Boys basketball preview: Who are the Somerset County players, teams to watch in 2023-24?
Berlin Brothersvalley went 26-3, claiming its fourth straight District 5 title and advancing to the PIAA Class 1A championship. Berlin fell to the transfer-laden Imani Christian.
The Mountaineers lost four integral pieces from that squad but return two first-team all-state standouts in Pace Prosser and Craig Jarvis.
Berlin has another stellar non-conference slate of games to prepare for another postseason run.
Turkeyfoot Valley (17-10) won the District 5-1A consolation game over Salisbury-Elk Lick to earn a spot in the state tournament last season.
Postseason all-stars Meet the 2023 Daily American Somerset County Boys Basketball All-Stars
Meanwhile, Conemaugh Township captured its third straight District 5 Class 2A title. The squad lost a bevy of talent from that team and returns only one starter in senior Jon Updyke.
Windber (21-4) and North Star (14-10) were each District 5-2A semifinalists. The Ramblers have some holes to fill, but should be a contender along with the Cougars, who return a crop of skilled athletes. North Star will however be without guard C.J. Biery, who sustained a knee injury during summer basketball.
Top 13 Somerset County players to watch
13. Haydon Hutzell, Berlin Brothersvalley, 6-1, F, jr.
Hutzell will have a prominent role in the lineup this season. He scored 58 points and grabbed 35 rebounds in 26 games last season.
12. Christian Musser, Shanksville-Stonycreek, 5-10, G, sr.
Musser paced the Vikings with 350 points (15.9 PPG), 156 rebounds, 62 assists, 50 steals and 18 blocked shots.
11. Evan Brady, Windber, 6-4, G, jr.
Brady tallied 188 points and 121 rebounds off the bench last season. He added 31 steals and 26 assists.
10. Bryce Nicholson, Turkeyfoot Valley, 5-8, G, jr.
Nicholson contributed 430 points, 131 steals, 105 rebounds and 88 assists last season. He led the Rams in points, steals and was tied for the team lead in assists.
9. Lance Jones, Salisbury-Elk Lick, 6-2, G, so.
Jones led the Elks with 370 points and 48 steals. He was second with 69 assists and 21 blocks. Jones also grabbed 136 rebounds.
8. Andy Retassie, North Star, 5-9, G, jr.
Retassie dished out a team-high 87 assists a season ago. He contributed 204 points, 81 rebounds and 35 steals.
7. Colin Dinyar, Conemaugh Township, 6-2, G, so.
Dinyar provided a spark in his freshman campaign, tallying 213 points, 81 rebounds, 43 steals and 40 assists.
6. Ethan Smith, North Star, 5-11, F, jr.
Smith led the Cougars with 175 rebounds, 67 steals and 20 blocked shots a season ago. He contributed 256 points and 83 assists.
5. Brady Weimer, North Star, 5-9, G, sr.
Weimer produced a team-high 418 points (17.4 PPG). He added 81 rebounds, 50 assists and 39 steals.
4. Grady Klosky, Windber, 5-10, G, jr.
Klosky recorded a team-high 309 points (12.5 PPG) to go along with 90 rebounds, 73 steals and 61 assists a season ago.
3. Jon Updyke, Conemaugh Township, 6-3, F, sr.
Updyke dropped 411 points (15.2 PPG), grabbed 237 rebounds and recorded 101 steals, 88 assists and 32 blocked shots last season.
2. Craig Jarvis, Berlin Brothersvalley, 6-1, G, sr.
Jarvis recorded 559 points (19.3 PPG), surpassing 1,000 for his career last season. He chipped in 136 rebounds, 40 steals, 32 assists and 11 blocked shots, earning first-team all-state honors in the process.
1. Pace Prosser, Berlin Brothersvalley, 6-3, G, sr.
Prosser scored a Somerset County-high 682 points last season, averaging 23.5 per game. He also grabbed 214 rebounds, dished out 210 assists and swiped 90 steals. Prosser surpassed 1,000 career points and now has 1,492 in three seasons. He earned first-team all-state accolades by the Pennsylvania Sports Writers.
Adam Ripple is the Daily American sports editor. He can be reached at 814-444-5926. Follow him on X (Twitter) @ARipple_DAsport. Follow Daily American Sports on Facebook and @dailyamericanmedia on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset County boys basketball preview with players to watch
