Pennsylvania All-State Basketball Teams

[Tapp]

I agree that Burke won it by default. Upset by mccort so they didn't play in lh game. Upset by ligonier in d6. Going to 6 classifications spread out the talent. Coach Arrigale wasn't going to win it again but should have. I've seen NG a few times over the-years and this was their least talented team and he beat a very talented Richland team. I had Richland beating that NG team. 

[CharlieConway]

I agree that Burke won it by default. Upset by mccort so they didn't play in lh game. Upset by ligonier in d6. Going to 6 classifications spread out the talent. Coach Arrigale wasn't going to win it again but should have. I've seen NG a few times over the-years and this was their least talented team and he beat a very talented Richland team. I had Richland beating that NG team. 

I'd love to have team with a pair of 3 star recruits, Christian Ings (a junior receiving D1 offers, Mid-Major), and 3 players over 6'5".  I would not consider that "lacking talent."  If you had Richland, with not a single D1 player, beating NG, please don't open up a sports betting site.  I'd have your house, car, and dog all within a week.
Burke took a team from central Pennsylvania and cracked the code throughout the state playoffs.  In terms of upsets vs McCort & LV, the Redskins beat the Eagles on 12/16/17.  By accounts an upset.  So we should snatch the Lombardi away because they got upset?  Its hard to stay "perfect" when you are getting everyone's best on every night.  Someone is going to knock you off playing 22+ games.  Get hot when it matters, when its win or go home.  Richland got hot when the lights were bright, when facing elimination.  Tip the cap, like him or not.  They made the run.

[Crimson's Ghost]

Yeah, a down year for Neumann-Goretti still has 2-3 D1 players and a very good D2 player.   They didn't have the Kentucky and Villanova recruits like they did for two years ago, but they were still pretty darn good. 

[knowitall]

Yep.  Tapp and maybe two Richland moms thought they had a chance to beat NG.

[Crimson's Ghost]

You typically need at least one D1 player to win a state championship, and sometimes that's not enough.

[CharlieConway]

Looking at the bracket again, had Richland won the district they would have had to play Lancaster Mennonite in the first round.  LV fell to them.  Then the road would have included Westinghouse and James Ellis, who just signed with Duquesne the other day, D1.  Arguably beating Alliquippa was big, but IMO the road may have been tougher being 6-1 seed.  Granted Richland woulda have to had beat LM at some point in the tournament, I think the7-4 seed was a little more known at the time of the Elite 8, than they were in the 1st round.
With 6 classifications, I feel you are seeing some better basketball as the herds are closer together.  Richland, Everett, Chestnut Ridge, Bellwood, Central Cambria, & Ligioner Valley would have been a great tournament at AAA.  Throw in Mount Union, West Shamokin, Penn Cambria, & Penns Valley for a 10 team tournament and take 3/4 to state playoffs.  I bet Everett & Chestnut Ridge would have taken that deal rather than playing Ellis and Westinghouse in Pittsburgh.  I don't understand District 5 and that move, but then again football drives the bus and District 5 has been dominating the football matchups and taking down crowns left and right.


Just a guy that wants to see great basketball from publics with similar enrollment.  Oh some day, in a perfect world....