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.
