City of Basketball Love

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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The most exciting high school state tournament out of the four PIAA classes is without a doubt that of its biggest classification. The AAAA bracket has the heavyweight names that have won state title after state title: Lower Merion, Chester, Reading, Plymouth Whitemarsh and more.

This year they’re joined by several upstarts, including one tough Pittsburgh squad with an underdog mentality, a savvy veteran squad from Allentown that’s no stranger to postseason play,

Yesterday we took at the Class A and Class AAA tournaments, which begin on Friday, and ran our Class AA preview earlier today. Here’s a look at the AA bracket, which tips off on Saturday (for the full bracket with locations and times, click here):

The Favorites
Parkland (25-3): The four-time District 11 champions are in “win-now” mode, with a talented senior class looking for one last deep run before heading off to their respective colleges. Senior guard Devante Cross (8.8 ppg, 4.2 apg) will be playing quarterback at Virginia, forward Kenny Yeboah (10.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg) will be playing tight end at Temple and small forward Kyle Stout (17.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg) will be taking his sharpshooting talents to nearby Lafayette, the only one of the trio to continue his hoops career in college. Then there’s junior forward Sam Iorio, a talented 6-6 wing and D-I recruit in his own right, who leads the team with 18.4 ppg and trails only Yeboah with 6.8 rpg. The last three years, the Trojans have won their first-round matchup only to lose to a District 1 team in the second round. To break that streak this year, they’ll need to first get past Conestoga and then likely another Central League team, Ridley, to reach the quarterfinals.

Plymouth Whitemarsh (25-2): Fresh off a win in the District 1 AAAA championship against Chester, Jim Donofrio’s Colonials are feeling as good as can be headed into March. This is the best team Donofrio has had since his 2010 squad, which featured future D-I ballplayers in C.J. Aiken (St. Joe’s) and Jaylen Bond (Texas/Temple), plus East Stroudsburg star and D-II All-American Whis Grant. This year’s group is led by another D-I commit, shooting guard Xzavier Malone, a 6-4 scoring guard who’ll be going to Rider in the fall. But his supporting cast is terrific, including 6-6 senior big man Mike Lotito, who’s proven himself capable against frontcourts with superior size. Senior guards Kevin Ashenfelter and Oakley Spencer have good size at 6-4 and 6-3, respectively, and Donofrio utilizes athletic sophomore twins Ahmad and Ahmin Williams off the bench as defensive specialists who can also make a shot or two. How deep are these Colonials? In their district title win over the Clippers, they had 10 players score.

Reading (25-3): The most dominant player to come out of the middle part of the state in quite some time is Knights junior Lonnie Walker. A smooth, 6-5 wing who can play all three perimeter positions, Walker only averaged 16.8 ppg this year because he didn’t need to do more than that, although he did bank 37 in Reading’s quarterfinal-round conquest of Carlisle. He’s a terrific outside shooter who can also create off the bounce and get to the rim, and has thrown down some highlight-worthy dunks in leading Reading to the District 3 AAAA championship. Joining Walker in the backcourt are Khary Mauras (15.1 ppg) and Damon Stern (10.7 ppg), both of whom can provide plenty of scoring pop, and big man Oenis Medina (5.7 ppg) brings some legitimate size at 6-6 with a strong frame. Medina, in fact, popped a double-double (10 pts/11 boards) in Reading’s triumph over Central York in the 3-AAAA final. Keyon McCutchen (6.3 ppg) and Isiah Cook (7.6 ppg) round out the top seven for Rick Perez, who doesn’t go much deeper into his bench.

Roman Catholic (22-4): The defending state champions were picked amongst the top 25 teams in the country in the preseason, but didn't look that dominant through the first six weeks of the season, losing to Neumann-Goretti and Archbishop Carroll early in Catholic League play. Roman was resilient, though, and led by their trio of senior Penn State commits--Nazeer Bostick (10.5 ppg), Tony Carr (13.8) and Lamar Stevens (13.2 ppg)--the Cahillites have gathered steam. They narrowly escaped Archbishop Carroll in the PCL semis, 64-63, to go on to defeat Neumann-Goretti in the championship game by seven points. The Cahillites are hungry and appear to be refocused on defending their title. Keep an eye out for freshman Mikael Jones: the 6-7 forward already has a Penn State offer and is the future of the program.

Taylor Allderdice (24-1): Allderdice comes into the PIAA tournament ranked No. 1 overall in AAAA according to our Mike Bullock’s rankings, and is in search of becoming the first Pittsburgh City League team to win a PIAA championship since the 2007 Schenley Spartans. Then, the Spartans were led by a pair of Division I talents in DeJuan Blair (Pitt) and D.J. Kennedy (St. John’s). The Dragons are led by a three-headed monster in the backcourt in 6-foot-2 twins Tim and James Jackson as well as Ramon Creighton. James averages 23.1 ppg while Tim chimes in 16.5 ppg and Creighton adds 13.3 ppg of his own. While the City League is historically not too formidable compared to schools from the WPIAL or Eastern Pa. To counter that, Allderdice’s coach, Buddy Valinsky, scheduled quite the challenging non-conference slate to prepare them for the playoffs. The Dragons have been everywhere, from beating District 12’s Imhotep to kick-off the season, to traveling down to Georgia to play St. Pius X. Aldlerdice also beat several highly ranked WPIAL teams as well, Mars (AAA #6), New Castle (AAA #4), and Lincoln Park (AA #2) with their only loss of the season coming at the hands of Kennedy Catholic (A #1). Allderdice is battle-tested and ready for the PIAA tournament.

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The Dark Horses
Abington Heights (23-2): Ken Bianchi is one of the most experienced coaches in the state, with 722 wins to his name, and he's got a team that's capable of making a deep run. Senior big man Tim Toro (14.1 ppg), a powerful 6-9 forward who's solid on both ends of the court, leads a Comets squad that's won nine of its last 10 games, including the District 2 championship, to get to the PIAA tournament for the fourth time in his four years. And Toro isn't their only player with size: starting alongside him is another potential Division I big man, 6-11 center Seth Maxwell (10.8 ppg). And sophomore Jackson Danzig (9.4 ppg), a 6-4 wing, has a high ceiling of his own with his ability to bury shots off the bounce or in catch-and-shoot situations.

Carlisle (19-6): Having won seven of eight heading into states, it appears as if Andre Anderson’s remarkably athletic Thundering Herd finally found the form they envisioned when the 2015-16 campaign was about to tip off. Only eventual champion Reading toppled Carlisle in February, fending off the Herd 78-73 in overtime in the District 3-AAAA quarterfinals. Junior 6-0 lead guard DeShawn “Dey Dey” Millington (18.0 ppg/24 treys) and 6-1 senior Jordan Purcell (14.2), both of whom have splendid cross-over moves stuffed into their sparkling on-court resumes, offer plenty of oomph to a fast-paced attack. Junior big man Ethan Houston can stretch defenses with his ability to strike from deep, while senior Tyler Greene and soph Ki Barnes round out Anderson’s group of starters. Gavyn Barnes, Nate Barnes and Paul Candland add quality depth to a deep rotation. Will meet Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division counterpart State College when states convene on Saturday — Carlisle shared the regular-season title — the same path Harrisburg took to last season’s state quarterfinals. 

Central York (23-4): Easily one of the emotionally toughest squads in the field — and packing some quality perimeter shooters — Kevin Schieler’s gritty Panthers scrapped their way into the District 3-AAAA title game before tumbling to powerful Reading 65-54. Flashy 6-0 lead guard Jared Wagner (19 ppg/32 treys), the Panthers’ fearless on-court metronome and a York College recruit, has his hand in every aspect of the game (11 points/11 boards in 3-AAAA final) every moment he’s on the floor. Wagner’s 6-2 senior classmates Nathan Markey (11 ppg/48 treys) and Onterio Edmonds (9 ppg) shared 33 points in the 3-AAAA title game. Though undersized, Central also gets production off the bench from junior Courtney Batts. Will play at West York after Spring Grove — Schieler’s Panthers will meet Central Bucks West — so a partisan crowd should be cranked up and ready to greet Central.

Chester (20-7): The District 1 AAAA runner-ups have won 18 of their last 20 as they’re back in the state tournament after a year away. Larry Yarbray doesn't have any high-major hoopers like he's had in the past with the likes of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and others, but this group of Clippers is deep, athletic and talented. Point guard Khaleeq Campbell, a 5-7 point guard and excellent 3-point shooter, makes them run, but they've got plenty more weapons. The frontcourt is imposing with 6-8 senior Maurice Henry, 6-6 junior Jamar Sudan and 6-7 junior Jordan Camper, plus the return of 6-7 wing Maurice Collins from a shoulder injury that cost him February. And then there are the wings: 6-5 DeShawn Hinson, 6-3 Stanley Davis and 6-4 Jahmi Bailey-Green, all seniors who are capable of going for double figures. And, after all, this is Chester we're talking about, the winningest program in the state. They'll have their say in things before it's all said and done.

Latrobe (22-2): Averaging nearly 78 points per outing, those types of offensive numbers draw scads of attention and put Brad Wetzel’s Wildcats squarely in the middle of any hoops-centric conversation. Guard-driven — always a plus in postseason play — 6-4 junior Austin Butler (26.0) and 6-1 senior Sean Graytok (20.1) draw plenty of attention, especially from those on the opposite bench drawing up defensive schemes. Adding depth to the Latrobe attack are 6-1 junior Jake Biss and 6-3 senior Ryan Soisson, who split 22 points in the Wildcats’ two-overtime loss (77-75) in the WPIAL semis to eventual champ Pine-Richland. Up first for Latrobe, which opened the season with 17 consecutive wins, is WPIAL playmate North Hills.   

Lower Merion (18-9): Never count out a Gregg Downer-coached team in March. The Aces didn’t look like a state tournament-quality team early in the year, but they’ve gotten better and better week by week and made it all the way to the district semifinals, the program’s best showing in three years. Senior guard K.J. Helton (9.7 ppg, 3.7 apg) runs the point, junior Noah Fennell (10.4 ppg/63 treys) is the sharpshooter and Terrell Jones (14.9 ppg) is the attacking wing in Downer’s offense, which also has a much-improved big man in 6-9, 235-pound Jeremy Horn (11.4 ppg). The insertion of freshman Steve Payne, an athletic 6-2 wing, into the starting lineup has helped the Aces become more physical, and they have a good bench with 6-6 junior Dion Harris and 6-3 senior Eli Needle giving them additional toughness up front.

Pine-Richland (20-6): Fresh off their first WPIAL hoops championship — Pine-Richland drummed North Hills 73-50 in Saturday’s final — Jeff Ackermann’s Rams are bouncing into the state field having won 17 of their last 20. Andrew Petcash (21.8 ppg), a 6-3 junior who banked career point No. 1,000 in the WPIAL title game, leads a balanced Pine-Richland bunch in scoring. Also prominent is 6-5 sophomore Phil Jurkovec (15.9 ppg), a multi-sport star who is drawing plenty of D-I interest on the football field for his play at quarterback. Other offensive threats include 5-11 guard Adam Alexander, 5-10 guard Alex Goitz, 6-3 forward Charlie Tortorice and 6-7 center Kordell Kirkland. If Ackermann’s Rams can get past Bethel Park in their state opener, a matchup with Pittsburgh City League champ Allderdice awaits.

Spring Grove (25-3): Making their first appearance in state play, James Brooks’ Rockets continue to energize a tiny western York County mill town with their on-court performances. Backed up their first YAIAA championship in 45 years by finishing third in the District 3-AAAA tournament — and, were it not for a 52-51 overtime loss to county rival Central York they would have finished higher. Interesting thing is all three of the Rockets’ setbacks have been doled out by Central. Dynamic 6-1 junior Eli Brooks (25.1 ppg/81 treys) keys a Spring Grove attack also featuring 6-4 York College recruit Darin Gordon (14.5/23 treys), and both have surpassed 1,000 career points. Grant Wierman (7.8/28 treys), a 6-4 senior, is another important cog in the Rockets’ constantly flowing offensive scheme. Have an intriguing opener against Spring-Ford, but a large gathering should be on hand Saturday night at West York.

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The Stars
Roman Catholic is powered by the Penn State-bound trio of Tony Carr (13.8 ppg), Lamar Stevens (13.2 ppg) and Nazeer Bostick (10.5 ppg), while senior big man Paul Newman is getting recruited by Brown. ... McCaskey (21-7), which reached the state semis last season despite finishing eighth in the District 3-AAAA playoffs, is carrying the seventh seed this time around. Steve Powell’s Tornado are led by 6-4 senior Kobe Gantz (19.1 ppg/41 treys) and 5-8 senior Randolph Speller (15.4 ppg/69 treys). Both have scored more than 1,000 career points. … Spring Grove’s Eli Brooks is sporting 10-plus Division I scholarship offers. … Carlisle’s DeShawn Millington, a three-sport star, collared the PIAA Class AAA triple jump title as a freshman. ...Spring-Ford's Matt Gnias (16.2 ppg) led the Rams to the PAC-10 championship. The athletic guard also has 68 3-pointers this season. ...Martin Luther King (Pa.) senior guard Nasir Bell is committed to D-II Chestnut Hill College (Pa.) ...Plymouth Whitemarsh senior Xzavier Malone is committed to D-I Rider. He had 29 points in the Colonials' District championship win over Chester. ...Academy Park is led by senior guard Jawan Collins; the two-sport star is hearing from D-I and D-II schools for both basketball and football. Freshman forward Khyree Temple has been a revelation for the Knights, averaging a double-double.

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First-Round Games to Watch
Parkland vs. Conestoga: This is a rematch of a first-round game from a year ago, which Parkland took 53-42 in a game they led the whole way through. The Pioneers, who finished second to Ridley in the Central League’s regular season and again in the league final, are led by three-year starter Darryl Caldwell at point guard, with fellow seniors M.J. Lezanic and Andrew Larkin joining him in the starting lineup. Larkin, a 6-4 wing who can really stroke it from outside, is part of a trio of ‘Stoga starters at least that all, along with Charlie Martin and Angus Mayock, both 6-5 juniors. They’ll need to play tough against a similarly-sized Trojans lineup, but it’ll be tough for Conestoga to control the tempo; Parkland can play fast or slow, and they’re not afraid to get into a 3-point battle either.

Carlisle vs. State College: Might seem unusual to see a pair of Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division playmates squaring off in the opening round, but that’ll be the case Saturday when the Thundering Herd strolls into Bald Eagle Area High School to meet up with Joe Walker’s surging Little Lions (13-10). And while these two split their regular-season matchups — Carlisle won in Centre County while State High prevailed at the Herd’s Gene Evans Gymnasium — this one carries much more meaning. While we’ve already said plenty about the Herd’s DeShawn Millington, Jordan Purcell and others, here’s a chance to take a peek at a slow-starting State High squad that bopped Altoona 67-54 in the District 6-AAAA title game, the Little Lions’ 10th win in their last 12 games. Sophomore Drew Friberg (17.8 ppg) and junior Tommy Sekunda (14.7), who stand 6-6 and 6-5, respectively, are State High’s primary offensive threats. And while the victor will meet North Hills or Latrobe in Round 2, this also might be a preview of next season’s Commonwealth Division race since both clubs should return many of Saturday’s combatants.

Abington Heights vs. J.P. McCaskey: While the program sizes and the records might indicate that Abington Heights is a heavy favorite to advance — playing at a Scranton venue is another significant plus for Ken Bianchi’s Comets – do not let McCaskey’s 21-7 mark and status as District 3’s seventh seed fool you. Steve Powell’s Tornado were No. 8 last year, but promptly took out District 1-AAAA champ Abington behind nine treys from diminutive guard Randolph Speller. Well, Speller and all-state backcourt mate Kobe Gantz are back following a daring run to the state semis that ended with a narrow loss to eventual champ Roman Catholic. The mighty big question is how will McCaskey deal with the likes of 6-8 Tim Toro, 6-11 Seth Maxwell and 6-4 Jackson Danzig up front. Obviously, Powell may choose to attack Abington Heights’ backcourt since he’s got a surplus of quality guards. Likely encounter with Lower Merion — Abington Heights bested the Aces in mid-January awaits the victor.

Central York vs. C.B. West: While Central is making its third straight appearance in the state playoffs, there’s another variable in the air here since Kevin Schieler’s gutty Panthers won’t need a lengthy bus ride to reach their opening-round site. And with remarkably confident lead guard Jared Wagner catalyzing Central’s efforts at both ends of the floor, the Panthers are likely to be in every game they play. Fellow seniors Nathan Markey and Onterio Edmonds have been part of Central’s resurgence and they, like Wagner, aren’t ready to see their careers come to a close. C.B. West is one of the more well-coached teams in the state, under the direction of Adam Sherman. Even with Lafayette commit Cal Reichwein sidelined with a knee injury, the Bucks are senior-laden and plenty capable, with 6-2 Connor Lynch, 6-1 Billy Power and 5-11 Luke Irons all very good ball-handlers and outside shooters who can take their man off the dribble and get to the rim. They’re not very tall, with only 6-4 Erich Hohenleitner, another senior, bringing any real size inside, but 6-2 sophomore Jake Reichwein--Cal’s brother--plays well above his height. Tough matchup awaits the victor as defending state champion Roman Catholic sits on a nearby line in the 32-team bracket.

Spring Grove vs. Spring-Ford: Brooks and the Rockets return to a gym where they beat Hanover in the YAIAA quarterfinals on Feb. 5, with the junior guard dropping 25 points--including a full-court heave at the end of the third quarter that left his team up 22 points. It remains to be seen if they’ll have that same kind of magic, but Spring Grove should come out playing some inspired basketball in its first-ever state playoff game. To counter Brooks, Spring-Ford will need a big game from senior Matt Gnias, a 6-0 guard who can get hot and go for 20 points with ease. The Rams also have some size in the form of 6-6 senior Cameron Reid, an inside-out threat with D-II looks, and 6-3 wing Nigel Cooke. The PAC-10 champions upset Pennridge in the District 1 AAAA second round to reach the state tournament for the second time in three seasons; they were knocked out by Cedar Crest in the first round back in 2014.