City of Basketball Love

By Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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It’s time for the culmination of the 2024-25 high school hoops season — the PIAA state tournament. The boys’ and girls’ brackets all get underway this Friday and Saturday, with championships March 27-29 at the GIANT Center in Hershey. 

Last year’s 6A boys tournament saw two public schools, Central York and Parkland, make it to the end, with Central York capturing the crown thanks to a thrilling 53-51 win. The defending champs are back and as good as ever, though there are plenty of high-level teams that feel they’re just as likely to bring home some hardwood. 

Here’s a look at the boys’ 6A field, which gets underway on Saturday; click here for the full bracket:

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PIAA Bracket Previews:
Boys 6A | Girls 6A | Boys 5A | Girls 5A | Girls 4A | Boys 1A-4A | Girls 1A-3A | 

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Favorites
Central York (3-1, 26-2)
The defending champs are aiming for a repeat, having captured the District 3 title for the first time — yes, the Panthers won a state title before a district one — giving them a total different path to Hershey after doing so as the 3-5 seed a year ago. Jeff Hoke’s Panthers, who open against Phoenixville, feature a terrific guard-big combo in seniors Ben Natal (6-2) and Ben Rill (6-8), both of whom are getting a lot of interest from scholarship-level college programs. Junior point guard Ryan Brown is also a returning starter, giving them a ton of postseason experience that could be invaluable this month.

Imhotep Charter (12-1, 23-5)
Winners of the last three 5A titles and 10 championships overall since the program’s first in 2009, Imhotep is now in the big-school classification for the first time, Andre Noble ready to pit his Panthers against the other top teams in the state. The Public League and District 12 champs are always a force, even if they’ve taken a couple blows this year to injury and transfer. Noble still has plenty remaining, led by senior guard Carnell Henderson and junior guard RJ Smith, with junior wing Latief Lorenzano-White adding length and scoring. Noble has the pieces to win it all again, but it’s far from a sure thing, with numerous underclassmen playing bigger roles than anticipated. 

Father Judge (12-2, 19-7)
The Crusaders are in the PIAA state playoffs for the first time in program history, Judge having been stuck behind a few other 6A teams in the Catholic League pecking order until Chris Roantree has taken them to new heights. The Catholic League champions for the first time since 1998, Judge beat Imhotep Charter earlier in the season but narrowly lost to them in the District 12 title game, putting them against Garnet Valley in the opening round. Senior guard Kevair Kennedy (Merrimack), senior forward Everett Barnes (Loyola Md.) and junior guards Derrick Morton-Rivera and Rocco Westfield lead a deep and talented group that’s ready to make a deep run.

Roman Catholic (12-3, 21-5)
After a quarterfinal loss a year ago, Roman’s aiming for a return to Hershey this time around. The Cahillites have made five state championship game appearances since 2015, winning four of them before losing in overtime in the 2023 game, a year after their last title. Chris McNesby has another terrific group this year, the Catholic League runner-ups led by senior forward Shareef Jackson (Lafayette) and his brother, junior wing Sammy Jackson, along with über-talented sophomore guard Tyler Sutton and a versatile senior wing in CJ Miller. It’s a group with a lot of size, with Miller and both Jackson brothers all north of 6-6. 

Upper St. Clair (7-1, 23-2)
The District 7 (WPIAL) champs each of the last two years, Upper St. Clair also returns quite a bit from a state quarterfinal appearance last year, the Panthers losing to Central York at that point. Head coach Danny Holzer — whose brother Ralph is a longtime referee in the Philadelphia area — has a massive frontcourt thanks to the presence of the Robbins brothers, 6-10 senior Tyler Robbins (Miami Ohio) and 6-7 sophomore Ryan Robbins. Senior point guard Julian Dahlem is the table-setter, with additional scoring from senior guard Niko Gidas and junior guard Jake Foster. 

Others to Watch
Central Dauphin (3-2, 20-5)
The District 3 runner-ups have a terrific backcourt led by senior Wayne Fletcher II (Navy), son of the head coach, along with 6-5 junior Jelani Easter and 6-3 sophomore Shakur Starling, along with 6-0 senior Richard Chase. They’ve proven themselves this year with wins over Cumberland Valley, Chambersburg, Parkland, Archbishop Ryan, and more. 

Chambersburg (3-4, 19-5)
The Trojans feature one of the state’s best athletes in 6-5 senior JJ Kelly, a former state triple jump champ and Division I football recruit who ended up picking hoops and Ohio University for his college years. It’s a group with good collective size including 6-5 junior Landon Buhrman and 6-4 junior Colton Cornwell along with Kelly, and coming off a second-round state appearance last year, are aiming to stick around a little longer.

Coatesville (1-3, 22-6)
One of the strongest teams in District 1 all year long, the Raiders have a good mix of size/length, athleticism, depth and talent, and are coming off a quarterfinal appearance last year. Up front, 6-7 juniors Larry Brown and Jonah Chester bring the size, with senior guards Nasir Williams and Amon Fowlkes taking care of much of the ball-handling. Freshman Colton Hiller is a stud-in-the-making who’s had some big-time outings this season.

Conestoga (1-1, 21-5)
We expected the Pioneers to be good this year, but the program’s first District 1 title since 1987 certainly exceeded expectations. Third-year head coach Sean Forcine has a quality starting five that’s still better than the sum of its parts: senior guard Ben Robinson (6-1), junior guard Rowan Miller (5-11), junior forward Cory Hogan (6-4), senior wing Sam Gibbs (6-5) and junior wing Shane O’Brien (5-3). But this will be all of their first state tournament experience, and Mechanicsburg (3-6, 20-3) is a tough draw in the first round.

Cumberland Valley (3-7, 21-5)
The District 3 champs and a second-round state playoff team a year ago, CV got upset in the District 3 quarterfinals by Central Dauphin, helping knock them down to the 3-7 seed, but this is a quality team with wins over Chambersburg, Governor Mifflin, Downingtown West, Trinity and more. Head coach David Vespignani has a couple special sophomores in 6-6 Aiden Diehl and 6-2 Jared Dolimpio, plus seniors JJ Lebo (6-2), Creston Austin (6-4) and Nolan Buzalka (6-3).

Lower Merion (1-4, 20-6)
It’s been 12 years since Lower Merion last made a PIAA boys basketball final, and this group is hoping to make an underdog run. The Aces were the top seed in the District 1 6A tournament before losing to Plymouth Whitemarsh in the semifinals, and longtime head coach Gregg Downer has a senior-laden group to lean on including Carson Kasmer, Sam’i SIngletary, Gus Wright, Rashyne Patterson and Tate Perkins. Nobody’s taller than 6-4, but they can all dribble, pass, shoot, and defend well as a unit. 

New Castle Area (7-2, 21-4)
New Castle coach Ralph Blundo has had plenty of success with the Hurricanes, leading them to the 2014 title and a runner-up finish in 2022, the latter in the 5A classification. The District 7 runner-ups feature a standout freshman guard in Kai Cox, with strong support from senior Ralphie Blundo and junior Damian Harrison, the three the team’s leading scorers and rebounders. They’ll have a tough path to get to Hershey, though.

Plymouth Whitemarsh (1-2, 19-7)
As the second seed out of District 1, PW gets sent out to the western half of the bracket, so Jim Donofrio’s team will have to travel quite a bit if they get much beyond their opening-round game against Wilson. Junior guard Mani Sajid (6-4) and junior forward Michael Pereira (6-9) are the centerpieces, with junior point guard Jack Hayes, junior guard Terron Davis, senior wing Caleb Bridgeman and more chipping in on a deep rotation.

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Players to Know
Wayne Fletcher (Sr. | Central Dauphin)
A 6-3 guard and Naval Academy commit, Fletcher is a smooth two-way guard with three-level scoring ability. The 1,000-point scorer excels at getting into the lane, where he can hit a variety of tough pull-up jumpers or finish at the rim with either hand.

Colton Hiller (Fr. | Coatesville)
Coatesville’s got a lot of talent, but the real name to know is Hiller, the top freshman in the Philadelphia area this season. Hiller’s already shown the ability to lead his team and hit huge shots in key points, the baby-faced 6-5 wing an outstanding outside shooter who’s getting better and better off the bounce.

Sammy Jackson (Jr. | Roman Catholic)
A 6-7 wing (and that might be underselling it), Jackson has really blossomed the last year, turning into an inside-out scoring threat who can really shoot it from deep and knows how to get positioning and finish around the rim. He doesn’t have to take over in Roman’s balanced attack, but he’s got the ability to fill it up with ease.

Shareef Jackson (Sr. | Roman Catholic)
The Cahillites’ leader is their burly 6-7 Lafayette-bound forward, an extremely skilled and savvy post who’s got excellent touch, footwork and IQ with the ball in his hands. Jackson can run an offense and sees the floor well, but he’s at his best dominating around the rim and vacuuming up rebounds.

Jai’tavious ‘JJ’ Kelly (Sr. | Chambersburg)
A multi-sport standout and Ohio University hoops commit, Kelly is a hyper-athletic 6-5 wing whose skillset has really come around the last couple years to match. He’s got outstanding body control, which he shows in his ability to create space in the mid-range or finish around the hoop, and he’s a much-improved jumper shooter off the catch or pulling up off the bounce.

Kevair Kennedy (Sr. | Father Judge)
A two-time All-PCL First Team selection, Kennedy is a Merrimack-bound lead guard who embodies the ‘Philly guard’ mentality. A bulldog with the ball in his hands, Kennedy is an elite hoop-attacker who makes plays getting downhill, whether that’s finishing at the bucket or finding teammates for open shots, and he’s an excellent rebounder.

Derrick Morton-Rivera (Sr. | Father Judge)
One such recipient of Kennedy’s playmaking is Morton-Rivera, a 6-4 shooting guard and knockdown 3-point sniper who’s added a one-dribble pull-up to his arsenal as well as the ability to attack closeouts and get to the hoop. The son of a former D-I ballplayer, he’s got a strong group of scholarship offers of his own.

Ben Natal (Sr. | Central York)
Natal announced this season that he’ll be doing a prep year and moving to the class of 2026, which has inspired all sorts of college offers this season for the 6-2 guard and all-time leading scorer in CY history, including D-Is Chattanooga, Pepperdine and Hampton. 

Michael Pereira (Jr. | Plymouth Whitemarsh)
PW’s physically-imposing 6-10 post is in the midst of a breakout season, becoming a force to be reckoned with in the paint for the Colonials. Pereira put up three straight 20-point double-doubles in the district playoffs, a sign of the progress he’s made over the last 12 months.

Ben Rill (Sr. | Central York)
Central York’s 6-8 post is a skilled ‘4’ man who can pick-and-pop with the best of them. Rill is a tenacious rebounder and post defender who’s a versatile offensive option with good hands and footwork, plus a strong face-up game. 

Tyler Robbins (Sr. | Upper St. Clair)
A 6-10 Miami (Ohio) commit, Robbins is one of the best big men in the state. A physical rim-runner who dominates the glass and fills the post defensively, he can also throw down lobs and put the ball on the floor against close-outs to get to the rim. 

Mani Sajid (Jr. | Plymouth Whitemarsh)
Sajid has the ability to get microwave-hot, splashing in jumpers from well beyond the arc even with a hand in his face, and he’s become an increasing threat off the bounce over the last two years. The 6-4 wing already has a bunch of D-I offers, with more sure to come. 

RJ Smith (Jr. | Imhotep Charter)
Smith might be the least-physically-imposing player on this list, standing about 5-8, but the Panthers’ junior is a killer. He’s got some of the best handles around, sees the floor and makes pinpoint passes, understands pace and tempo and can get his own shot from just about anywhere. There’s a reason he’s got D-I options already.

Tyler Sutton (Soph. | Roman Catholic)
A fantastic guard who’s about as athletic as any 6-1 lead guard as you’ll see, Sutton is fitting in well in his first year at Roman. Sutton’s a great playmaker with the ball in his hands, can score from all three levels and can find space off the ball to catch-and-shoot from deep as well.