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Mike White's high school sports chat: 02.25.20
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Mike White
11:01
Semifinal week and then championships. To me, best week of the high school sports year. Electricity in gyms for semifinals is tremendous. So let's talk.
Golden Tornado
11:01
Mike, what are your picks for the final 3 6A Boys hoops games?
Mike White
11:02
Really great semis are at Robert Morris. Might be a really good crowd there tomorrow. Ethan Morton attracts fans. I'll take Lebo and Butler to have a championship rematch. Then Butler to win it all. Although I think USC-Butler is a tossup game.
Zman
11:05
Mike, haven’t been to a WPIAL playoff doubleheader in quite a while but want to go tonight or tomorrow: can you buy a ticket for both games and remain in gym after first one or do they empty it after first game?
Mike White
11:05
Yes, one ticket is good for both games. As of right now, they are not clearing any gyms out for second game. Although some of these doubleheaders really get crowded. At times, single game would be better.
Lorenzo
11:05
Mike, was glad to see Coach Holzer and the USC team flex their muscles and show that strength of schedule and strength of wins matter all the way to the WPIAL Semifinals. What’s your prediction for the finals?
Mike White
11:07
See above. But wouldn't surprise me if USC won it. Will be interesting to see how USC plays Butler. USC likes to play full court and trap at times. Nothing is set on when they trap. Holzer lets it up to his players when to trap. Will they trap Morton?
ballermode
11:07
What do you think Langston Moses from WT is going to do against OLSH tonight?
Mike White
11:07
I'd say he is going to play. .... And OLSH is going to win.
Ref show
11:07
Why didn't Peters Township try to hold the ball when they were up in regulation and the first OT. Seemed like they were lost in the late game situations?
basketball fan
11:08
mike, what do you think about class 4A boys semi- final and championship, 3 teams who got byes were eliminated in the quarterfinals besides #1 Highlands.  a little surprising since QV,Knoch, and Uniontown were top teams in that class all year and section champs
Mike White
11:11
Well basketball fan, I beg to differ. The only one that I would consider really surprising is Quaker Valley losing to Belle Vernon. But remember, QV starts three sophomores. They're young. Let's look at others. Uniontown's playoff woes strike again. Their section isn't strong and they just can't get past quarterfinals or semis. Blackhawk had defeated a number of good teams this year. Due to past, you really had to wonder how good Uniontown was again. As for Knoch, they tied Highlands for section title. But many wondered how good Knoch really was? Not a great non-section schedule. And look who beat Knoch: New Castle. Enough said.
hoop junkie
11:11
6A Semi-finals.   RMU seats 4000.  What are the chances it sells out?  Its a double header of the biggest classification, Butler draws big everywhere and hoop fans of all types will come.  Is that an overstatement to say it might sell out?  (Tickets on line....$7 plus fees= $11 per head)
Mike White
11:13
Sorry, I have no idea if it will sell out. I don't work for ticket analytics. I have no idea how many tickets will sell. If you want to go and are worried about a sellout, drive to one of the participating schools and buy a ticket ahead of time.
Got it right...
11:13
I'd like to compliment the WPIAL on the seeding process for 6A.  I was very skeptic of a few seeds- or at least one, but they were designed to get the 4 best teams in the Final Four and I truly believe that's what we have.  PCC has great victories and definitely, deserves to be in the semi's...  PCC is by far the best defensive team in 6A! We'll see if that trend continues...
Mike White
11:18
Central had some impressive wins in regular season. Not all that surprising they are in semis. But have to disagree in your assessment that 6A seedings were good. Many questioned how Fox Chapel could get No. 2 seed and USC No. 4 when USC beat Fox Chapel by 15 on final Friday night of regular season. Yes, Fox Chapel had only one loss, but the section was not strong and Foxes non-section schedule wasn't strong. USC had more impressive wins. I'm not bucking the WPIAL. Everyone gets it wrong sometimes. I think they got it wrong this time. Fox Chapel's section was 0-4 in playoffs and Fox Chapel scored only 30 some points in its game. I saw all four of top seeds play. I didn't think Fox Chapel was No. 2 seed. They were good but with what happened against USC I would not have given them No. 2 seed. WPIAL gets unfairly criticized many times but as USC coach Danny Holzer said, "The results speak for themselves."
Farmer Rick
11:18
Mike when did WPIAL start the playoff tournament system? I can remember when I was in high school it didn’t exist and if it in 1968 two teams from my section Laurel Highlands and Uniontown would’ve probably been in the final. Laurel Highlands recent success brought back memories of that year. LH went all the way and won the state title, but a team from Uniontown tied them for a section title and a playoff game went to LH. Too bad their wasn’t a tournament then both teams would’ve been seated very high.
Mike White
11:22
Farmer Rick, these definitely aren't the playoffs of the olden days. Yes, you used to have to win your section to even make the playoffs. If there was a tie for a section, there would be a one-game playoff to see who advanced. Heck, I remember in 1975 going to Civic Arena to watch B.B. Flenory and Valley play North Hills in a one-game playoff. This was just to decide the section champ. Imagine nowadays a section playoff at say PPG Paints? The late 1970s, early 1980s started taking more than section champ. But even by mid 1980s they were taking four teams from a section. So it's been a while.
Rich
11:23
Watching Rodney Gallagher of LH a few times he is certainly one of the most talented Freshmen to ever play in the WPIAL.  I was wondering what your thoughts are on the freshmen and where you think he ranks all time as far as WPIAL freshmen?
Mike White
11:25
Well he was certainly one of the leading scorers as freshmen. Tom Pipkins, all time leading scorer, averaged in low 20s as a freshman. Of course, Aquinas Academy's VInnie Cugini averaged in 30s this year and he's a freshman. Rodney is definitely one of the best freshmen in a while. But remember. Sometimes a freshman might be really good, but  might be behind a senior. Or hasn't physically matured yet. But yes, Gallagher has to be one of the best freshmen in WPIAL in at least few decades. His future? Honestly it depends on how much he grows.
Stevie wonder
11:25
you think Josh Russell will play against butler?
Mike White
11:25
You're talking about Upper St. Clair's Russell. I think he will get a few minutes. Coming back from injury.
mike
11:25
i want a fab five prediction mr mike
Mike White
11:25
What you want and what you get are two different things.
mike
11:26
lebo vs central is going to be hard to watch they should use a shot clock
Mike White
11:28
Ha ha. But Lebo doesn't play that way. They will play fast paced. Lebo likes to press all over and they don't hold the ball. One of the keys to the game I think will be how well Central does against Lebo pressure and can Lebo speed up Central? Back in December, Central won 61-56. I hardly say that was a low-scoring game. I think this game might be higher scoring than you think.
Jonathan M.
11:28
Hey Mike, How tough of a match up will Belle Vernon be getting from New Castle? It seems like the Canes just out-tough everyone in the playoffs the last few years
Mike White
11:30
Obviously Belle Vernon has some talent. I have not seen them yet but Whitlock kid (20 ppg) is really good for a sophomore. New Castle has good young players, too. Let's not kid yourselves. Sure, Ralph Blundo does an amazing job, especially in postseason. But it's not like he hasn't had talent. On other hand, New Castle does always have tough kids and that helps come playoff time. But it helps when they're athletic also.
6A fan
11:30
It's exciting that the 6A semis will be at RMU.  From what you saw of the quarterfinals, any insight as to who will play at the Pete?
Mike White
11:30
See above. I'm taking Butler and Lebo. I'd say the USC game is a tossup. I'd probably make Lebo a 3-point fave.
Lorenzo
11:31
Mike, I like the USC Panthers to win it all. Coach Holzer has cerebral meticulous approach to detail for every opponent the Panthers face.
Mike White
11:33
Danny Holzer "cerebral meticulous?" Wow. I bet he doesn't even know what that means. But he has done a great job - and now Frankie Avalon gets to sit on bench at Robert Morris. Many people don't know or forget, he was an assistant at one time at Duquesne University under John Carroll. And who can forget that Holzer didn't just fold a college basketball program. He folded a college. He and Ron Richards were at Alliance College in Ohio. Not only did basketball program fold, the college closed.
FC
11:33
Central Catholic is a good team, but Fox Chapel had a great season. Did the upset surprise you?
Mike White
11:36
I've made the comment that I really don't consider it much of an upset. Maybe a tiny one. Some people do because of the seeds. But as I've said, Fox Chapel was good, but not overwhelming. Had tremendous season. But remember, Central beat Mt. Lebanon, Pine-Richland, Penn Hills in regular season. Should it be that surprising that Central beat Fox Chapel, when you consider everything? I think not. I had made the comment on our P-G This Week In High School Sports show that I didn't think Central had enough offense to beat Fox Chapel. Central didn't have great offense, but it was Fox Chapel that didn't have enough offense.
Ref show
11:36
if you think Butler and Lebo meet in the championship game do you think the game earlier in the year that Butler won means anything?
Mike White
11:36
Nope.
Ron
11:36
How big a favorite is Highlands in 4A? Does NC or Belle vernon have the talent to matchup
Mike White
11:38
I'd say Highlands is the definite favorite. They are experienced and talented. But if they play New Castle, remember the New Castle pedigree. If Ralph Blundo wins it this year, they really should build a statue of him. But I think Highlands is the favorite.
Off White
11:38
I saw the video from the PT v Butler game.  It looked like Morton landed (and traveled) on the shot he made to send it into overtime.  Thoughts?
Mike White
11:40
I posted the video. I was courtside. Sure, it's easy when you run it back to say it looks like he might have landed before he shot. But that's an awfully tough play to call in real time. If he did land, it was by a hair. I saw it in real time. I couldn't tell. And would you make that call in that situation if you were not quite sure? No way.
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