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Mike White's high school sports chat: 02.11.20
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Mike White
11:30
Luke, just addressed that one question earlier.
Evan Schneider
11:30
Mike, if you had to choose a Boys and Girls regular season WPIAL basketball MVP, who would you choose?
Mike White
11:31
Boys is easy - Ethan Morton. Girls is not so easy. I can't pick yet.
B-Baller
11:31
I saw Vento from Fox Chapel wasn't in the box score from last nights game. Was he benched for his selfish steal and missed dunk at the end of the USC game? What would your message be to a player if he did that on your team?
Mike White
11:31
"Don't do that."
Julie Doherty
11:31
Baseball and softball season are upon us, which WPIAL teams are you most forward to watching this season?
Mike White
11:32
West Allegheny baseball. Austin Hendrick is being projected as a sure first-round pick. And it's funny. Coaches didn't even vote him first- or second-team all-section last year.
Caroline Sullivan
11:32
Levi Wentz committed to Old Dominion, how awesome is that?
Mike White
11:32
I guess he Wentz and committed. .... Wooooo hooooo.
11:33
Seriously, I really like Wentz. Underrated as an athlete and it shows mostly on the basketball court. Saw him jump, do a spread eagle and leap over an opponent's head this season.
Steve Wilke
11:33
Can you give us a clue on who led the WPIAL in points per game in Boys and Girls basketball during the regular season?
Mike White
11:34
Vinnie Cugini of Aquinas led the boys at 35 ppg. Pretty sure Sydney Cook of New Brighton led the girls. She was at 24 ppg last time I looked.
Justin Presutti
11:35
Shaler has lost some section games down the stretch. How much does this affect them heading into the postseason?
Mike White
11:36
They lost four of last five including three consecutive section losses. Any coach would like his team riding some momentum into playoffs. Will be interesting to see where WPIAL seeds Shaler because of those losses. I don't think Class 5A is as good as it has been in terms of depth of quality teams.
Daniel Dominick
11:37
Which WPIAL Boys and Girls basketball team is under the radar going into the postseason?
Mike White
11:38
I just checked weather.com. There was not one WPIAL team "under" the radar and none were on the hour-by-hour forecast. But if you want one, maybe Sto-Rox. I think Knoch might surprise some people, too, although both of those teams will be seeded high.
B-Baller
11:38
If you go to a private/Catholic High School and they do not offer a particular sport, are you permitted to play at the public school in the district in which you reside?
Mike White
11:40
Nope. Not unless that Catholic/private school has a cooperative sponsorship with a school. It's your choice. Charter school is different, though. That's because charters are public schools. If you go to a charter school that doesn't have a sport, you can play for your public school team.
Mwite
11:40
any upset predictions for 6A girls basketball playoffs based on your bracket predictions?
Mike White
11:43
I didn't make any girls bracket predictions. But I see the top five seeds as, in no order, North Allegheny, Norwin, Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair -- and I don't see anyone else making it to the semifinals except four of those five.
guest
11:43
Are you surprised more teams don't just rest their starters in late-season non-section games? Maybe less chance of hurting your seeding by losing on the Monday night before pairings. Or if Fox Chapel had rested guys against USC ...
Mike White
11:45
Well, I think some guys do rest some people in these Monday games. Plus, you have to remember something. There are teams that will go more than a week without playing after Monday night. Teams that get a bye and did not play Monday will go two weeks without a game. So teams want to maybe try and keep some players sharp. Many of them that have first-round byes will play 3 scrimmages in the next week and a half.
Kelly Pecora
11:45
When do the WPIAL basketball playoffs begin?
Mike White
11:45
Friday
Caroline Kucko
11:45
Does Fox Chapel's loss to Upper St. Clair on Friday help the Panthers have a better shot in having a higher seed in the postseason?
Mike White
11:46
Most definitely. Upper St. Clair is definitely one of the top three teams in 6A and good enough to win it all. They have to be in top three. But it's still kind of hard to put them ahead of Mt. Lebanon because Mt. Lebanon beat out USC for section title. I'd go Butler 1, Mt. Lebanon 2, USC 3 and Fox Chapel 4.
Brian Wulf
11:46
Which individual scored the most points in a WPIAL basketball game during the regular season, this year?
Mike White
11:46
Not sure.
Guest
11:46
Who do like as a favorite to win the 5a boys WPIAL championship
Mike White
11:46
Penn Hills, although I could see Mars winning it again.
Matt Ussia
11:47
I forget Mike, but what year did the WPIAL basketball championships start being played at the Petersen Events Center?
Mike White
11:48
They played some title games at The Pete in 2006. Friday was at Palumbo and Saturday at The Pete. But 2015 is when they started playing all of them at The Pete.
Kaleigh Flavin
11:50
Out of all the WPIAL Boys and Girls current head coaches, do you happen to know which one has the most wins?
Mike White
11:52
On the boys side, Belle Vernon's Smokin' Joe Salvino has 662, but more than 600 of those came at Monessen. Sewickley Academy's Win Palmer has 658. For the girls, Serra's Bill Cleary (very unheralded but ultra successful), has 640.
Off White
11:52
Are there any anticipated basketball coaching openings that you know of?  Through the grape vine people always talk about coaches coming out of retirement to coach again (Miller).  Through your travels this season have you seen or thought of any assistants who are ready to take the leap to the head coaching ranks?
Mike White
11:54
I have seen and talked to John Miller a few different times this year. He was - get this - coaching North Allegheny's 9th grade boys team this year. He did it for only one year. Know this: I asked him one day if he was coming back to high school coaching, he said, "I'm 78 years old, do you think I'm going to come back and take over a program? C'mon." Does that answer your question. As to what jobs might open, I don't think it's right or fair to speculate on "high school coaches" that might be let go. Leave that to college and pros. Not high school.
Thomas Kinnahan
11:54
When will the WPIAL basketball brackets come out? Like, what time tonight?
Mike White
11:54
Usually about 7:30.
Carson Rodriguez
11:54
Which WPIAL baseball and softball players are you the most excited to see this season?
Mike White
11:56
Again, like I said earlier, West Allegheny's Austin Hendrick is projected as possibly a top 10 pick in MLB draft. So maybe I'll have to check him out. Although don't judge too much what he does hitting in the WPIAL. He doesn't see many good pitches to hit.
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