close

Bracketology: who to watch when WPIAL pairings are announced

4 min read
article image -

The WPIAL basketball regular season wraps up tonight with a slate of non-section games, but the playoff spots have been decided.

There were few surprises last week. The one shocker was Trinity missing the playoffs with West Allegheny’s win over Montour.

Locally, 11 girls teams and eight boys teams made the playoffs. Those players and coaches will learn their fate Tuesday night at the WPIAL Basketball Playoffs Pairings Meeting.

There are a few storylines to look out for. Questions surround where the Monessen boys will be placed and the same can be said for the California girls. Both are possible No. 1 seeds.

Monessen (12-0, 16-6)

The Greyhounds have reached the WPIAL playoffs in all 31 of Joe Salvino’s seasons as head coach. It’s truly incredible what he has accomplished at the school and though I expected Monessen to take a slight step back in 2014-15, I was wrong.

Salvino adjusted his system to match his personnel and it’s working. The Greyhounds average 76.9 points per game and have played the most difficult schedule in Class A. Though they are deserving of the top seed, it looks like Vincentian might get placed on top.

Remember the thriller those two teams played in the semifinals at Montour High School last season? A rematch at The Pete would be ideal.

Washington (12-2, 15-6)

The Prexies made a remarkable comeback this season to seize second place in Section 3-AA and a big non-section victory over South Fayette will earn them respect for seeding. You could argue that no team is hotter right now than Wash High. Deep lineup with one of the top coaches in the WPIAL. Watch out. Any team that draws the Prexies in the first round will cringe.

This is a very strong year for Class AA so Wash High’s seed will be lower than expected, but the Prexies are more than capable of making noise in the tournament. Look for them to grab the five or six seed.

South Fayette (12-0, 17-3)

Other high school sports writers don’t seem to respect South Fayette. I think part of that is not knowing the specifics of the Lions’ loss to Wash High. Brett Brumbaugh didn’t play and though Wash High has lost six games, the Prexies are much better than their record shows.

I also think South Fayette is as good as the record shows. The Lions’ section was weak this season, but talent is talent and great coaching is great coaching. I have questions regarding South Fayette’s depth, but this team is filled with kids who know how to win.

Though you could argue the Lions deserve the four seed, South Fayette will probably get snubbed and will enter the tournament having to prove its worth.

I have a gut feeling that the Lions will reach the quarterfinals.

California (14-0, 21-1)

The Trojans have won 21 consecutive games and dominated their competition in Section 3-A. Their lineup is playoff-tested and is fit for a serious run in the WPIAL playoffs. Where they are placed is something to look out for.

Does the committee punish California for playing in what is perceived as a weak section? I don’t see how they could. Cal defeated Serra Catholic, Frazier and Charleroi in non-section games, plus the Trojans proved themselves as a formidable team in last year’s playoffs.

After losing only one starter and gaining an additional six-footer in the front court, it will be tough to ignore California. Vincentian is going to grab the top seed, but will the Trojans get the nod over Quigley Catholic for No. 2? I’d be surprised if they didn’t.

Trinity (8-4, 16-5)

Though South Fayette might be on the biggest roll in WPIAL girls basketball, I’ve seen great improvement from Trinity and I don’t think they’ve played their best basketball yet.

The Hillers will likely get an eighth seed, but they have the potential to upset a few teams and I think they have a great chance to qualify for the state playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Chartiers-Houston (8-4, 14-7)

The Bucs are a very intriguing team. They unexpectedly finished in third place in Section 3-AA with a very young team and a first-year head coach. They are a team that can create matchup problems with their size and quickness.

This is a potential upset to watch and I’ll be keeping a close eye on where they are placed in the bracket.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today