What to watch for in WPIAL sports for Feb. 13, 2023: Trib HSSN to reveal basketball playoff brackets

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, February 12, 2023 | 9:02 PM

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The week begins with a bang with the WPIAL spotlight shining bright on basketball bracketology.

The district will release the brackets for the upcoming WPIAL boys and girls basketball playoffs.

Whether your favorite school is in a classification with first-round byes or preliminary-round contests prior to the opening round, you can find out the matchups first by logging in to the 2023 WPIAL Basketball Playoff Pairings Show at 3 p.m., only on Trib HSSN.

Host Don Rebel will unveil the brackets in each class, followed by analysis with Trib staff writer Chris Harlan.

While the hoops postseason begins this weekend, there is a change to the format with the WPIAL returning to a play-back system rather than the follow-the-winner system to determine some of the PIAA basketball playoff representatives from District 7.

The top four spots will be determined by the follow-the-winner system in which the champion is first, runner-up is second, the semifinalist that lost to the champion is third and the semifinalist that lost to the runner-up is fourth.

However if a class has five, six, seven or eight WPIAL teams advancing to the PIAA playoffs, those slots will be determined by play-back games involving the four quarterfinals losers.

The numbers of WPIAL teams that will qualify for the state playoffs are:

Boys 6A – 3

Boys and Girls 5A – 7

Boys 4A – 7

Boys and Girls 3A – 7

Boys 2A – 7

Boys and Girls A – 5

Girls 6A – 4

Girls 4A – 6

Girls 2A – 8

The defending WPIAL boys basketball champions are Fox Chapel (6A now in 5A), Laurel Highlands (5A now in 4A), Quaker Valley (4A), Shady Side Academy (3A), Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (2A now in 3A) and Bishop Canevin (A now in 2A).

The girls basketball champions out to repeat gold are Mt. Lebanon (6A), South Fayette (5A), Blackhawk (4A), North Catholic (3A now in 4A), Neshannock (2A now in 3A) and Bishop Canevin (A).

Girls hoops finales

While most WPIAL girls basketball regular seasons have already ended, some will conclude with nonsection games Monday.

Three district playoff teams are scheduled to play teams out of district:

Karns City from District 9 visits Butler (10-11), North Allegheny (16-4) visits District 6 State College and Penn Hills (9-10) is at City League Obama Academy.

Other contests Monday involving two WPIAL playoff-bound girls teams include:

• Montour (7-14) at Mars (15-5) in a battle of 5A playoff teams

• Shady Side Academy (18-2) from 3A visits Class A St. Joseph (17-3)

• Beaver (13-7) from 4A at Pine-Richland (10-11) from 6A

• California (10-11) from 2A travels to Waynesburg Central (18-3) from 3A

• Chartiers Valley (10-9) from 6A visits Plum (12-9) from 5A

• Elizabeth Forward (17-4) from 4A is at Baldwin (9-12) from 6A

• Knoch (14-7) from 4A goes to Laurel (19-2) from 3A

• Monessen (15-4) from A plays at Charleroi (11-9) from 3A

Boys basketball curtain calls

On the final night of the District 7 boys basketball regular season, one of the standout contests pits the top District 7 team from 6A against one of the best Class A teams in the state from District 5.

Berlin-Brothersvalley visits New Castle in a game where the Mountaineers and Red Hurricanes have nearly 40 wins and only three losses.

Other Monday games involving WPIAL playoff-bound boys basketball teams going head-to-head include:

• Baldwin from 6A travels to Peters Township from 5A

• Butler from 6A at Gateway from 5A

• Franklin Regional from 5A visits Norwin from 6A

• Freeport from 4A is at Eden Christian Academy from 2A

• Keystone Oaks from 3A travels to Bethel Park from 5A

• Laurel from 2A takes on Neshannock from 3A

• Mars from 5A goes to Beaver from 4A

• McKeesport visits Fox Chapel in a battle of 5A playoff teams

• Penn Hills from 5A visits West Mifflin from 4A

• Seton LaSalle from 3A travels to South Fayette from 5A

• Steel Valley from 3A visits Carlynton from A

• Washington from 3A takes on Trinity from 5A

Tags: Baldwin, Beaver, Bethel Park, Bishop Canevin, Blackhawk, Butler, California, Carlynton, Charleroi, Chartiers Valley, Eden Christian, Elizabeth Forward, Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Freeport, Gateway, Keystone Oaks, Knoch, Laurel, Laurel Highlands, Mars, McKeesport, Monessen, Montour, Mt. lebanon, Neshannock, North Allegheny, North Catholic, Norwin, Obama Academy, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Penn Hills, Peters Township, Pine-Richland, Plum, Quaker Valley, Seton La Salle, Shady Side Academy, South Fayette, St. Joseph, Steel Valley, Trinity, Washington, Waynesburg, West Mifflin