PA boys basketball: Meet the Top 7 players to watch in Butler County in 2025-26
The high school basketball season is nearly here. As with every year, the faces have changed.
Here are some of the Butler County boys hoops players you can expect to leave their footprint during the upcoming campaign, listed alphabetically:
Congdon, the Raiders’ 6-foot-6 post-playing big man, is one of four starters back this season. He was asked during a podcast appearance what other position he’d like to play.
“Of course, he said point guard,” Seneca Valley coach Kevin Trost said. “There are centers, but it’s not traditional anymore. ... A guy like Owen is invaluable for us. He does so many little things for us.”
Congdon feels he’s overshadowed but knows the impact he can make on a game.
“I’ve just really embraced my role of being the physical guy down low, getting the rebounds, getting the two points when we need it,” Congdon said.
After Jackson Bauman’s transfer to Moon, it’ll be Finucan’s show in Jefferson Township. As a junior, Finucan averaged approximately 14 points, three assists and three rebounds a game. He also has 1,080 points and is after the Knights’ program record for career points — Aaron Faulx’s 1,475.
First-year Knoch coach Joe Lafko wants him to blossom as a scorer.
“The first time I stepped into an open gym with Teegan, he passed up a jump shot I thought he should’ve taken,” Lafko said. “We weren’t even 10 mintues in. ... And I reminded him that the expectation for me to him is that he takes that shot.
“He has the green light.”
Forbes looks the part of a star in the making. He has an offer from Washington & Jefferson, but he has a skillset that could draw more collegiate attention.
“If Stainton’s healthy, he could be in the running for that same title of county player of the year,” Golden Tornado coach Matt Clement said. “I expect him to be healthy. ... He’s really improved. Just a really physically gifted dude that can jump and jump quick, is physically strong and can shoot it.”
Fredericks posted 20 points per game and was a 44.3% 3-point shooter for the Trojans as they reached the PIAA Class 4A semifinals last season. He earned an all-state selection for his efforts and has offers from Wooster, Westminster and Washington & Jefferson.
Peers voted the versatile Gettinger, who recently committed to Edinboro, to be the best player in the Butler County area this season in a Butler Eagle Basketball Media Day player poll. For good reason, too, being he pinned up 15.3 points, seven rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.6 blocks per outing last season.
“He was probably really unknown last year,” Clement said. “He’s gonna have eyes on him ... as far as defensively and game-planning against him and everything else.”
Lang, a 6-7 Allegheny College pledge, will play in a variety of spots for the Knights this season.
“Derek, I refer to as our unicorn, because he is so unique in his abilities,” Lafko said. “He’s playing some post, he’s playing some wing, he’s playing the point. A player of his size, with that skillset, that gives him the ability to play all of those different positions.”
Wroblewski put up 17.8 points per game and sank 40.8% of his 3-point attempts on the way to a first-team WPIAL all-section nod last season. One of two starters back for the Planets, he’ll take on more of a distributing role this time around.
“I think it helps,” Wroblewski said. “I think my role this year will probably be more of distributing the ball, passing the ball, getting someone (else) the ball. ... Just getting people involved.”
