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Aliquippa, Lincoln Park basketball duos earn All-State accolades

joshua carney, beaver county times
·3 min read

After a rather thrilling high school boys' basketball season that saw Lincoln Park win the WPIAL Class 4A and PIAA Class 4A state championship, as well as Aliquippa claiming the WPIAL Class 2A title and PIAA runner-up in the same classification, a handful of local players were named to the The Pennsylvania Sports Writers all-state boys basketball teams in early May.

On the six classification PIAA all-state teams, the WPIAL had 10 first-team all-state selections this year, the second-most for the league since the PIAA went to six classifications in the 2016-17 season. Last season, the WPIAL had 11 first-team all-state selections.

In total, 29 players WPIAL boys' basketball players were named to the PIAA all-state teams following the 2022-23 season.

Lincoln Park's Meleek Thomas (5) goes for two points over the head of Neumann-Goretti's Sultan Adewale (11) during the second half of the PIAA 4A Championship game Thursday night at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA.
Lincoln Park's Meleek Thomas (5) goes for two points over the head of Neumann-Goretti's Sultan Adewale (11) during the second half of the PIAA 4A Championship game Thursday night at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA.

In the Beaver Valley, a handful of athletes took home major accolades from The Pennsylvania Sports Writers all-state voting. In Class 4A, Lincoln Park head coach Mike Bariski, the Times' 2022-23 Boys' Coach of the Year, was named the Coach of the Year in the state after leading the Leopards to a 30-1 record along with WPIAL and PIAA championships.

Bariski was joined by junior Brandin Cummings and sophomore Meleek Thomas, who were voted First Team All-State in Class 4A. Cummings and Thomas both averaged 24+ points per game leading the Leopards to WPIAL and PIAA titles and were named the co-Times' Player of the Year.

Neumann-Goretti's Robert Wright III was named the Class 4A Player of the Year, but Thomas and Cummings won where it counted, topping Wright and Neumann-Goretti in the state title game. Cummings also made some family history, landing on the First Team All-State roster just six years after his older brother, Nelly, did so before a college basketball career at Cornell and then Pitt.

Lincoln Park's Brandin Cummings (3) shoots a three point shot after gaining space from Neumann-Goretti's Robert Wright (2) during the second half of the PIAA 4A Championship game Thursday night at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA.
Lincoln Park's Brandin Cummings (3) shoots a three point shot after gaining space from Neumann-Goretti's Robert Wright (2) during the second half of the PIAA 4A Championship game Thursday night at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA.

Outside of Class 4A, the Beaver Valley saw a pair of Aliquippa products make school and WPIAL history as junior Cameron Lindsey and senior Donovan Walker earned All-State accolades in basketball after doing the same in football in the fall, becoming the only WPIAL products to make All-State in football and basketball, outside of Laurel Highlands' Rodney Gallagher, to accomplish that.

Lindsey and Walker also made Aliquippa just one of five teams in the WPIAL with two players on the All-State team in basketball along with Cummings and Thomas at Lincoln Park, Imani Christian's Dame Givner and Alier Maluk, Laurel Highlands' Rodney Gallagher and Keondre DeShields and Greensburg Central Catholic's Tyree Turner and Franco Alvarez.

Below are the Beaver Valley products that earned All-State accolades in basketball for the 2022-23 season from The Pennsylvania Sports Writers.

Lincoln Park coach Mike Bariski responds to the crowd after the Leopards defeated Uniontown during Monday's PIAA Class 4A semifinal game at Charleroi High School.
Lincoln Park coach Mike Bariski responds to the crowd after the Leopards defeated Uniontown during Monday's PIAA Class 4A semifinal game at Charleroi High School.

Class 4A

First Team

Brandin Cummings, Jr., Lincoln Park

Meleek Thomas, So., Lincoln Park

Coach of the Year: Mike Bariski, Lincoln Park

Ellwood City junior Joseph Roth (35) positions himself against Beaver Falls senior Konnor Hauser (31) in the second quarter of Ellwood City's 57-51 win on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at Ellwood City.
Ellwood City junior Joseph Roth (35) positions himself against Beaver Falls senior Konnor Hauser (31) in the second quarter of Ellwood City's 57-51 win on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at Ellwood City.

Class 3A

Second Team

Joseph Roth, Jr., Ellwood City

Aliquippa's Cameron Lindsey (23) goes for a layup while being heavily guarded by Lancaster Mennonite's David Weaver (0) and David Shell (10) during the second half of the PIAA 2A Championship game Friday afternoon at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA.
Aliquippa's Cameron Lindsey (23) goes for a layup while being heavily guarded by Lancaster Mennonite's David Weaver (0) and David Shell (10) during the second half of the PIAA 2A Championship game Friday afternoon at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA.

Class 2A

First Team

Cameron Lindsey, Jr., Aliquippa

Third Team

Donovan Walker, Sr., Aliquippa

Aliquippa's Donovan Walker (3) goes for two points over the head of Lancaster Mennonite's David Weaver (0) during the second half of the PIAA 2A Championship game Friday afternoon at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA.
Aliquippa's Donovan Walker (3) goes for two points over the head of Lancaster Mennonite's David Weaver (0) during the second half of the PIAA 2A Championship game Friday afternoon at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA.

Contact Joshua Carney at jcarney@gannett.com or 724-681-9136. Follow Joshua on Twitter: @ByJoshCarney

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Aliquippa, Lincoln Park basketball duos earn All-State accolades