PAC Final Four Boys Basketball Preview: Methacton-Norristown, Pope John Paul II-Phoenixville
The Pioneer Athletic Conference boys basketball postseason continues on Friday night at Spring-Ford with two division rivalry matchups.
In the opener, Liberty division champion and No. 1 seed Methacton hosts No. 5 Norristown at 6 p.m. Frontier champ and No. 2 seed Pope John Paul II faces No. 6 Phoenixville at 7:45 p.m. to cap the night.
The four teams are playing for a spot in the championship game, which will take place at Spring-Ford on Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m.
A breakdown of Friday’s games:
Methacton (1) vs Norristown (5)
Records >> Methacton (19-2, 12-1 PAC, 9-1 Liberty); Norristown (17-6, 9-4 PAC, 6-4 Liberty)Head-to-head >> Methacton dominated both regular-season matchups, winning 69-44 on Jan. 8 and 73-61 on Jan. 18. Warriors senior forward Cole Hargrove had 26 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks in the Jan. 18 victory.
Playoff history >> The Warriors have won the last three PAC Final Six championships (there was no league postseason in 2020-21) and have five of the last nine PAC postseason crowns. … Norristown won its first PAC playoff game since 2016-17 against Upper Merion on Wednesday night. The Eagles are hoping to advance to the league title game for the first time.
On Methacton >> The Warriors have two holdovers from their most recent PAC title squad in senior forward Cole Hargrove (15.7 ppg) and senior guard Brett Byrne (13.2 ppg, 21 3s), who have blossomed from role players two seasons ago. Junior guard Matt Christian (9.4 ppg) has been red hot as of late, leading the league with 44 3-point makes. Junior guard Cam Chilson (7.1 ppg) is another scoring option, while senior forward Colin Meyer (4.8 ppg) gives the team some size, rebounding and defense down low next to Hargrove. Previously unbeaten Methacton dropped two of its final three regular season games, falling to Spring-Ford for their first loss of the season before an overtime loss to Wilson four days later. While the two late season defeats showed the Warriors are fallible, they enter the PAC tournament without any losses to the rest of the field.
On Norristown >> The Eagles continued their late season roll with a dominant second-half in a 62-40 win over No. 4 seed Upper Merion on Wednesday night. Sophomore guard Myon Kirlew (5.1 ppg) had a breakout game with 21 points and senior guard Zaki Gomez (10.7 ppg, 32 3s) had 15 points in the win. After a back-and-forth first half, Norristown’s defense held the Vikings to just 12 points in the second-half. Senior guard D.J. Johnson (12.2 ppg) and senior forward John DiNolfi (10.1 ppg) are the other go-to guys for the Eagles, while senior guard Righteous Mitchell (6.6 ppg) can get hot on the right night. Norristown brings a five-game win streak into Friday night’s game. The Eagles have held seven of their last eight opponents in the 40s, including two of them in the 30s and one in the 20s.
Prediction >> Methacton rolled in both matchups this season, but the two teams came into the postseason trending in opposite directions. Still, the Warriors have been the best team in the league all season, so it’s really tough to pick against them. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them kick into the next gear now that the playoffs have begun. … Methacton 61, Norristown 53
Pope John Paul II (2) vs Phoenixville (6)
Records >> Pope John Paul II (12-7, 8-5 PAC, 8-2 Frontier); Phoenixville (17-6, 9-4 PAC, 7-3 Frontier)
Head-to-head >> Both games came down to the final minute. Phoenixville won the first meeting 53-51 on Jan. 10, while Pope John Paul II answered back with a 56-53 win Jan. 25.
Playoff history >> Pope John Paul II, last year’s PAC champ, finished as the runner-up in 2019-20. The Golden Panthers’ only other playoff win and championship appearance came in 2010-11 when they won the PAC title in their inaugural season. … Phoenixville won its second playoff game in the past three seasons against Perkiomen Valley on Wednesday. The Phantoms haven’t advanced to the league championship game since winning the title in 2006-07.
On Pope John Paul II >> The Golden Panthers couldn’t replicate the magic of last season when they went 14-1 in the league to earn the program’s first league title in a decade. Guided by three terrific seniors guards, this year’s group still found a way to win a third straight Frontier Division title. Senior guard J.P. Baron (17.8 ppg, 37 3s) took another leap forward this season, leading the PAC in scoring. Senior guards Jaden Workman (13.3 ppg) and Kevin Green (10.2 ppg) also have plenty of postseason experience since their sophomore campaigns. The Golden Panthers go small with Trey Rogers (6.1 ppg) and Dylan Russ (3.3 ppg) rounding out the starting lineup.
On Phoenixville >> Phoenixville led for the majority of Wednesday’s PAC opening win, but after PV grabbed the lead early in the fourth quarter the Phantoms needed a 10-0 run to take control of the game. Senior wing Jackson Kuranda (7.2 ppg) had a big night, scoring a team-high 14 points, while senior guard Zavier Mayo (15 ppg, 22 3s) had a typical big scoring night with 13. The VIkings did a good job holding senior forward Gabe Massenburg (11.8 ppg) in check offensively on Wednesday (eight points), but he made his presence felt with a few blocks on the defensive end. Senior guards Chase McDonnell (8.5 ppg) and Jake Stec (5.3 ppg, 29 3s) and sophomore forward Max Lebisky make up the rest of the top end of the Phantoms’ rotation. Seniors Justin English and Zach Bruni also gave Phoenixville big minutes in Wednesday’s win.
Prediction >> This game is a true coin toss and both student sections should make it a really fun environment as the matchup has turned into one of the PAC’s best rivalries over the past few seasons. The Golden Panthers have gotten the best of the Phantoms in big games down the stretch in the last two years, but for some reason it feels like it might be the Phantoms’ time. … Phoenixville 60, Pope John Paul II 58 in overtime.
-compiled by Owen McCue
