If the Berks boys basketball playoffs started today . . .

By Mike Drago Last updated Jan 20, 2024

Wilson's Correll Akings goes up against Berks Catholic's Parker Nein Thursday. (Tim Macrina photo)

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It’s pretty safe to assume Berks Catholic will be the No. 1 seed when the Berks Conference Tournament tips Feb. 12.

The Saints are unbeaten, two games up over Exeter in Berks II and have a huge power ratings lead over the rest of the field.

Where the league’s other top teams end up in the bracket is still very much up in the air at this point, what with three full weeks of league play left.

“There’s a lot of time left, a lot of big games left,” Wilson coach Matt Coldren said Thursday after a 44-40 loss to Berks Catholic. “Obviously (Berks Catholic is) the favorite but there are five teams that can win it. It’s crazy.”

Four division champs, two second-place finishers and the two remaining teams with the highest power rating will make up the eight-team field.

Other than who ends up as the Berks IV champ it’s pretty clear which other six teams will be joining Berks Catholic in the playoffs: Muhlenberg, Reading High and Wilson from Berks I, Exeter from Berks II and Fleetwood and Schuylkill Valley from Berks III.

If the playoffs started today . . .


1	Berks Catholic	vs.	8	Antietam
4	Reading High	vs.	5	Muhlenberg
2	Wilson	vs.	7	Exeter
3	Fleetwood	vs.	6	Schuylkill Valley

How those teams line up, No. 2 thru No. 7, will likely change on a nightly basis over the next three weeks. The only certain match-up is that Berks Catholic will host the Berks IV champ, either Antietam or Oley, in the quarterfinals.

Wilson (5-2, 11-5) and Muhlenberg (5-2, 10-6) are tied for first in Berks I, with Reading High (4-2, 9-6) just behind. Each is 1-1 through the first round-robin of games amongst each other, with a second meeting on the docket.

Wilson (.699) has a solid power-ratings edge over Reading (.674) and Muhlenberg (.652), which is significant: Power rating will be used to break ties and to seed the eight county qualifiers. Wilson and Muhlenberg have each played Berks Catholic; Reading gets it shot Tuesday at Wolf Gymnasium.

Defending Berks II champ Exeter (4-2, 8-6) is two games back of Berks Catholic (7-0, 12-0) in the loss column. It can still tie for the division title, but it’ll take a lot of work to finish ahead of the Saints. Exeter (.643) is nearly 200 points behind Berks Catholic (.834) in power rating.

Exeter has a win over Reading, a loss to Muhlenberg and gets Wilson at home next week. Even if it doesn’t earn a playoff spot with a runner-up spot the Eagles should make it by virtue of their power rating, which is currently seventh-best in the league and second-best among current wild card contenders.

A runner-up from Division I or II will make the field based on its head-to-head result. The same goes for Division III and IV.

Defending Berks III champ Fleetwood (7-0, 13-2) has a one-game lead over Schuylkill Valley (6-1, 12-3) after beating the Panthers 51-38 in December. They’ll meet again next week at Leesport.

Berks Catholic’s Kingston McKoy puts up shot against Correll Akings of Wilson. (Tim Macrina photo)

Wyomissing (4-3, 7-7) still has a shot at second in Berks III but can’t afford too many more losses, and still faces a tough schedule which includes rematches against both Fleetwood and Schuylkill Valley and non-league games against Berks Catholic, Ephrata and Trinity.

Schuylkill Valley is in strong position to claim the Berks III-IV runner-up spot after beating Berks IV leaders Antietam (5-2, 8-7) and Oley Valley (4-3, 7-8) this week.

The Lynx took the first meeting against the Mounts, 51-44 last month. They’ll meet against Feb. 1 at Oley.

If the playoffs started today, Berks I rivals Reading and Muhlenberg would go at it in the 4-5 game, Berks III rivals Fleetwood and Schuylkill Valley would face off in the 3-6 game and Exeter would play at Wilson in the 3-6 game.

“That 4-5 game is gonna be like a street fight,” Coldren predicted. “That’s gonna be two good teams, (either of which) can win it (all).”

All of that, of course, is likely to change many times in the coming weeks. Plus, once the eight-team field is set the qualifying coaches will have an opportunity to alter the match-ups during their challenge meeting. That has happened several times in recent years.