PITTSBURGH – The WPIAL announced its boys and girls high school basketball playoff brackets Wednesday. A quick look at each classification can be found below. Full brackets can be found at www.wpial.org.
BOYS
Class AAAA
Number of teams in field: 17
Number of team qualifying for PIAA playoffs: 5
Last year’s title game: Peters Township 60, Mt. Lebanon 54
Top 4 seeds: 1. Mt. Lebanon (No. 3 in PA Class AAAA MaxPreps.com rankings) 2. North Allegheny (No. 6) 3. Pittsburgh Central Catholic (No. 8) 4. Plum
Key players to watch: Will Burgess, Pittsburgh Central Catholic (16.8 ppg), Zack Landers, Latrobe (15.8 ppg), Ty-meer Brown, McKeesport (14.1 ppg), Evan Pierce, Mt. Lebanon (no stats available)
Final four: Mt. Lebanon over Upper St. Clair; North Allegheny over Pittsburgh Central Catholic
Title game will be: Mt. Lebanon over North Allegheny
Class AAA
Number of teams in field: 21
Number of team qualifying for PIAA playoffs: 6
Last year’s title game: Hampton 84, Highlands 59
Top 4 seeds: 1. Chartiers Valley (No. 2 in PA Class AAA MaxPreps.com rankings) 2. Hampton (No. 6) 3. Hopewell (No. 21) 4. Laurel Highlands (No. 13)
Key players to watch: Jake Matthews, Greensburg Salem (19.7 ppg), Bill Luther, Hampton (19.2 ppg), Josh Pohlot, Belle Vernon (17.9 ppg), T.J. McConnell, Chartiers Valley (stats not available), Ethan Mildren, Laurel Highlands (stats not available)
Final four: Chartiers Valley over Laurel Highlands, Hampton over Hopewell
Title game will be: Chartiers Valley over Hampton
Class AA
Number of teams in field: 24
Number of team qualifying for PIAA playoffs: 8
Last year’s title game: North Catholic 51, Jeannette 44
Top 4 seeds: 1. North Catholic (No. 2 in PA MaxPreps.com Class AA rankings) 2. Greensburg Central Catholic (No. 7) 3. Shady Side Academy (No. 13) 4. South Fayette
Key players to watch: Nigel Gibson, Quaker Valley (17.6 ppg), Sheldon Jeter, Beaver Falls (16.4 ppg), Mike Lamberti, South Fayette (15.6 ppg), Jesse Long, North Catholic (no stats available), E.J. Blackwell, Rochester (no stats available)
Final four: Monessen over North Catholic, Rochester over Shady Side Academy
Title game will be: Rochester over Monessen
Class A
Number of teams in field: 17
Number of team qualifying for PIAA playoffs: 5
Last year’s title game: Sewickley Academy 71, Serra Catholic 57
Top 4 seeds: 1. Sewickley Academy (No. 4 in PA MaxPreps.com Class A rankings) 2. Lincoln Park 3. Serra Catholic (No. 8) 4. Clairton
Key players to watch: Anthony Thomas, Union Area (26.8 ppg), Rob Heatherington, Serra Catholic (22.6 ppg), Tom Droney, Sewickley Academy (no stats available), Desimon Green, Clairton (no stats available), Chaquille Pratt, Lincoln Park (no stats available), D
Final four: Sewickley Academy over Clairton; Serra Catholic over Lincoln Park
Title game will be: Serra Catholic over Sewickley Academy
GIRLS
Class AAAA
Number of teams in field: 18
Number of team qualifying for PIAA playoffs: 5
Last year’s title game: Mt. Lebanon 50, Fox Chapel 24
Top 4 seeds: 1. Mt. Lebanon (Ranked No. 1 in PA MaxPreps.com Class AAAA rankings, No. 12 nationally) 2. Butler (No. 14 in PA) 3. Baldwin 4. Shaler
Key players to watch: Olivia Bresnahan, Butler (18.8 ppg), Jenny Papich, Fox Chapel (18.5 ppg), Madison Cable, Mt. Lebanon (no stats available), Belma Nurkic, Baldwin (no stats available)
Final four: Mt. Lebanon over Oakland Catholic; Baldwin over Butler
Title game will be: Mt. Lebanon over Baldwin
Class AAA
Number of teams in field: 21
Number of team qualifying for PIAA playoffs: 6
Last year’s title game: New Castle 54, West Mifflin 47
Top 4 seeds: 1. Hopewell (Ranked No. 3 in PA MaxPreps.com Class AAA rankings) 2. New Castle (No. 12) 3. Indiana (No. 15) 4. Chartiers Valley (No. 22)
Key players to watch: Kaylynn Waters, New Castle (17.7 ppg), Paige Alviani, Hopewell (no stats available), Paige Aleski, Chartiers Valley (no stats available), Leslie Stapleton, Indiana (no stats available)
Final four: Hopewell over Chartiers Valley. New Castle over Indiana
Title game will be: News Castle over Hopewell
Class AA
Number of teams in field: 24
Number of team qualifying for PIAA playoffs: 8
Last year’s title game: Sto-Rox 51, Seton LaSalle 34
Top 4 seeds: 1. Avonworth (Ranked No. 17 in PA MaxPreps.com Class AA rankings) 2. Jeannette 3. Greensburg Central Catholic 4. Seton LaSalle (No. 13)
Key players to watch: Kayla Cook, Jeannette (16.8 ppg), Hannah Shaffer, Apollo-Ridge (16.5 ppg), Tess Zufall, Greensburg CC (no stats available), Tara Gallupe, Avonworth (no stats available)
Final four: Sto-Rox over Avonworth, Greensburg Central Catholic over Jeannette
Title game will be: Greensburg Central Catholic over Sto-Rox
Class A
Number of teams in field: 19
Number of team qualifying for PIAA playoffs: 5
Last year’s title game: North Catholic 48, Mt. Alvernia 44
Top 4 seeds: 1. North Catholic (Ranked No. 5 in PA MaxPreps.com Class A rankings) 2. Quigley Catholic (No. 17) 3. Rochester (No. 15) 4. Monessen
Key players to watch: Geena Shrader, Monessen (14 ppg), Taylor Minkus, Serra Catholic (12.8 ppg), Keutrah Vactor, North Catholic (no stats available), Taylor Verrico, Quigley (no stats available)
Final four: North Catholic over Ft. Cherry, Rochester over Quigley
Title game will be: North Catholic over Rochester
