The best (and worst) of the 192-team PIAA boys basketball tournament field
The PIAA boys basketball tournament tips Friday night with 192 teams in the field — 32 in each of six classifications.
Just two are unbeaten: District 1 Class 5A champ Radnor and District 3 Class 1A champ Linville Hill Christian.
Each of last year’s six champions are back, though some are in different classifications. Back to defend their titles are Roman Catholic in 6A, Imhotep Charter in 5A, Neumann-Goretti in 4A and Devon Prep in 3A. Last year’s Class 2A champ, Our Lady of Sacret Heart, is now playing in 3A. Class 1A champ Bishop Canevin is in 2A.
Five of the six state runners-up return: Only Quaker Valley, in 4A, did not qualify. New Castle, the 5A runner-up, is the District 7 champ in 6A. Aliquippa, last year’s 3A runner-up, is playing in 2A. St. John Neumann, the 1A runner-up, is playing in 2A. The other returning second-place finishers: Archbishop Wood in 6A and Constitution in 2A.
The state tournament field includes seven teams from Berks, the most ever: Reading High, Wilson, Exeter, Muhlenberg, Berks Catholic, Fleetwood and Antietam.
The tournament opens Friday with games in Class 5A, 4A and 1A. Play opens in Class 6A, 3A and 2A Saturday.
The championships are March 23, 24 and 25.
Here are the teams entering the tournament with the most wins, best winning percentage — and lowest winning percentages.
| Most wins | Class | Wins |
| Radnor | 6A | 27 |
| Reading High | 6A | 27 |
| Spring-Ford | 6A | 27 |
| Imhotep Charter | 5A | 25 |
| Murrell Dobbins | 5A | 25 |
| Lincoln Park | 4A | 25 |
| Holy Redeemer | 3A | 25 |
| United | 2A | 25 |
| Clarion Limestone | 2A | 25 |
| Portage | 1A | 25 |
| Elk County Christian | 1A | 25 |
| Winning percentage | Class | Record | Pct. |
| Radnor | 6A | 27-0 | 1.000 |
| Linville Hill Christian | 1A | 22-0 | 1.000 |
| Reading High | 6A | 27-1 | .964 |
| Lincoln Park | 4A | 25-1 | .961 |
| Murrell Dobbins | 5A | 25-2 | .926 |
| Holy Redeemer | 3A | 25-2 | .926 |
| United | 2A | 25-2 | .926 |
| Clarion Limestone | 2A | 25-2 | .926 |
| Portage | 1A | 25-2 | .926 |
| Elk County Christian | 1A | 25-2 | .926 |
| Worst records | Class | Record |
| Bishop Shanahan | 4A | 9-15 |
| String Theory | 3A | 9-13 |
| Bedford | 3A | 10-14 |
| DuBois | 3A | 11-13 |
| Clairton | 2A | 12-14 |
| Audenreid | 4A | 9-10 |
| Devon Prep | 3A | 11-12 |
| West Chester Rustin | 5A | 13-14 |