Western PA Saturday Playoff Performers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We took in the Pittsburgh Central Catholic victory over Wilson(West Lawn) on Saturday but a host of other WPIAL teams were in action--Who stood out to us at the weekend?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1483892' first='Tommy' last='Kristian'] | G | Pittsburgh Central Catholic </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>TK has become one of our favorites to watch. He's a scrappy throwback player who does all the little things that will make him an asset at the next level. He hits the floor, takes charges, can run the offense and proved so when [player_tooltip player_id='991365' first='Dante' last='DePante'] was injured and also can hit shots from beyond the arc. He's a sparkplug for the Vikings and he's embraced his role and done so at a high level. He's a silent driving force of the PCC season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1186402' first='Randy' last='Wilkerson'] | G | Pittsburgh Central Catholic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Normally a lethal shooter on the perimeter who can also hit a step back, Wilkerson was off on Saturday--but didn't force shots. He played within the offense, got the bigs looks in the post and teamed up with Kristian to be a pain for the Wilson guards on top of the press. He's going to Saint Vincent next year and should be able to be a contributor early. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1186057' first='Shea' last='Champine'] | G | Bishop Canevin</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the top seniors in the WPIAL, Champine is making the most of his first and only season as "The Man" for the Crusaders. He's a strong bodied guard with a nice release on his shot. He's got a lightning quick first step to the rim and blows by defenders. He's got athletic ability and toughness to finish around the rim. Dropped 33 in Canevin's win over Clarion-Limestone. He's got D2 interest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1395834' first='Makhai' last='Valentine'] | G | Steel Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A lights out scorer from anywhere on the floor, Valentine went over 40 as the Ironmen beat Bedford. In the process, he became the all time leading scorer at Steel Valley with 1,751 points. A lightning quick release on his shot, Valentine can elevate above defenders or drive off the bounce and finish. He also played football and his body shows the result of the work he put in during weightlifting sessions. An explosive athlete who is among the top available players in the Class of 2023 in Western PA. He and [player_tooltip player_id='1116023' first='Connor' last='Spratt'] went shot for shot in a series of brilliant battles between SV and Seton LaSalle this year that will be talked about in WPIAL lore for years to come. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1186068' first='Bryson' last='Kirschner'] | F | Our Lady of Sacred Heart</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kirschner has helped OLSH maintain its high standard of play and advance in the first round of the state tournament by scoring 16 points as they survived a spirited challenge from Westmont Hilltop in OT. He's a tough and physical forward with good footwork in the post who is a tough rebounder. He's a player who could grow in to a contributor at PAC or AMCC schools and is one of the more underrated recruits in the frontcourt class of 2023. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->