Meet the second annual PUP boys basketball all-star team

When the Pittsburgh Union Progress released its all-star team last March, it was the inaugural and expected to be the one and only.

A year later, though, some of Pittsburgh’s most talented journalists remain on strike with the Post-Gazette, which means that, much like the sky on a clear night, we’ve got more bright stars coming your way.

The brightest of the bright this season include a sharpshooting guard headed to play at Pitt, a future Penguin (Youngstown State), a five-star junior who many believe will someday play in the NBA, and a two-sport winter athlete who doubles as one of the state’s premier swimmers.

All players in the WPIAL and City League were considered, and the team was picked by the Pittsburgh Union Progress sports staff along with assistance from high school coaches.

Without further ado — no, not Adou Thiero — here is the 2023-2024 Pittsburgh Union Progress All-Star Team.

First Team

Brandin Cummings • Lincoln Park • 6-4 • Senior • Guard

What had been a marvelous career turned into a legendary one this season for Cummings, who surpassed 2,000 career points and helped Lincoln Park repeat as WPIAL and PIAA Class 4A champs. A Pitt recruit, Cummings averaged 23.8 points per game and was especially good in the PIAA playoffs when he averaged 29.8 and scored a career-high 37 with seven 3s on 14-of-18 shooting in the championship. Cummings connected on at least four 3-pointers in each of Lincoln Park’s last four games and converted 85 of them on the season. He scored 2,222 career points while winning three section titles, three WPIAL titles and two PIAA titles.

Elijah Guillory • Moon • 6-5 • Senior • Guard

He may be a Youngstown State recruit, but it’s old news that Guillory was one of the area’s finest shot makers. He was a champion, too, leading Moon to the WPIAL Class 5A title and PIAA semifinals. Guillory, who scored 1,484 career points, was a smooth operator as sinking shots from different area codes became commonplace for the lengthy guard who averaged 21.1 points per game and bagged 58 3-pointers on 45% shooting from deep. He also grabbed 6.7 rebounds a game in addition to 3.6 assists and 1.8 steals. One of his top games came in the WPIAL semifinals when he made seven 3s and scored 39 in a thrilling win against Thomas Jefferson.

Peter Kramer • Hampton • 6-5 • Senior • Guard

This Kramer had no use for comedy this season. He was all business in leading Hampton to its first WPIAL final since 2017 and to the PIAA semifinals for the first time since 2012. A Lehigh recruit, Kramer averaged 22 points per game and came through with big baskets late to win several games, including making two free throws in the final seconds to edge Johnstown in the PIAA Class 4A second round. Kramer made 79 3s and shot 85% from the line in addition to grabbing 6.2 boards a game. Kramer won a WPIAL title at Shady Side Academy as a freshman before transferring to Hampton following his sophomore year. He scored 1,670 career points.

Joseph Roth • Ellwood City • 6-5 • Senior • Forward

The season again went swimmingly for one of the WPIAL’s most unique multi-sport stars. Roth was a nightmare matchup for opposing teams, using his size and strength to average 25.2 points, 14.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.9 blocks and 2.1 steals. That included a career-high 51-point outburst against Mohawk. Just a few days after scoring 29 points in a season-ending loss in the PIAA Class 3A second round, Roth claimed silver and bronze medals at the PIAA swimming championships. And a few days after that, he made his season debut in baseball. Roth, who will swim at Ohio State, finished his career with 2,109 points and 1,198 rebounds.

Meleek Thomas • Lincoln Park • 6-4 • Junior • Guard

There was once again no doubting this Thomas, as one of the nation’s premier juniors teamed with backcourt mate Brandin Cummings to produce a truly special season. Thomas poured in 22.7 points per game in addition to 10.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.2 steals. He shot 57% from the field, 38% from behind the arc and 78% from the line. Thomas scored a team-high 21 points to go along with 10 rebounds in the WPIAL championship, and tallied 16 points and 14 rebounds in the PIAA championship. Also an excellent defender, Thomas helped the Leopards go 58-4 the past two seasons and will enter his senior season with 1,750 points.

Second Team

Evan Berger • Thomas Jefferson • 6-4 • Senior • Guard

This was no plain, ordinary Berger leading Thomas Jefferson to its first section title in a decade and to the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals. No, this Berger was jazzed up. A four-year starter and the school’s all-time leading scorer (1,610 career points), boys or girls, Berger led the Jaguars in scoring (17.7 ppg), rebounds (8 rpg) and assists (5 apg). Berger will play at Division II Edinboro.

Rowan Carmichael • Avonworth • 5-11 • Junior • Guard

The Avonworth Antelopes star earned an A grade courtesy of a big season highlighted by a 36-point outing in a WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal win against Montour that broke the school’s career scoring mark that stood for 53 years. Carmichael (1,511 points) also scored a career-high 47 against Union, and averaged 21.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.1 steals overall.

Max Hurray • North Catholic • 6-2 • Senior • Guard

This North Catholic star piled up points in a hurry. Hurray capped a terrific career by topping the Trojans in scoring with 23.9 points per game and leading them to the WPIAL and PIAA Class 4A quarterfinals. An excellent 3-point shooter, Hurray made eight 3s and scored 30 points in a season-ending loss to Lincoln Park. The Division II Coker recruit scored 1,701 career points.

Zion Moore • Belle Vernon • 6-3 • Junior • Guard

Moore couldn’t have done much more scoring-wise this season, as his 26.3 points per game led all WPIAL and City League players. It was Moore’s third consecutive season averaging at least 20 points a game after tallying 23 a game a season earlier and 21 as a freshman at Ringgold. Moore, a Division I prospect, scored a season-high 40 points against South Park and his career total stands at 1,585.

Courtney Wallace • Neighborhood Academy • 6-3 • Junior • Guard

Regardless of what neighborhood he was playing in, the Yale recruit was filling up the stat sheet while leading Neighborhood Academy to its first WPIAL Class 1A final and first PIAA win. Wallace nearly averaged a triple-double — 24.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 8.1 assists a game, while adding 5.6 steals and 2.1 blocks. He will enter his senior season with 1,397 points.

Third Team

Nate Brazil • Imani Christian • 6-0 • Senior • Guard

Brazil wasn’t just good this season. His nickname could have been “Nate the Great.” Brazil averaged a team-best 18.7 points a game and had several games with five 3-pointers while helping the Saints repeat as WPIAL and PIAA Class 1A champions. He scored a career-high 48 points in the PIAA semifinals. Fordham has offered, and several other Division I’s are interested.

Ryan Ceh • Mars • 6-6 • Senior • Guard

Ask an Australian the key to Mars’ success this season, and they might say, “Ceh, mate.” A lengthy guard with excellent range, Ceh led the Planets in scoring (23 ppg), rebounds (8.4 rpg) and blocks (1.8 bpg). He shot 52% from the field, 72% from the free-throw line and made a team-best 60 3s. Ceh reached 1,000 career points in his final game and finished with 1,007.

Braylon Littlejohn • Butler • 6-2 • Senior • Guard

Turn down for what! Littlejohn kept the party going as he was arguably the WPIAL’s top player in Class 6A. He scored 21 points a game, including a 38-point outing against North Allegheny that pushed him over 1,000 career points. He then had 27 in a season-ending loss to Upper St. Clair in the WPIAL semifinals that pushed his career total to 1,208. He’ll play football at Miami (Ohio).

Josh Pratt • Aliquippa • 6-1 • Sophomore • Guard

The only sophomore to make the team, Pratt, a transfer from Lincoln Park, led WPIAL and PIAA Class 2A champion Aliquippa in scoring with 17 points per game. Pratt was at his best in the biggest games, making a WPIAL-record seven 3-pointers among his 30 points in the WPIAL championship and scoring 36 points on 14-of-19 shooting in the PIAA championship.

Eli Teslovich • Shady Side Academy • 6-1 • Senior • Guard

There didn’t appear to be a bad side to the game of the Shady Side star, who pumped in 21.6 points a game while helping the Bulldogs reach the WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals. He went off for 40 points in a WPIAL first-round win against Beaver Falls. A four-year starter, Teslovich, who helped the Bulldogs win a WPIAL title his sophomore season, finished with 1,715 career points.