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Top seeds: Peters Township first, Latrobe second, Mt. Lebanon third, Seneca Valley fourth.
The winner will be: Mt. Lebanon. The Blue Devils have a talented guard in 6-2 junior Evan Pierce, and some size with 6-5 Paul Lang and 6-8 Deion Turman. Plus, they are peaking at the right time, winning seven in a row and allowing only 44.2 points a game in those seven games. Mt. Lebanon split two games with No. 1 seed Peters Township.
Sleeper: Several teams could fit into this category, but Latrobe has an experienced team and a go-to player in Jeff Yunetz (21.6 ppg). The Wildcats also average 70 points a game.
Top seeds: Chartiers Valley first, New Castle second, Hampton third, Laurel Highlands fourth.
The winner will be: Chartiers Valley. The Colts are a prohibitive favorite and are trying to become the first team to win a WPIAL title with an undefeated record since Blackhawk in 2000. Chartiers Valley averages 86.4 points a game and defeats opponents by an average of 26.5 points. Only one team (Moon) has come within 10 points of the Colts. Opponents must hope Chartiers Valley has an off night shooting. The Colts average 12.3 3-pointers a game.
Sleeper: Highlands. This team likes a fast-paced game and the Rams aren't far behind Char Valley in the 3-point category. Highlands averages 10.9 points a game. But is Highlands' defense good enough to make a run to the title game?
The skinny: Greensburg Salem is a team to watch. The Lions own victories against Jeannette, Highlands, Thomas Jefferson and Laurel Highlands, and senior point guard Chris Klimchock can control a game. ... New Castle is on a roll, winning 11 in a row, and could contend. Senior guard Tyrone Steals (17.0 ppg) is underrated. ... Hampton is the biggest team in the field, with the Talbots fielding 6-6, 6-7 and 6-8 players among their top seven. Also, Matt Madia averages 19.5. ... Blackhawk is the defending champion and still could be a factor.
Top seeds: Jeannette first, Beaver Falls second, North Catholic third, South Fayette fourth.
The winner will be: Beaver Falls. The Tigers might not be as good as everyone thought at the beginning of the season, but they still have enough talent to take home the gold trophy. And they are finally healthy. Senior guard Todd Thomas averages 18.3 points, but his supporting cast will be the biggest key.
Sleeper: South Fayette. The Lions are roaring, winning 16 in a row. They have size, quickness and good guard play, which is vital in the postseason.
The skinny: Jeannette doesn't have Terrelle Pryor any longer, but the Jayhawks still have enough to win a second consecutive title. Senior guard Jordan Hall averages 22.7 points. One of the Jayhawks' losses this year was to Butler, when Hall quit the team for a short period of time. ... North Catholic also could make a championship run. A loss Monday to Clairton is a head-scratcher. But besides that, North Catholic's only other loss was at South Fayette, 53-51. North Catholic also owns a win against Seneca Valley, a Class AAAA Section 3 champion. ... Washington is a team to watch. The Little Prexies are 20-2 and might be motivated a little extra to give retiring coach Ron Faust one last playoff run. ... Quaker Valley could be a factor. The Quakers are 15-5 and took Beaver Falls to double overtime earlier this season.
Top seeds: Sewickley Academy first, Serra second, Neshannock third, Clairton fourth.
The winner will be: Serra. The Eagles' only losses are to Greensburg Central Catholic and Clairton, and they beat No. 1 seed Sewickley Academy, 68-62. Serra averages 79.8 points and will try to speed past opponents. Senior guard T.J. Heatherington (23.5) will play a big role.
Sleeper: Clairton. This team is hard to figure out. The Bears beat Serra in mid-January but lost at home to Serra, 80-36. Then Clairton came back Monday and beat North Catholic, 52-49. North Catholic is the No. 3 Class AA seed.
The skinny: Sewickley Academy's Tom Droney (22.3 ppg) is one of the top guards in the WPIAL, but the key to the Panthers will be how well Droney's teammates play. ... Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Lincoln Park, Neshannock and Union also are ones to watch. ... OLSH has a potent one-two punch in Jim Orie (24.9 ppg) and Anthony Scappe (19.9).
