PIAA 6A Championship Game: 5 Takeaways

Saturday night out in Hershey, the PIAA 6A state tournament championship game provided yet another entertaining and highly competitive evening of basketball action.

In this intense contest filled with highly rated prospects, Reading (Berks Conf & District 3 champions) defeated Roman Catholic (PCL & District 12 champions), 63-56 in overtime.

With that basic information out of the way, below are five takeaways from last night’s PIAA 6A state championship game.

1. Aris Rodriguez Aris Rodriguez 6'6" | SG Reading | 2023 State PA is a DI Player

Last night against an elite opponent and in a pressure packed environment. Rodriguez delivered in a big way for Reading — 16 points on strength of 3 triples. Rodriguez is a 6’6” athletic shooting guard / wing with excellent foot speed, solid instincts and a healthy vertical. Those assets make him a transition scoring machine. Plus, he can splash 3-balls all day (52 3PM this season). Rodriguez averaged 13.4 points per night in this state tournament (5 games). On defense the combination of his enormous wingspan and non-stop motor produces steals / deflections / blocks. Rodriguez was a 1st Team All-Berks selection and the No. 2 option on this year’s Reading squad which captured the Berks Conference, District 3-6A and PIAA 6A state titles. College coaches need to text this skilled winner right now.

2. Shareef Jackson Shareef Jackson 6'7" | PF Roman Catholic | 2025 State PA has Tremendous Upside

Jackson is an intriguing 2025 power forward prospect who can operate out of the high post, play bully ball on the blocks and score via the offensive glass. He is also an underrated distributor. As he refines his low post skills and adds a mid-range jumper, Jackson will become unstoppable. On defense Jackson is an intimidating shot blocker and a workhorse rebounder. Saturday night Jackson posted another double-double (17 points and 10 rebounds) and made it look easy against a swarming Reading defense. Unfortunately, Jackson’s impressive night was not enough as Roman fell to Reading in OT.

3. College Coaches Should be Calling Myles Grey Myles Grey 5'10" | CG Reading | 2024 PA

Flying under the radar on this Reading squad is Myles Grey Myles Grey 5'10" | CG Reading | 2024 PA , He is a high basketball IQ combo guard who distributes, shoots threes, and plays tenacious on-ball defense. Last night in the 6A ‘chip game Grey was Reading’s second leading scorer with 14 points (2 threes). During Reading’s five game run to the 6A state title Grey averaged 16 ppg. game along with 2 made threes per night. His 30-point (8 threes) effort against Haverford in the 1^st Round of states was incredible. Grey would be a valuable addition to any college program.

4. William Felder, Jr. is a 2025 to Watch

Felder’s posted 7 points last night on the big stage in Hershey which is a respectable stat line for a sophomore who is the 4^th option on a deep Roman Catholic squad. The 6’2” Felder is an athletic and versatile prospect who burn at the 1 through 3 spots. On the offensive end he can finish in traffic and owns 3-point range on his jumper. Felder’s quick hands and excellent later movement enable him to be a plus defender as well. Across Roman’s five game state tournament run, Felder averaged 6 points and 3 boards per game.

5. Nick Chapman Nick Chapman 5'10" | CG Reading | 2024 State PA has a Bright Future

Chapman is a 2024 who next season is set for a monster senior year. He is lightening quick, owns elusive handles and can score at all three levels. His physical assets and basketball skill set fit perfectly into Reading’s frantic, up-tempo, turn defense into offense style of play. Saturday night he scored 9 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and supplied suffocating defense. However, in 2023-24 Chapman will be a featured player on a talented Reading team, so we are predicting a breakout season for him lies ahead. Be sure to watch for Chapman on the upcoming spring grassroots circuit.