Nick Smith and Jamie Halloran are an item. Dating. Boyfriend-girlfriend.
Is there a point to their relationship? Yes, on the basketball court.
Smith is the point guard for the North Hills boys team. Halloran is the point guard for the North Hills girls team. It isn't all that often that point guards of the boys and girls team are an item. And it isn't often that dating points are doing such terrific things on the court and leading their teams to big things at the same time.
North Hills boys and girls teams have never been so successful together at this point of the season. You can point to Smith and Halloran as major reasons.
Smith is one of the top junior guards in the WPIAL and is among the top 20 scorers, averaging 22 a game. He averaged 15 last year as a sophomore. At the current pace, he has a good chance to be the first 1,000-point scorer at North Hills since 1987 graduate Mike Yoest. (Halloran and Smith are pictured at North Hills).
Smith has helped North Hills to a 6-4 record and a 3-1 mark in Class AAAA Section 3. North Hills, Central Catholic and North Allegheny all have only one loss in section. North Hills has a big section game tonight against Pine-Richland.
As for Halloran, she is one of the leading scorers in Class AAAA at 18 points a game and she has led the North Hills girls to its best start in 17 years. The Indians are tied for first place in Section 3 with a 5-0 record. The last time North Hills was 5-0 in section was the 1998-99 season. North Hills will play North Allegheny for first place Monday.
If the North Hills boys beat Pine-Richland tonight, the Indians will go to North Allegheny Tuesday in a tie for first. Monday and Tuesday mark the conclusion of the first half of section play in the WPIAL for boys and girls. North Hills has never had its boys and girls teams playing for first place in the section at the halfway mark.
As for Smith and Halloran, I don't know if they have ever played one-on-one. It says here that Smith might have trouble with Halloran's toughness.
On guard in Section 3
In the latest WPIAL scoring statistics, three guards in Class AAAA Section 3 are right next to each other among the top 20 scorers. Smith is at 22.4, Pine-Richland's Andrew Petcash at 22.1 and North Allegheny's Curtis Aiken 21.8.
Smith and Petcash square off tonight. They are two of the best junior guards in the WPIAL and used to play on the same AAU team.
Hamlin an All-American
MaxPreps.com came out with its All-American football team and the WPIAL has a player on it. Central Catholic stud defensive back Damar Hamlin was a first-team pick.
Hamlin helped Central Catholic win WPIAL and PIAA Class AAAA titles this season. As far as a college choice, Hamlin is one of the top uncommitted defensive backs in the country. He has narrowed his choices to Pitt, Penn State and Ohio State. He will visit Ohio State next weekend, Penn State Jan. 22 and Pitt Jan. 29.
A Wise athlete
The Post-Gazette Athlete of the Year isn't announced until June. But you can certainly throw Darius Wise's hat into the ring.
Wise was a top junior football player at Beaver High School. He played quarterback and became only the fourth player in WPIAL history to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for 1,000 yards in the regular season.
Now Wise is the sixth-leading scorer in WPIAL basketball at 23 points a game.
Top games Saturday
There are three boys basketball events around the area Saturday. The Shootout at Seton Hills University is a five-game event, including an interesting matchup at 4 p.m. between rivals Jeannette and Greensburg Central Catholic.
The Don Graham Classic is a two-game event at Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic.
The Clash of the Titans has two games at Lincoln Park, including Lincoln Park vs. First Love Christian.
Besides that, there is a Class AAAA showdown Saturday night at Chartiers Valley. The Colts play host to Baldwin and the winner takes over first in Class AAAA Section 4.