On Thursday, MaxPreps released its 2023-24 preseason high-school basketball rankings, and a local team made the cut.
Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School was ranked as the No. 20 team in the nation, according to MaxPreps. Lincoln Park was the only team from Pennsylvania included in the top 25.
Lincoln Park has two highly-touted prospects on its roster: Pitt signee Brandin Cummings and five-star guard Meleek Thomas. Cummings is a senior this season, and Thomas is a junior.
Cummings officially signed his national letter of intent with Pitt on Thursday morning at the school, alongside his brother Nelly, Pitt’s 2022-23 point guard who is now playing professionally overseas. Thomas, a 6-foot-4 guard, is ranked as the No. 9 player in the class of 2025 nationally and the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania. Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, and other blue-blood programs have been all over Thomas in the recruiting process, as well as Pitt.
Pitt Commit Brandin Cummings to Officially Sign with Panthers
Last year’s Lincoln Park team won the PIAA Class 4A State Championship over Philadelphia powerhouse Neumann Goretti. As the clock ran down, Thomas drove to the basket and hit a game-winning floater to put the Leopards on top. After earning one last stop on the defensive end, Lincoln Park had won its third state championship.
