WPIAL Finals Super Six

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the WPIAL Finals Complete, it's time to take a look at the players who stood out across the classifications in the final. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Who makes our "Super Six"?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Class A: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1188604' first='Dame' last='Givner']</strong>, Imani Christian. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Givner came over from Obama in the City League to provide a scoring punch in the backcourt next to [player_tooltip player_id='1621402' first='RJ' last='SLEDGE'], who came in from Canevin. Givner's ability to hit shots from the mid range and beyond the arc compliment his ability to drive through traffic and finish through contact. He also performed well in the final moving the ball and finding Maluk and Hall for easy finishes. With two years to go, he'll continue to be one of the keys to the Imani team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Class AA: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='991410' first='Cameron' last='Lindsey']</strong>, Aliquippa</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While he's best known for being a hard hitting linebacker on the Aliquippa football team, Lindsey also throws his weight around on the basketball floor. The 6'2"-195lb junior displayed a ferocious nature as the 2A final draw towards its conclusion. He was a dominating force on the glass with 17 rebounds on the day and also dropped 12 of his 19 pts in the second half as the Quips won the title, erasing multiple double digits deficits. When Aliquippa went to him as the primary scoring option, the game changed. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Class AAA: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1284794' first='Bryce' last='Robson']</strong>, Deer Lakes</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Robson has been the top player for Deer Lakes for the past two years and came up with a big performance in the WPIAL finals, scoring 18 points. His layup through traffic with a minute left to play was the decisive bucket in the contest. The senior is a 1,000 point scorer and a talented offensive player who can get to the rim off the bounce and did so with confidence on his most important drive of the season. OLSH was in a zone much of the night but went man, opening up the chance for Robson to make the historic shot that gave Deer Lakes their first title ever.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Class AAAA: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='991401' first='Brandin' last='Cummings']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='991408' first='Meleek' last='Thomas']</strong>, Lincoln Park Charter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The best duo in the WPIAL and one of the top in the Northeast can't be mentioned without each other after the 4A title win over North Catholic. Cummings did the heavy lifting in the first half, hitting for 16 points and finishing with 22. Thomas took over in the second, exploding for a double-double(25pts and 14reb). Cummings is a 6'4" junior committed to Pitt and will bring a hot hand and a scoring ability to Oakland in short order, while Thomas, as we continue to stress, is one of the elite players in the entire country for his class and will be sought after by many programs...He, Cummings and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1173989' first='Royce' last='Parham']</strong> are the "Must Have Trio" for Coach Capel to bring the local buzz back to match the current on floor success of Pitt hoops. This selection technically makes it a "Super Seven" but you can't have Cummings without Thomas or vice versa. They did it together.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Class AAAAA: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='991332' first='Daemar' last='Kelly']</strong>, Penn Hills</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 6'5" Quinnipiac commit came alive in the second half of a 21 point performance as Penn Hills overcame a spirited challenge from Peters Twp. Kelly has the physical tools to make an early impact at the next level. He's active on defense and creates turnovers. He is a tough matchup on offense at the HS level as he can back a defender down or turn and face anywhere from the block out past the three point line. He's the top senior in Pittsburgh and showcased his skills at the Pete. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Class AAAAAA: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='991365' first='Dante' last='DePante']</strong>, Pittsburgh Central Catholic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For two seasons, DePante has shown in spurts the high scoring capability he possesses, but has embraced his role as a facilitator and ballhandler in the halfcourt for Central Catholic...Until the 6A Playoffs began. After missing a few games due to injury, DePante showed a fire that has been brewing for some time. Offensively, he put Central on his back as they drove to the WPIAL title, going over 30 twice and then coming up with a dominant 29 in a top tier performance in the final. He cemented himself as the top available senior in the 2023 Class in the WPIAL over the last two weeks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->