Items that fell off the laptop
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart basketball player Cameron Johnson signed with Pitt yesterday. It was a move that surprised many because Pitt didn't start recruiting Johnson much until a month ago. Also, Johnson was offered scholarships mostly from mid-major schools.
Pitt coach Jamie Dixon offered Johnson a scholarship Easter Sunday and it didn't take long for Johnson to accept.
Here are some comments from Johnson about a few subjects:
On his fondness for Pitt (Johnson's father, Gil, played at Pitt): "I've always liked Pitt. I remember my Dad used to tell me stories and I remember they had an alumni night at a game when I was probably 7 years old. Myself, my Dad and my brother were on the court and I remember walking off and seeing myself on the Jumbotron. That was kind of cool."
On what position he will play at Pitt: "Honestly, I feel like I can play a multitude of positions, wherever my skills can develop and wherever coach needs me, whether it's the point, the "2" or small forward.
On whether he might be redshirted: "Nobody really knows yet. I will just go there and compete."
On goals: "My first goal is to just see myself improve. Whether it's tomorrow, next month or whenever, I want to be able to look back and know I got better."
On Pitt having some WPIAL players in the future: "It's kind of cool because Pitt hasn't had this many WPIAL guys in a while. We've all earned it and I feel we are all very good players. Just with so many local kids playing, I feel like Pittsburgh might rally around us that much more."
On whether there was a time he thought he would be a football player: "There actually was when I was a quarterback in eighth grade. After that year. I was talking to the high school coach [at Moon] and he said he wanted me to step in as a freshman and be the [varsity] quarterback the next year. I was kind of small then but he thought if I would get in the weight room all the time, I could play. Well, I started working out for AAU basketball and playing and basketball picked up, and I ended up not playing football in ninth grade."
Norwin's parade of hitters
Norwin has one of the top offenses in the WPIAL and has three hitters batting above .500.
J.J. Matijevic (pictured) started the week batting .562, Nick Amendola .571 and Cody Stanoszek .500. Also Dom Farina was batting .486.
Matijevic hit a home run Monday against Connellsville. He has now hit home runs in seven of 10 games. Matijevic is a University of Arizona recruit.
McKay will pitch tomorrow
Blackhawk pitcher Brendan McKay was supposed to put his 44-inning scoreless streak on the line today in a game against Central Valley. But the game was postponed because of rain and will be played tomorrow. McKay is scheduled to pitch tomorrow.
Shippensburg signs two
Two good-sized basketball players from the WPIAL signed with Shippensburg University, a Division II school. They are Connellsville's Trent Bauer and Montour's Dustin Sleva. Bauer is a 6-9 center who averaged a double double this season. Sleva was one of the best turnaround stories in the WPIAL. He went from a non-starter as a junior to averaging more than 20 a game this season.
Aloi hearing tomorrow
In light of the PIAA recently saying it wants to do something about charter schools' affect on basketball in this state, it will be interesting to see how the WPIAL rules after a hearing tomorrow with Nick Aloi.
Aloi is a talented player who left Ellwood City in January and transferred to Lincoln Park. Aloi showed plenty of promise as a freshman when he averaged in double figures. He did not play as a sophomore because of a knee injury.
The WPIAL will have a hearing with Aloi and Ellwood City and Lincoln Park officials. It will be interesting to hear what reasons Aloi might give for transferring because if it's for athletic intent at all, he is supposed to be ruled ineligible for a year. Then again, we might never know the reasons Aloi gives. It is up to the person involved whether to close the hearing to the media. Very few elect to allow the media in on the hearing.
Ellwood City did not sign off on the transfer. That's what is interesting because Ellwood City's superintendent is Frank Aloi, the grandfather of Nick Aloi. Nick Aloi's father, Frank, also was a former standout player at Ellwood City in the 1980s. You think the fact that Ellwood City won only seven games the past two years had anything to do with Aloi's transfer? Nahhhh.
But no matter what the WPIAL rules, I must say does it matter? First, if the WPIAL rules Aloi ineligible, the PIAA might overturn it. Secondly, even if the WPIAL and PIAA rule Aloi ineligible, it is only for one year from the date of the transfer. He transferred in January. That means his ineligibility will be up in plenty of time for next year's WPIAL playoffs.