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Plenty of star power in D-9 boys basketball

Kane’s Andrew Bucheit, the 2016 District 9 Player of the Year, will look to lead the Wolves to back-to-back district titles as they bump up to 3A in 2016-17.

District 9 is dominated by small schools, so the PIAA’s change to six classifications might not have as great an impact as it would in other districts.

Sheffield, for instance, will remain 1A, as will many other schools – 15 to be exact.

That being said, there will still be some changes and plenty of exciting players and teams to look forward to seeing.

Here’s a breakdown of classes, as well as players to watch in the 2016-17 season as the season gets underway a week from today.

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Teams to Watch

1A: One thing that will remain a constant is Elk County Catholic. The Crusaders remain at 1A, where they will go in as a heavy favorite.

Coach Aaron Straub added to his record-breaking legacy last season, posting an unbeaten regular season and winning another District 9 title. The Crusaders beat Eden Christian in the first round of the state playoffs before falling to Farrell to end their campaign.

Leading scorer and second team all-district selection Nate DaCanal (13.8 ppg.)  returns at guard, as does fellow senior Gabe Kraus, who averaged 11.6 ppg. a season ago.

Ridgway, which has established itself as one of the top programs in District 9 over the last decade, bumps up to 2A, so the challengers appear limited.

One team to watch out for is DuBois Central Catholic. The Cardinals are coming off a 16-9 season and return sophomore Justin Miknis, who averaged 10.5 ppg. as a freshman in 2015-16.

Venango Catholic must find a way to replace District 9’s leading scorer from last season, Brady Kingston (21.7 ppg.), who is now playing at Pitt-Greensburg, while Union must do the same with do-it-all guard Cole Morris (18.2 ppg.). If those teams can do that, they could be a factor.

Two teams to keep an eye on in the North Tier League are Otto-Eldred and Cameron County.

After taking over a winless program five years ago, Dan Dalton got the Terrors to the playoffs last season, where they gave eventual state-qualifier Coudersport all they wanted. Junior guard Dylan Close (9.7 ppg.) leads the list of returnees.

Cameron County, meanwhile, survived the loss of now-Bucknell forward Nate Sestina and posted a 14-10 mark last season. Senior forward Derek Rieder (8.7 ppg.) and junior guard Adam Shaffer (8.1 ppg.) return to lead the Red Raiders.

Other 1A teams include A-C Valley, Austin, Johnsonburg, North Clarion, Northern Potter, Oswayo Valley, Port Allegany and West Forest.

2A: Coudersport, Ridgway and Clarion-Limestone are clearly the three best teams going into the season, with 10 teams making up 2A.

The Falcons returns a host of talent, including all-district junior forward Jared Green (13.9 ppg.) and sophomore guard Owen Chambers (12.8 ppg.). They beat Bishop Guilfoyle in the first round of the state playoffs last season before losing to eventual state champion Kennedy Catholic in the Round of 16.

The Elkers, meanwhile, must replace three-time all-district forward Jeremy Breier, but do return his younger brother Andy (9.3 ppg.) and a very talented junior class. Coach Tony Allegretto’s teams always pride themselves on playing great defense, and this year’s version should be no different.

C-L, meanwhile, has a pair of very talented forwards, 6-7 senior Dan Callen (18.7 ppg. in 2015-16) and younger brother Ian, a sophomore who averaged 12.1 ppg. as a freshman.

Other teams in 2A include Brockway, Clarion, Cranberry, Curwensville, Keystone, Redbank Valley and Smethport.

3A: Just four teams make up this class, with Kane, which went 14-11 a season ago, the odds-on favorite coming into this season. Coach Matt Gasbarre has completely transformed the Wolves’ program since he took over, winning a District 9 title in 2A last season. He will have a strong team once again led by 6-6 senior forward Andrew Bucheit, who averaged 20.5 ppg. last season and was named District 9 Player of the Year.

The Wolves also feature some talented players in the backcourt, including Frank Truden (7.8 ppg.), as well as senior forward Davis Gardner (7.4 ppg.).

Karns City went 10-12 in 2015-16 and may be the top challenger to Kane. They return their top three scorers from last season – Chandler Turner (9.6 ppg.), Noah Pollock (8.5 ppg.) and Ian McIlroy (7.5 ppg.).

4A: Clearfield is the favorite here, going 23-3 a season ago and giving Robby Carmody, a junior guard and top 100 national recruit from Mars and the rest of the Planets a fierce battle in the state playoffs last season, ultimately falling 68-60.

The Bison return all-district guard Will Myers (17.6 ppg.) as well as forward Tommy Hazel (12.6 ppg.), guard Evan Brown (10.6 ppg.) and Division I football recruit Ryan Lezzer.

Punxsutawney, meanwhile, went 14-9 a season ago and returns junior forward Brandon Matthews (11.3 ppg.), as well as senior guards Devin Kelly (8.9 ppg.) and Ethan Riley (8.6 ppg.).

Bradford went 10-13 a season ago and returns a talented inside-out duo of junior guard Deondre Terwilliger (10.3 ppg.) and junior forward John Eakin (8.5 ppg.).

St. Marys, which went 15-9 last year, including a close loss to Warren, comes to town to face the Dragons on Dec. 16.

5A: DuBois is the lone team in 5A in District 9, coming off a 10-13 season.

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Players to watch

Andrew Bucheit (Kane): At 6-6, Bucheit’s skill set is nearly unmatched in this area (District 10 included). He has a soft touch around the basket and is also able to step out and hit a three, having knocked down 21 last season. He averaged a doubled-double, with 11.5 rebounds per game and also blocked 4.5 shots per contest. He is an exciting player to watch.

Nate DaCanal (Elk County Catholic): The 6-2 senior is the arguably the best player on the best team in the district. To go along with his 13.8 ppg. last season, he also shot 57 percent from the floor and pulled down six boards per contest. He is a smart, savvy player, who benefits from being under the tutelage of coach Aaron Straub.

Will Myers (Clearfield): The 6-3 senior, in addition to averaging nearly 18 ppg., also shot 40 percent from 3-point range and scored 20 or more points in the 13 games. He has already eclipsed 1,000 career points and will be an unquestioned leader on a team that looks to make some noise not just in District 9, but in the state playoffs as well.

Dan Callen (Clarion-Limestone): At 6-7, Callen possess size that few in District 9 have. He’s played a significant role in a district championship winning team in 2015 as a sophomore and runs the floor very well for a big man. The Lions’ up-tempo style actually suits his game quite well. The reigning KSAC MVP also comes into his senior season at over 1,000 career points.

Jared Green (Coudersport): The son of a coach, the junior possess a basketball IQ higher than most. He has a tremendous inside-out game and is also a plus defender. Already a 2-year starter, Green helped lead the Falcons to a state playoff appearance last season and could very well do so again in 2017.

Others to watch: Jeff Wehler (St. Marys) Andy Breier (Ridgway), Justin Miknis (DuBois Central Catholic), Neil MacDonald (Ridgway), Deondre Terwilliger (Bradford), Owen Chambers (Coudersport), Tommy Hazel (Clearfield), Evan Brown (Clearfield), Nick Labrasca (DuBois), Brandon Matthews (Punxsutawney), Nate Higbie (Bradford), Dylan Close (Otto-Eldred), Derek Rieder (Cameron County), Gabe Kraus (Elk County Catholic), Roger Dunham (Sheffield)

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