Teddy Bailey
Latest posts by Teddy Bailey (see all)
- Lower Merion, Chester Advance to State Final (Storify) - March 19, 2013
- Chester 55, Great Valley 42: Jefferson, Clippers Advance to State Semifinals - March 16, 2013
- Coatesville 52: J.P. McCaskey 51: Boggs, Red Raiders Upset Tornado - March 9, 2013
All 16 teams that won on Friday night have a chance to make the PIAA Class AAAA State Tournament, with some schools having better chances than others. Here’s a quick preview looking at the eight games that will be played on Tuesday night:
#1 Chester vs. #16 Strath Haven
Rondae Jefferson and Chester should take care of Strath Haven. (Teddy Bailey/ Philahoops High)
Scouting Report: It isn’t smart to pick against Chester, especially when they are playing a District 1 Playoff game at home. The Clippers have won 70 straight in-state games and two PIAA State Championships in a row. They are coming off an expected blowout win over #32 West Chester Rustin 86-57 on Friday night. Arizona commit and McDonald’s All-American Rondae Jefferson scored 22 points and 10 rebounds in the win. The Panthers have a little bit of momentum, however. Strath Haven is coming off a thrilling 47-45 overtime victory over #17 West Chester Henderson in the first round. Haven will be a tough team to play in the “consolation” bracket to decide who goes to the State Tournament, but Chester should roll on Tuesday.
The Pick: Chester
#9 Upper Darby vs. #25 Harriton
Scouting Report: Two Central League foes will meet again in the second round as Harriton will try to avenge a Jan. 17 44-40 loss to the Royals. Kuity Slanger and Upper Darby barely escaped a pesky #24 North Penn team in the first round, as Slanger drained a three pointer at the buzzer to give his team the win. The Rams are the Cinderella team in this tournament already, as Matt Sherman and Co. knocked off a very versatile and talented #8 Council Rock North squad 53-51 on Friday. Jake Rosenberg (four threes) and Brandon Winston combined for 28 points in that win. It has all the makings to be a thriller.
The Pick: Harriton
#4 Norristown vs. #13 Ridley
Scouting Report: Ridley survived in double overtime against a dangerous #20 Cheltenham team. Zain Shaw led the Green Raiders with a team-high 16 points. Norristown enters Tuesday’s game with a 2o-3 record and 9-1 record at home, with its only blemish being a loss to #3 Abington early in the season. The Eagles are coming off a 63-51 victory and their third win of the season over #29 Plymouth Whitemarsh. This is the first meeting between the two schools, but Norristown beat Cheltenham by 17 and 21 earlier in the season, while Ridley barely sneaked past the Panthers.
The Pick: Norristown
#5 Abington vs. #12 Penn Wood
Scouting Report: Abington may be on an eight-game winning streak and hold a 10-0 record at home, but Penn Wood boasts one of the area’s most prolific scorers in Tyree Bynum, who averages 20.2 points per game. Bynum is joined by Secean Johnson (15.4 ppg) to form a dynamic duo that has been making life tough for teams in the Del-Val this season. The Patriots defeated a #21 Perkiomen Valley squad that beat Souderton earlier in the season and got past Methacton to win the PAC-10 tournament championship. The Galloping Ghosts had an easier time on Friday, routing #28 Oxford 84-53.
The Pick: Abington
#2 Lower Merion vs. #15 Penncrest
B.J. Johnson and LM will face Penncrest on Tuesday. (Teddy Bailey/ Philahoops High)
Scouting Report: Penncrest calls Bryant Gymnasium the “Evil Empire,” and rightfully so. The Lions were blown out of Lower Merion 70-42 earlier in the season in a game that was highly anticipated and expected to be a classic. The Aces struggled a little bit against #31 Conestoga in the first round before decisively beating the Pioneers 59-42, while Penncrest sneaked past #18 Spring-Ford 49-47 behind Eddie Baxter’s 19 points. Both student sections, ironically both named the Dawg Pound, will be out in full force on Tuesday night. Will Penncrest be able to figure out B.J. Johnson and the Aces and make it a game? Only time will tell.
The Pick: Lower Merion
#7 Hatboro-Horsham vs. #10 Coatesville
Scouting Report: This will be one of the closest games of the second round, as the #7 Hatters host the #10 Red Raiders. Hatboro-Horsham is currently riding a four-game winning streak and got past #26 Downingtown East 61-51 in the first round. Although the Hatters may be the higher seed, Coatesville may actually be the favorite. The Red Raiders are on a 13 game winning streak that goes back all the way to January 12th. They handled #23 Kennett 58-47 in the first round but will need to stop Horsham’s Mike Brown, who is 15th in the area in terms of scoring, as the senior averages 19.7 points per game. This is a must-watch game between two exceptional that will cause havoc in the rest of the District 1 Class AAAA Tournament.
The Pick: Coatesville
#3 Great Valley vs. #14 Central Bucks South
Scouting Report: Great Valley suffered its first loss of the season against Coatesville in the Ches-Mont Championship game 51-46 on Tuesday night at Unionville. The Patriots rebounded on Friday, however, as they beat #30 Truman 51-40 behind Mikal Bridges (17 points) and Brad Sherry (16 points). Speaking of Bridges, the junior averages 20.6 points per game, ninth in the area. That will be priority number one for Central Bucks South, who got past #19 Wissahickon 63-55 in round one and enter with a 14-8 record and #14 seed.
The Pick: Great Valley
#6 Methacton vs. #11 Souderton
Methacton senior Brandon Casper will take on Souderton in the second round (Teddy Bailey/Philahoops High)
Scouting Report: This second round matchup features two of the better scorers in the are with Methacton’s Brendan Casper (20.6 ppg) and Souderton’s John Kansas (16.1 ppg). The Warriors come in with a 21-4 record after a 67-49 win over #27 Bensalem in the first round. The Indians defeated Methacton 51-43 in their third game of the season and are on a four game winning streak after beating #22 Pennsbury 59-43 on Friday night.
The Pick: Souderton
