And just like that, the 2022-23 high school basketball season is in the books. This weekend, Imani Christian and Lincoln Park's boys teams, as well as Union's girls team, took home state titles in Hershey.
This season, we have nominated players to the KDKA Radio Super 7 Basketball Watch List each week. Next, KDKA Radio will name one player from each WPIAL boys and girls classification, plus the Pittsburgh City League, as the prestigious KDKA Radio Super 7 Player of the Year Award winner.
Here is a look at the players who had winning performances in the PIAA Championships:
Alier Maluk, Imani Christian
Maluk is one of the top sophomore recruits in the country, and helped power Imani Christian to WPIAL and now PIAA titles this season.
On Thursday, the 6 foot 9 center scored 22 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists in just 24 minutes, as the Saints topped Berlin Brothersvalley, 81-64, in the PIAA Boys 1A title game.
Maluk, who went 8 of 11 from the field in the win, is ranked the 21st overall recruit in the Class of 2025. He has offers from Pitt, LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, Seton Hall, WVU and Texas A&M.
Kelly Cleaver, Union
Since mid-January, not many teams in the state were better than Union, and Cleaver led the way.
The Scotties finished their remarkable run to WPIAL and PIAA titles Friday, when they beat Lourdes Regional, 46-29, in the PIAA Girls 1A title game.
Cleaver scored 12 points, hauled in nine rebounds and delivered three assists. The junior also had two steals and two blocked shots, playing every minute of the game in Union's first state championship win and 17th straight victory.
Brandin Cummings, Lincoln Park
Cummings capped a remarkable season with a very typical performance by his standards.
The junior scored 25 points, grabbed four rebonds and went made all but one of the ten free throws he attempted as the Leopards took the PIAA Class 4A title over Neumann-Goretti Friday, 62-58.
Cummings, a Pitt recruit, was complemented by his top teammate, sophomore Meleek Thomas, who went for 22 points and hit the game-winning shot with ten seconds left.
The younger brother of Pitt guard Nelly Cummings, Brandin is also committed to the Panthers. He scored 24 points per game this season.
