Rematch I'd love to see....

[Coach]

It will take a miracle from the basketball gods....

NBC beats Sewickley
TM beats Kennedy


NBC vs. TM round 3 for a shot at the state semi. Both are probably listed as 10-20 point dogs in their respective games, but it would be pretty cool to see. They play the games for a reason...



Ok...now that I actually typed it I'm thinking where this game would get played if it somehow ended up happening. Everett would be too small for a game like that. I'd have to say Altoona or Hollidaysburg JH.


Dreams come true....right?


GO NBC
GO TM
GO Shade

[Coach]

Ok...semis I'd like to see!

Shade vs. Homer Center
NB vs. Tussey


Shade played H-C in a 5 point game earlier this year taken by H-C.

Those would be semi rematches that I'd love to see!


4 public schools from right in our own backyard.


I'd say the team with the best odds to win is H-C. I'm not sure ECC is really all that great.

2nd best shot- TM. I know I sound crazy, but I think the WPIAL teams are better than Kennedy. They aren't super tall. They have a bigtime scorer that just broke Kennedy's scoring record. TM will play in your face defense and they have outside shooting that if they're hot they could hang. It looks they play a lot of games in the 60s, so they aren't going to run them out of the gym.

3rd best shot- Shade- They get the WPIAL runner-up Serra...a team that has been the state finals. They lost to Clairton once in a tight one and we know TM beat Clairton. In the second game...they DESTROYED Clairton. They average nearly 80 ppg, but I think that might be up Shade's alley a little bit in this matchup. What could be a HUGE problem is the fact that Serra is HUGE. Their roster shows four 6'4" guys and a 6'3" guy. Shade plays a 4 guard type of setup. Are their bigs big and slow or can they run? The way they score...they can either run or they might not start the big fellas.

4th best shot- NBC. Sewickley isn't a super athletic team that dunks and has high fliers from what I read, but they have a 6'6" guard that is being recruited by schools like Pitt and Duke. If he is the main man and they can figure out a way to slow him down, that obviously helps. They have run through the WPIAL and have won 17 straight. They create real matchup problems with their guys listed at 6-7, 6-6, and 6-5 and multiple other guys in the 6-3, 6-2 range. NB is tall for our area, but they like to play an underneath game and it sounds like that is what Sewickley will be able to take away. Sewickley is probably the best team in the west so I'll say NB is the least likely to win, although they are the team I would most like to see win! North Clarion was fairly equal with Johnsonburg so they are the common opponents since they are the most common so to speak, lol. NB won by a point over JBurg and N Clarion got beaten pretty badly by Sewickley. All the quarters were fairly equal in that game with the 2nd quarter being the back breaker since Sewickley went on a 27-5 run in the quarter.

[whozisgonnab]

Now this is what I like to see. Some opins on the game with some thought and research. Nice post coach.

[WPIAL~Titan]

Good post, Coach. I think it's wishful thinking that TM and NBC will both win. I think it would take a miracle the proportions of the US Hockey team in 1980 for all three D5 teams to win. One out of 3 is more realistic, and even that is a stretch.

Sewickley Academy will be BY FAR the best team NBC has faced this year. For NBC to win, the basketball Gods will have to intervene. Nevertheless, the PIAA won't be cancelling the game and giving the automatic win to SA, so NBC should show up, play hard, and see what happens.

Droney is a solid player, and a lot more athletic than he looks. Don't be fooled by thinking SA isn't athletic as a team: THEY ARE. Maybe not athletic in the sense that they are "high flyers", but believe me, they are plenty athletic for a class A team.

I have seen him play several times in off season leagues. He is a 6'7" kid with point guard skills who has offers from Pitt, ND, and Davidson already as a junior. He had an exceptional summer last year in AAU, which generated a lot of interest for him. Droney can play all 5 positions on the floor, but he's a guard. NBC will not be able to match up with him, it will be a matter of how they can slow him down. One thing I noticed when I have seen him play is that he prefers his right and he is a little on the soft side. Banging him around a little and forcing him to his left might help. He can shoot the 3 as well, so you really have to check him and make him put the ball on the floor so help can get there. I would avoid playing junk defenses agaist Droney, because he is skilled enough to exploit it and get the ball to other people. I'd play some type of matchup zone, or hardcore m2m, picking up at 1/2 court with lots of help and an awareness of Droney at all times.

In addition, SA is exceptionally well coached as Win Palmer is one of the best around, a true gentleman and a good basketball mind. I am sure that SA will be prepared for anything NBC throws at them.

WT

[sherlock5042]

that would be pretty sweet

[youknow225]

Boy, id love to see TM play NBC again too. Not very likey though. I deff. would rather see TM play Shade again though. Thatd be one for the ages.

[Crimson09Crazy]

Id be willing to bet in the single A Western SemiFinals it will be Sewickley vs. Kennedy and Serra vs. ECC.

[Coach]

yeah most people would bet that...nothing risky about it.


I will say that I think H-C is the favorite vs. ECC.