WPIAL Underclassmen Making Noise

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This season has been a great opportunity for young players in the Pittsburgh Metro to make their names known as players to watch for the next 2-3 seasons. Today we take a look at a handful of players who have excelled.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='991408' first='Meleek' last='Thomas']</strong> |6'4" | G| Lincoln Park 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Okay, so, this one is kind of a "gimme" for us...Thomas is one of the elite recruits nationally and ranked #2 in our PA rankings. He's a do it all scorer at multiple levels. He is dominant with the ball in his hands, possesses a lightning quick first step to torch defenders and has a gear that nobody else in Pittsburgh has right now, except perhaps <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1173989' first='Royce' last='Parham']</strong>. He's a US National Team prospect for a reason. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1188607' first='Jayden' last='Davis']</strong> | 5'10" | G | Chartiers Valley 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Davis has continued to build on his impressive freshman season by adding more to his game as a sophomore. He was a scorer in his first year but when we've seen him this year, ballhandling, defensive posture, quickness, strength...all have improved. As such, he's caught the eye of D1 programs around the region. RMU was in the house to watch him play Seton LaSalle earlier this season and they won't be the only program to stop off of I-79 over the next few years. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1188606' first='Alier' last='Maluk']</strong> | 6'10" | F | Imani Christian 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We got our first look at Maluk of the season early on at the North Catholic tip off and were very impressed. His ability to handle the ball has improved and it was already impressive for a big man. He's added some moves in the post to his list and is an imposing figure on defense. As Maluk continues to put on some muscle as he matures, he could become a nationally elite prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1454309' first='Julian' last='Semplice']</strong> | 5'11" | G | Chartiers Valley 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While he's been in and out of the starting 5 as a freshman, what we've seen of Semplice has been impressive. He stepped up in the CV win over Seton on both ends of the floor and is an ice-in-his-veins player for a young age. He can score the ball, hit it from deep but is at his best when he's moving the ball from the perimeter in the offensive set. His greatest asset for the next level will be his leadership, which is apparent already. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1406902' first='Jared' last='Astorino']</strong> | 6'2" | G | Ambridge 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As his older brother <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='991350' first='Damon' last='Astorino']</strong> has worked his way back from an injury over the last year, Jared has been prepping for a breakout freshman year at Ambridge. The Bridgers are playing competitive basketball and Astorino is a reason why. A coach's son, his basketball IQ is beyond his years, as is his poise on the floor. He's a solid shooter from beyond the arc and is starting to develop some confidence to take on older and more physically mature players going to the basket. With a father who was a coach and a brother who has had a stellar HS career, Jared has a head start on many of his classmates. He'll be a name to watch over the next three years. He's had big games so far: 24 vs North Catholic and 25 vs Lincoln Park Charter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->