It’s not exactly breaking new ground to say high school basketball talent in Western Pa. isn’t close to what it was a number of decades ago. That point has been made time and time again by everyone from high school and college coaches to fans.

Much of the evidence is anecdotal. But a week ago, I accidentally stumbled upon hard facts that reveal the way it was in Western Pa. basketball. The difference from now to 40 years ago is startling when the evidence is tangible.

In 1978, the Pittsburgh Press published five-player all-section teams for all sections in the WPIAL and City League. The Post-Gazette has been doing the same thing for decades.

Forty years ago, the all-section teams included almost 30 players from sophomores to seniors who would go on to play Division I basketball. Some of those players played on college teams that are now in the Power 5 conferences.

Now consider that the 2016 all-section teams had only five players (sophomores to seniors) go on to play Division I. In 2015, nine players went on to Division I colleges, including two as walk-ons.

This isn’t meant to totally knock the talent nowadays in Western Pa. It’s better than some think. But oh, how it used to be in these parts four decades ago. And the early 1970s, ’60s and ’50s were even better.

There were at least 15 seniors on the all-section teams of 1978 who played Division I, and maybe a few more. Also, there were at least a dozen non-seniors on those all-section teams who went on to play major-college basketball.

And one of the members of the 1978 WPIAL senior class was John Calipari, the University of Kentucky coach who played at Moon and was selected the No. 1 player in his section. He played at North Carolina-Wilmington before transferring to Division II Clarion. A few other members of the WPIAL-City League class of 1978 were Wilkinsburg’s Bruce Atkins (Duquesne), Norwin’s Doug Arnold (Duquesne), Schenley’s James Smith (Wisconsin), Schenley’s Dave Thornton (George Washington) and South Hills Catholic’s Tom McConnell (Davidson). McConnell is now the women’s coach at IUP.

But among the non-seniors on those all-section teams of 1978 were Valley’s Bill Varner (Notre Dame), Schenley’s Larry Anderson (Nevada-Las Vegas), Allderdice’s Frank Dobbs (Villanova), Northgate’s Ed Major (Ohio State), Wilkinsburg’s John Ryan (Pitt), Central Catholic’s Marc Marotta (Marquette), South Allegheny’s Paul Brozovich (Pitt), Clairton’s Darrell Gissendanner (Pitt), Northgate’s Rod Scott (Duquesne) and Burrell’s Joe Myers (Duquesne).

What those all-section teams of 1978 also showed was how the WPIAL and City League used to produce so many more “big” players. Of those players on the all-section teams who played at Division I colleges, 12 stood 6-5 or taller. For the past couple ofdecades, the WPIAL and City League has lacked many “big” Division I prospects.

One last comparison might best show the way basketball used to be in the district. The WPIAL-City League basketball class of 1978 had almost 20 Division I college players. The WPIAL-City League football class of 2018 has 20 players who signed with Division I programs.

Football championship sites

Next month, the WPIAL will announce a playoff format and also will announce championship sites at some point in the future. Here’s a prediction: The Class 5A championship will not be at Heinz Field.

Class 5A will have 24 teams next season and the WPIAL most likely will have 16 teams in the playoffs. Some of the other classifications will have eight-team playoff fields. Thus, the Class 5A playoffs will last a week longer and the championship game won’t be the same weekend as other classifications. So, the 5A title game would have to be played somewhere other than Heinz Field because the WPIAL will not go into Heinz Field twice.

There is a possibility that only three championship games will be played at Heinz, but there is still a possibility of four. Prediction No. 2 is the Class 6A, 4A, 3A and 1A will have eight-team playoff fields and their title games will be played at Heinz. Class 2A and 5A will be played elsewhere.

Comment on parents

A great comment about high school sports parents came last week from a successful boys basketball coach in Minnesota. Scott Stanfield has decided to resign after his seventh season at Brainerd High School, mainly because he can’t take parents any longer. Stanfield is a retired policeman.

“I go from a cop to this, and it’s one stressful job to another and it’s time for a break,” Stanfield said to the Brainerd Dispatch. “Coaching was worse. Coaching has been way worse. … If you win, it doesn’t matter. If you lose, it doesn’t matter. If their kid doesn’t get enough playing time — look out.”

That’s from a coach in Minnesota, but unfortunately it could come from a coach anywhere.

Not his school team

From the strange but true department: The WPIAL is bringing in Penn Hills administrators for a hearing next month to explain why the school used a wrestler in two tournaments and a match who doesn’t even go to Penn Hills. The wrestler attends Serra Catholic. WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley said Penn Hills apparently thought the wrestler could participate for Penn Hills because he lives in the district and Serra doesn’t have a wrestling team.

Wrong. Violation of PIAA and WPIAL rules.

Penn Hills, by the way, turned itself in to the WPIAL. The Indians forfeited the match that the wrestler participated in.

First Published: January 25, 2018, 12:00 p.m.