May 24, 2024 By Rob Burchianti 7 min read

Jamire Braxton is looking forward to taking the next step in his academic and basketball careers at Garrett College.

He has one last game to play as a representative of the Uniontown Red Raiders though.

Braxton is among 15 area senior players who have been invited to play in the Roundball Classic this weekend at North Allegheny High School.

The 6-foot-2 guard/forward will play for the Class 4A Team against the Class 3A Team at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Braxton is entering that game with the same thought process he took into every other high school game he played.

“My goal going in is to win the game,” Braxton said. “I guess then maybe get MVP, too. That’d be nice.”

Braxton is one of only four local players to confirm they are playing in the Roundball Classic, joining Beth-Center’s Brody Tharp (Class 1A/City/2A Silver Team), Waynesburg Central’s Kaley Rohanna (Class 3A/1A Team) and California’s Rakiyah Porter (Class 2A/District 10 Team).

Those invited who are unable to attend their game are Braxton’s Uniontown teammate Jeremiah Hager (Class 4A Team), Southmoreland’s Ty Keffer (Class 4A Team), Carmichaels’ Dominic Colarusso (Class 1A/City/2A Silver Team), Monessen’s Lorenzo Gardner (Class 1A/City/2A Silver Team) and Hailey Johnson (Class 3A/1A Team), and Charleroi’s Bella Carroto (Class 3A/1A Team).

Five other area players invited whose availability for their games was unclear were Yough’s Terek Crosby (Class 3A Team), Austin Mattews (Class 3A Team) and Autumn Matthews (Class 3A/1A Team), Belle Vernon’s Kenzi Seliga (Class 4A/City Team) and Elizabeth Forward’s Alyssa Terza (Class 4A/City Team).

Three junior local players – Uniontown’s Notorious Grooms and Calvin Winfrey III, and Belle Vernon’s Zion Moore – were confirmed to have been invited to play in the Roundball Classic Rising Stars games for underclassmen, although Winfrey will not be able to participate due to a scheduling conflict. Their game will be played 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Braxton, the Herald-Standard Boys Basketball Player of the Year, was happy to be selected for the Roundball Classic.

“I felt good to hear I was picked to play in it,” Braxton said. “I’m not nervous about playing in it but it is important to me in that it’s the last a lot of people will get to see me play before college.”

Red Raiders coach Rob Kezmarsky felt Braxton was an obvious choice.

“The Roundball Classic is a great way to end his (high school) career,” Kezmarsky said. “He is well deserving to be playing with some of the best players in the WPIAL. I’m so happy for Jamire.”

As for his college choice, Braxton said he received some advice from a relative that swayed him to Garrett College.

“I found Garrett through my older cousin (Gavin Jackson) who plays there,” Braxton said. “He told me he thought I’d be a good fit and I went and watched them play a few games and I did like their style of play. I thought the same thing, that I think I’d fit in good there.”

Braxton’s other options were Community College of Allegheny County or Westmoreland County Community College. He will play guard for the Lakers.

Braxton, one of the best players on a team many regarded as among the best in the state this past season, reflected on his high school career as he pondered his future.

“I’m just humbled that I was on such a great team,” Braxton said. “Playing with guys like Tori and Calvin, those are my childhood friends and it felt so great to play on the same team as them and have the success that we had.”

Tharp, a 6-2 guard, had plenty of success also, especially from beyond the 3-point arc, for the Bulldogs. Tharp made enough 3-pointers to put him near the top of that category in the state for Class AA players.

Beth-Center coach Scott Bower, whose son Andrew was invited to play in the Roundball Classic in 2020 only to have the event canceled due to the covid pandemic, was grateful that Tharp was chosen.

“Brody is an excellent ball player and a good kid,” Bower said. “He was one of those guys who did whatever he could for the team. He might score just a couple baskets one game but help out in other ways, then the next game drop in like 30. He was always about the game and the program and what we were trying to do.

“He was a true leader, our leading scorer and our team MVP. He definitely deserves to play in the Roundball Classic and I’m just so happy he’s getting the chance to do that.”

Tharp’s Class 1A/City/2A Silver Team will take on the District 10 Team at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

On the girls side, Rohanna’s Class 3A/1A Team will go up against Porter’s Class 2A/District 10 Team at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Porter, who will play for the University of Pitt-Greensburg next season, was a bit apprehensive when she heard she had been chosen to play in the Roundball Classic.

“I didn’t know I was going to get invited to play until my coach (Melanie Greco) informed me of that,” Porter said. “When I first found out I was scared almost because I know there are a lot of talented girls playing. But at the same time I feel it will challenge me. It was a big eye-opener to see who I was going to be playing against, and basically preparing myself for this. I think a game like this will help prepare me a little bit for college.”

While a majority of players aren’t shy about launching shots when it comes to playing in an all-star game, Porter is taking the opposite approach.

“I’m not going to look to score as much,” she said. “I hope I get a few points but I don’t think I’m going to be dropping 20 like I did in the regular season. I’m looking forward to reading the court and getting some assists and playing good defense, maybe getting a couple steals.”

Rohanna, who ended her high school career as Waynesburg’s second all-time leading scorer with 1,510 points, will not be playing basketball in college so the Roundball Classic will be her final game.

“I’m honored to be chosen for the Roundball Classic and am looking forward to playing with girls who used to be my opponents and competitors,” Rohanna said. “I’m excited and ready to be finished with basketball. I’ll always miss playing with my best friends in Waynesburg, and it’s kind of bittersweet this will be the last time they see me play.

“I wish I could get one more chance to play with them, but it’s time to start new chapters.”

Two other seniors with local connections selected to play in the Roundball Classic were Eli Teslovich (Class 3A Team) of Shadyside Academy and Westley Burchianti (Class 1A/City/2A Silver Team) of Avella.

Burchianti is the grandson of Margaret Burchianti of Masontown.

Teslovich is the son of Brian Teslovich and former Geibel Catholic and Brownsville basketball star Cara Davis Teslovich of Belle Vernon and the grandson of Brownsville native Jim Davis.