City of Basketball Love

By CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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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. 

The sigh of relief from around the state was almost audible. With three-time defending state champ and Philly powerhouse Imhotep Charter moving up to the 6A classification for this two-year cycle, the 5A field is up for grabs, with contenders from all over the state ready to stake their claim and make a run at a giant Hershey chocolate bar.

Here’s a look at the Boys’ 5A field; which gets underway Friday; click here to take a peek at 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
Chartiers Valley (7-1, 23-3)
First-year coach Cory Dotchin has had quite a debut season. Two of the team’s three losses came to section rival Montour (more on them below) before avenging those defeats with a WPIAL semifinal win on the way to the WPIAL championship. Senior guard Jayden Davis (23.6 ppg) has more than 2,000 points in his career, ranking second in the program’s history. Juniors Logan Helfrick (6-2), Danny Slizik (6-1), Jake Lewis (6-3) and Julian Semplice (6-1, first team all-league) round out the starting five. Freshman 6-3 freshman Luca Federico (second team all-district) is a sharpshooter off the bench.

Greater Johnstown (6-1, 24-1)
Johnstown’s lone loss was an overtime defeat to perennial power BIshop Guilfoyle in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference title game back on Feb. 14. The Trojans responded with a pair of victories to win the District 6 championship on Feb. 28. Senior 6-3 combo guard Donte Tsinger, a Boston University commit, is the program’s all-time leading scorer. Junior 6-4 wing Amier Robinson and 6-0 guard Messiah Armstrong are two other college-level talents for a program that has a combined 69-10 record over the last three seasons.

Hershey (3-1, 21-3)
The Bears are led by 6-2 junior point guard Cameron Sweeney, a first team All-Mid-Penn Conference Keystone Division selection, who averaged 19.5 ppg and starred as the school’s quarterback in the fall. Senior 6-6 wing James Campbell IV (D-III Case Western Reserve) was named second team all-league, and senior 5-10 point guard Aidan Miller, third team all-league, are other key cogs for a team that captured the program’s first district title in 51 years.

Montour (7-3, 24-2)
The Spartans were the top seed in the WPIAL tournament before section rival Chartiers Valley avenged two regular season losses with a semifinal win. They are still plenty capable of doing damage with section player of the year Ama Sow, a 6-10 forward committed to UT-Martin, leading the way. Junior 6-3 guard/wing Colton Straight is another first team all-section selection who can fill it up from deep. Senior 6-2 guard/wing Kaleb Platz, a Mercyhurst football commit, adds some more athleticism.

Upper Dublin (1-1, 27-1)
The Suburban One League and District 1 champs haven’t lost since their season opener to Lower Merion, Derek Brooks’ squad on a roll like few others. He’s got a group that’s been playing hard and together all season long, led by senior guard Ryan Mulroy and senior forward Idris Rines plus junior guard Kobe Bazemore, with 6-5 sophomore Justin Ragsdale an X factor who’s stepped up in the postseason. They’ve got size, depth, talent, and attitude aplenty, and if they make it a few rounds in, they could get junior guard Noah Cohen back from a broken arm, which would be a big boost to their outside shooting. 

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Others to Watch
Bonner-Prendergast (12-3, 16-8)
The Friars are young, with sophomore duo Korey Francis (6-4) and Kam Jackson (5-9) two exciting underclassmen for head coach Billy Cassidy, who also has Millersville commit Devon Nelson (6-3) in a high-level backcourt as well. They’ll be absent a good bit of size with 6-6 TJ Jackson and 6-7 Peyton McClendon both unavailable due to PIAA transfer regulations; with that in mind, a championship run is unlikely but it’s a good opportunity for that young core to gain some experience that could really pay off a year from now. 

Holy Ghost Prep (1-2, 17-9)
The Firebirds are back in the PIAA tournament after a first-round district loss last season. Coach Tom Heston’s group ran into the Upper Dublin buzzsaw in the District 1 title game, but an experienced group that has nine seniors back from from last year’s rotation showed its strength during a district run. Senior 6-2 wing Adrien Varella is a big and strong wing with the versatility to play in or out, and the team’s go-to guy for a little while now. But guard Zak Sharlin (6-0), 6-3 wing Robbie Segarich and 6-8 forward Tommy Nahill, with juniors Liam Duffy (6-6) and Adam McDonald (5-10) make this group deep and dangerous.

Neumann-Goretti (12-1, 14-11)
After making the 4A quarterfinals a year ago, the Saints are now up in the 5A classification, one of the PCL powerhouses playing against a different group of teams than before, when Carl Arrigale’s program was mostly a 3A and 4A squad. Junior guard Stephon Ashley-Wright (6-0) is the closest thing this team has to a standout, as Arrigale’s got a strong group of guards who can all play in Ashley-Wright, senior Keon Long-Mtume (6-3) and juniors Kody Colson (6-0) and DeShawn Yates (5-10), along with junior forward Alassan N’Diaye (6-6), who can score inside or out.

Penncrest (1-5, 21-3)
The second seed in the District 1 5A playoffs and the runner-up in the Central League, Penncrest was upset in the quarterfinals and finished as the No. 5 seed coming out of District 1. But Mike Doyle has a group that’s planning on being here this year and next with four juniors in the starting lineup: Mikey Mita (6-7), Sean Benson (6-1), Connor Cahill (6-0) and Ben Stanton (5-11), plus 6-3 senior Theo Gladue. It’s a tough group that can score from all five positions, and they’ve generally handled big moments well.

Pottsgrove (1-3, 22-3)
Making their first postseason appearance since 2019, the Falcons fell short in the PAC and District 1 semifinals, but they’ve got some talent to make a run. They’re a balanced group loaded with athleticism and length. Senior Julius Marshall (6-2), junior Daymein Doctor (6-5), senior Kamal Curry (6-4) and junior Bryce Phillips (6-3) lead a group that plays fast and hard.

Upper Moreland (1-4, 19-6)
The Golden Bears’ senior class is the first in program history to make the PIAA state playoffs twice in their careers, as this is only the fifth time the program’s ever been in the state bracket. Senior guard Colson Campbell became the latest member of the school’s 1,000-point club, hitting the milestone last month, and he’s been getting plenty of help all season long from senior sharpshooter Jadon Cybok and junior forward Larry Hughes, who brings some size to the frontcourt at 6-4. The Golden Bears’ first game is against an Abington Heights program which has plenty of state tournament experience but is only 14-10 on the season despite a District 2 title. 

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Players to Know
Stephon Ashley-Wright (Jr. | Neumann-Goretti)
The younger brother of Baylor standout Robert Wright III, ‘Munchie’ is a slippery and skilled 6-0 combo guard who can score from all three levels. A strong outside shooter when pulling up off the bounce, he’s also a tricky finisher at the rim with a whole bag of tricks up his sleeve. 

Colson Campbell (Sr. | Upper Moreland)
The engine of Upper Moreland’s breakthrough season, Campbell is a strong 6-2 lead guard who knows how to use his physicality to his advantage. A strong shooter from 3-point and in the mid-range, Campbell has good body control around the rim and knows how to finish through contact.

Korey Francis (Soph. | Bonner-Prendergast)
Bonner’s next big-time prospect, Francis is an impressive young guard with a smooth, mature floor game. He can play on or off the ball, has a great catch-and-shoot ability, and he makes it look easy attacking the rim, where he can finish with either hand. 

Matt Gardler (Sr. | Marple Newtown)
Gardler’s been lighting up the nets in Delaware County for a few years, the latest in a long line of high-level hoopers in his family going back several generations. A 6-0 guard, Gardler has outstanding handles and feel, making the whole Tigers offense run with his ability to break down defenses and create shots for himself and others.

Robby Lucas (Sr. | Abington Heights)
A combo guard with great size at 6-4, Lucas is Abington Heights’ go-to scorer, a strong outside shooter with a one-dribble pull-up and the ability to attack close-outs and get to the hoop. Lucas also recently set the Abington Heights program record with nine 3-pointers in one game, scoring 35 points against West Scranton in mid-February.

Mikey Mita (Jr. | Penncrest)
A 6-7 wing forward, Mita is the leader of a Penncrest group that’s learned how to utilize him inside and out. A quality jump shooter who can face up and knock down, Mita’s become a quality post-up scorer as well with a reliable hook shot and great footwork.

Ryan Mulroy (Sr. | Upper Dublin)
The heart and soul of the Cardinals’ outstanding season, Mulroy’s an aggressive, athletic 6-3 wing guard who almost never forces the action. If teams over-defend him, he’ll find open teammates for easy buckets; if left alone, he can drain shots from all over and isn’t afraid to attack the rim and draw contact, and he plays with a ton of energy at both ends.

Ama Sow (Sr. | Montour)
A 6-10 forward from Senegal, Sow’s had quite a journey, the school he originally came over to attend closing down; he ended up finding a host family and going to Montour, becoming the centerpiece of their team. The UT-Martin commit is a skilled, athletic big man who finishes at the rim with ease.

Donte Tsinger (Sr. | Greater Johnstown)
A powerful, athletic yet light-on-his-feet 6-3 combo guard, Tsinger is a Boston University commit and one of the top scorers in the state. He’s got a lethal jump shot which he’ll unleash from anywhere, anytime, even if he’s got a hand in his face; he also can get to the hoop going left or right and knows how to make plays for his teammates on the move. 

Adrien Varella (Sr. | Holy Ghost Prep)
A strong-bodied 6-2 wing guard who can play the ‘1’ through a small-ball ‘4’ for the Firebirds, Varella is one of nine seniors in the Holy Ghost rotation. Varella is confident with the ball in his hands, knowing how to take advantage of mismatches and find spots to make plays, and he’s got a variety of ways to do it.