6A State Qtrs - Arch Wood vs. North Hills: Standout Prospects

[caption id="attachment_1220168" align="alignleft" width="181"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Justin-Moore-2022-2-e1624293127649.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1220168" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Justin-Moore-2022-2-e1624293127649-274x300.jpg" alt="" width="181" height="198" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="991202" first="Justin" last="Moore"] (C/O 2022) from Archbishop Wood. Photo: @PhillyHSLive[/caption] The PIAA 6A State quarterfinal featured two teams from opposite ends of Pennsylvania. Representing eastern Pennsylvania was Philadelphia Catholic League juggernaut Archbishop Wood (19-7). Representing western Pennsylvania was Pittsburgh area power North Hills (26-1) Thanks to a monster performance from elite 2024 shooting guard prospect [player_tooltip player_id="1189096" first="Jalil" last="Bethea"], Wood overcame an early four-point deficit and rolled to a 74-47 win. More importantly for our purposes, these rosters were stocked with college prospects to scout. Below is a review of the college prospects that took the court last night for this PIAA-6A state tournament quarterfinal game.   Archbishop Wood: [player_tooltip player_id="991325" first="Tyson" last="Allen"] – 6’3” / Senior / SJ Titans / Shooting Guard: Allen (6.8 ppg. this season) is high IQ athlete who runs the floor well. His length and athleticism enable him to convert on 2nd chance scoring opportunities, including an amazing follow slam in this game. Allen has three-point range on jumper as well. He scored 10 points in this win. [player_tooltip player_id="1189096" first="Jalil" last="Bethea"] – 6’2” / Sophomore / Philly Revolution / Shooting Guard: Bethea’s reputation as a three-point sniper was further solidified in this game. He came off the bench in this one to score 37 points thanks to 11-of-12 shooting on threes. Bethea dropped 5 triples in the 2nd quarter alone. He holds offers from Temple and Robert Morris. [player_tooltip player_id="1013075" first="Carson" last="Howard"] – 6’8” / Junior / Team Final Black / Power Forward: When Howard transferred to Archbishop Wood many doubted this south Jersey standout could compete in the PCL. Howard proved the doubters wrong during the PCL regular season (9 ppg. & 8 rpg.) and now he is doing it again in the state tourney. He is a mid-range to the rim beast who attacks the offensive glass. Howard is a poised big man who understands how to score or pass with his back to the basket. He ran into foul trouble in this contest, and thus only scored 2 points. Mike Knouse – 6’4” / Senior / SJ Titans / Combo Guard: Knouse is a high percentage 3-point shooter who is difficult to guard because of his non-stop off ball movement. He consistently maneuvers himself into open space on the floor. Knouse recorded 9 points in this game on three made triples. [player_tooltip player_id="1279636" first="Basil" last="Laster"] – 6’4” / Junior / We R1 / Wing: Laster (8 ppg. this season) is a prospect flying under the radar on this Wood squad. He is an athletic slasher who can score in numerous ways and he plays tenacious defense. Laster netted 5 points in Wood’s win. He holds an offer from St. Peter’s. [player_tooltip player_id="991202" first="Justin" last="Moore"] – 6’2” / Senior / K-Low Elite / Point Guard: This super smooth scoring point guard (15.5 ppg. this season) was in distributor mode last night. He recognized that Bethea was torching the nets and got his shooting guard the ball time after time. Moore (5 points last night) is always under control and usually one step ahead of the opposing defenders. He is committed to Drexel. North Hills: [player_tooltip player_id="991262" first="Devin" last="Burgess"] – 6’5” / Senior / Pittsburgh Crunch / Power Forward: Burgess is high level athlete with an efficient jumper that possesses 3-point range. He is a solid team defender and competes on the boards. Burgess posted 12 points (2 threes) in this loss to Wood. He also scored 13 points in NH’s 2nd Round win over Norristown. [player_tooltip player_id="1173989" first="Royce" last="Parham"] – 6’7” / Sophomore / Wildcat Select / Center: Parham is a prospect we will be watching closely this spring. On offense, he is extremely versatile as he can play 3, 4 or 5. With his quick first step and soft shooting touch, he could be an effective wing player at the next level. His tremendous wingspan combined with quick jumping ability make Parham a force on the glass and an intimidating rim protector. After posting a near triple double in the 2nd round (22 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocks), Parham stuffed the stat sheet again last night vs. Wood -- 17 points, 8 boards and 9 blocks. Parham was a WPIAL-Big 56 1st Team All-Section selection and holds offers from Duquesne and Robert Morris. Matt Seidl – 6’2” / Senior / Caveman / Combo Guard: Seidl is a workhorse on the glass, but what really caught our eye is his efficient 3-point shooting. He is nearly automatic when he can step into his shot or raise up off one dribble. Seidl hit 2 threes in this game on his way to 9 points overall. On defense Seidl has a knack for producing steals / deflections / blocks. Seidl also was a WPIAL-Big 56 1st Team All-Section selection [player_tooltip player_id="1403766" first="Alex" last="Smith"] – 6’3” / Senior / Pittsburgh Crunch / Point Guard: Smith, the leader of the North Hills attack, had an ice-cold shooting night and registered only 2 points. If you saw the 27 points he dropped in North Hills’ PIAA 2nd round win, you know that normally Smith is a scoring lead guard who can get buckets at all 3 levels. Despite his shooting woes against Wood, Smith displayed tremendous defensive instincts, a high basketball IQ and a non-stop motor. Smith was another of the North Hills players who was a WPIAL-Big 56 1st Team All-Section selection.