 ppg);
Cory Ostach, Blackhawk (17.8 ppg);
Casey Hope, Greensburg Salem (15.3 ppg);
Christian Locher, Mars (21.7 ppg).
Final Four: South Fayette over New Castle;
Montour (McKees Rocks) over
Greensburg Salem.
Title game will be: South Fayette over Montour
State qualifiers will be: 1. South Fayette; 2. Montour; 3. New Castle; 4. Greensburg Salem; 5. Mars; 6. West Mifflin.
CLASS AANumber of teams in the field: 25
Number of teams qualifying for PIAA Playoffs: 7
Last year's title game: North Catholic 51, Rochester 48
Top 4 seeds: 1.
Greensburg Central Catholic (20-2); 2.
Beaver Falls (17-5); 3.
Monessen (19-2); 4.
Quaker Valley (Leetsdale) (19-3).
Key Players to watch: Sheldon Jeter, Beaver Falls (23 ppg);
Jesse Reed, Greensburg Central Catholic (16.9 ppg);
Jon West, Quaker Valley (8.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.8 bpg);
Shawn Smith, Sto-Rox (21.1 ppg);
Rob Baltimore, Sto-Rox (19.9 ppg);
Jordan Batts, Jeannette (17.3 ppg);
Robert Taylor, Wilkinsburg (15.5 ppg);
Cooper Handelsman, Shady Side Academy (20.7 ppg).
Final Four: Greensburg Central Catholic over Sto-Rox; Beaver Falls over Jeanette.
Title game will be: Beaver Falls over Greensburg Central Catholic.
State qualifiers will be: 1. Beaver Falls 2. Greensburg Central Catholic 3. Jeannette 4. Sto-Rox 5. Wilkinsburg 6.
Shady Side Academy (Pittsburgh); 7. Monessen.
CLASS ANumber of teams in the field: 17
Number of teams qualifying for PIAA Playoffs: 5
Last year's title game: Sewickley Academy 49, Lincoln Park 48
Top 4 seeds: 1.
Rochester (18-3); 2.
North Catholic (Pittsburgh) (16-6; 2010 WPIAL Class AA champion); 3.
Lincoln Park Performing Arts (Midland) (14-6); 4.
Vincentian Academy (Pittsburgh) (20-1).
Key Players to watch: Chaquille Pratt, Lincoln Park (23.4 ppg); Brian Heinle, St. Joseph (25.3 ppg);
E.J. Blackwell, Rochester (20.8 ppg);
John Bray Vincentian Academy (17.3 ppg); Chris Koryak, Vincentian Academy (16.8 ppg); Devontae Watson, Lincoln Park (6-foot-10; 16.3 ppg);
Jasson Adamson, Rochester (15.8 ppg);
Giovanni Ellis, Rochester (15.1 ppg).
Final Four: Rochester over Vincentian Academy; Lincoln Park over North Catholic.
Title game will be: Rochester over Lincoln Park.
State qualifiers will be: 1. Rochester; 2. Lincoln Park; 3. Vincentian Academy; 4. North Catholic; 5.
Clairton.
