Class AAAAAA

Region 1

         Team                            Overall      Region
   No. 4 Tift County          17-2            3-0     
Lee County                       8-11             2-2
Colquitt County            3-12             2-2
Valdosta                             8-11            1-2 
Lowndes                             12-9             1-3  

No. 4 Tift County will likely go undefeated in South Georgia and wrap up the No. 1 seed out of Region 1. Bad news came down earlier this week as leading scorer, 6-foot-6 junior forward Preston Horne went down with an ACL injury and is having surgery. The big man averaged 16.9 points and 8.1 rebounds. Senior point guard Tyrie “Pig” Jackson is still in the fold and will be enough to keep the Blue Devils undefeated in region play. He’s posting 15.7 points a night. 6-foot-4 junior Fred Lloyd has filled in for Horne and will be an important piece moving forward.

Region 2

    Team                         Overall             Region
Tucker                         16-4                 6-0
No. 6 Newton             17-2                 5-1
Rockdale County   10-10               3-3
Lakeside                      13-6                 4-4
Lovejoy                       6-12                 2-4
Alcovy                          3-16                 0-6

Region 2 will come down to No. 6 Newton and perennial power Tucker. Newton hosts the Tigers this Friday in a critical rematch. The Rams shot 7-of-18 from the line in a 57-56 loss at Tucker earlier in the season. Coach Rick Rasmussen’s three-headed backcourt consisting of leading scorer junior JD Notate, senior Jaquan Simms and freshman Ashton Hagans has the Rams off to one of their best starts in school history, while 6-foot-5 sophomore DeAndrae Butler has given the perimeter oriented Rams legitimacy inside. Tucker has survived a potentially down-year thanks to junior Kenton Eskridge. The bowling ball guard has been the heart and soul of the team, getting every big bucket the Tigers need. Norcross transfer Amir Butcher and power forward Adonis Green have helped carry the load. Rockdale County likely won’t win the region, but they can play spoiler. They lost 61-58 at home vs Tucker and last week 64-63 at Tucker. Newton survived the Bulldogs in overtime, 99-94.

Region 3

          Team                          Overall             Region
No. 1 Westlake             13-2                 8-0
No. 7 Pebblebrook      13-7                 8-1
Douglas County            10-9                 5-4
Campbell                          13-5                 4-4
South Cobb                     12-7                 3-5
Langston Hughes        10-8                 3-5
Newnan                             9-10                 2-6
East Coweta                    4-15                 0-8

Thought to be the state’s most talented region, Region 2 hasn’t disappointed. No. 1 Westlake has fended off all challengers and hasn’t suffered an in-state loss yet. The transfer of Chuma Okeke to Westlake from Langston Hughes has successfully shifted the balance of power along with Ronald Bell jumping aboard from North Atlanta. No. 7 Pebblebrook started off the season shaky with defensive issues, but Coach George Washington has tightened the screws and the Falcons have begun getting stops when needed. Hillgrove transfer junior Collin Sexton and Auburn signee Jared Harper have formed one of the most explosive backcourts in years with both players averaging over 27 points per game. UNC signee Brandon Robinson has had a monstrous year pouring in over 25 points a night, but aside from an upset of 5A power McIntosh at Holiday Hoopsgiving in November, the Tigers have struggled against top tier competition. South Cobb and Campbell are both extremely dangerous with their abilities to score while Langston Hughes looks to control tempo and work for good shots as Khalil Cuffee and Derrick Cook power a talented backcourt.

Region 4

               Team                                Overall             Region
No. 8 McEachern                     16-3                 9-0
North Cobb                                 11-9                 7-2
Kennesaw Mountain                10-8               4-4
Osborne                                               4-9              4-4
Marietta                                          10-9                 4-5
Harrison                                          10-10               3-6
Hillgrove                                           9-10                 3-6
North Paulding                              7-13                 1-8

With Hillgrove’s downfall after the departure of Collin Sexton, Region 4 has become watered down and statistically the worst region in the state with no team looking like they can challenge No. 8 McEachern for the No. 1 seed. Length, athleticism and youth have propelled the Indians. Bryce Smith is quick inside and physical on the glass. Isaac Okoro, a 6-foot-5 freshman, has designs on going D1 and has displayed a diverse skillset that helps McEachern all over the floor. Isaac Martin is another freshman that has cut his teeth this year, sinking huge three-pointers late in the fourth quarter to help the Indians snag a signature win over McIntosh at the Lake City Classic. Seniors AJ Jones and Darius Jones give opposing guards fits with their speed and decision making. North Cobb is McEachern’s biggest threat with Kenny Ume and DJ Render, but the Warriors already suffered a 61-43 loss at McEachern on Dec. 14.

Region 5

           Team                        Overall           Region
No. 3 Wheeler             14-5                 10-0
Milton                         12-6                 9-1
Etowah                        10-9                 6-5
Pope                            9-9                   5-5
Woodstock                  10-9                 6-6
Cherokee                     9-11                 5-6
Roswell                       9-12                 5-7
Walton                         7-12                 3-9
Lassiter                         2-16                 0-10

The once proud Region 5 has drooped this season. Milton, with its slew of transfers, has been among the state’s biggest disappointments. The talent is there for Milton to be a top 10 team, but for some reason it just hasn’t come together. If the Eagles can’t get it together, No. 3 Wheeler will waltz into the state tournament with a No. 1 seed, looking to repeat as state champs. One storyline to keep an eye on is Woodstock’s vast improvement. Head Coach Kingston Clark is in his first season at the helm after stops at Pierce County, Lowndes and Cross Keys. Since the program began in 1996, the Wolverines have never made the state playoffs and their last winning record came in 2010, a 16-10 mark. A big part of Woodstock’s improvement has been the play of 6-foot-4 junior guard Tyreke Johnson, who gives the Wolverines their first true go-to player since 2012-13 when 6-foot-7 power forward Matt Scott roamed the paint.

Region 6

       Team                      Overall            Region
Lambert                       18-2                 13-0
Johns Creek               18-2                 12-1
Centennial                  11-10               9-4    
Alpharetta                   7-12                 7-5
Chattahoochee          11-8                 6-7
North Forsyth             6-11                 5-7
South Forsyth             9-11                 5-8
West Forsyth               5-15                 3-10
Northview                     6-14                 3-10
Habersham Central     3-17                 1-12     

In years past, Region 6 has come into question whether its top teams are legitimate title contenders or not. When Lambert fell from the top ten after a 73-37 spanking at the hands of No. 8 McEachern at the Lake City Classic, I thought I had my answer. But a 93-67 bounce back win over a struggling, yet talented Milton team, made me change my mind again. The Longhorns might not win the state championship, but Head Coach Scott Bracco has a deep team with a ton of options that can compete with anyone in the state. 6-foot-7 twin towers Connor Mannion (Navy) and Ross Morkem (North Georgia) are tough to handle inside and can manhandle opposing teams on the glass. Shooting guard Tanner Hall and point guard Andrew Melms are both threats to go off any night and the improvement of sophomore Austin Deckard from deep gives Bracco five sturdy options. It is no doubt a two horse race in this region with Johns Creek emerging as one of the state’s best turnarounds, improving from 14-15 last year to 18-2 this season, the school’s most wins in a season by far. The Gladiators’ only losses have come to Brookwood 65-62 in overtime in the Deep South Classic and at Lambert 64-53. Coach Pete Goggin’s roster is heavy on upperclassmen. Seniors Mark Lancaster (15.1), Mason Henkel (13.3) and Ian Joseph (9.6) lead the way for Johns Creek. Another senior, Miles Clay, also averages over nine a night.

Region 7

          Team                     Overall           Region
No. 2 Norcross            17-2                 9-0
Duluth                              13-6                 7-1
No. 10 Collins Hill      16-3                 6-3
Peachtree Ridge          11-8                 5-3
Mountain View           12-8                 3-6
Mill Creek                       10-9                 3-6
Meadowcreek              6-13                 1-8
North Gwinnett          4-14                 1-8

No. 2 Norcross edged No. 10 Collins Hill 50-48 last night at home to all but eliminate the Eagles from taking the top seed in the region unless both Norcross and Duluth falter. Speaking of Duluth, Coach Eddie Hood preached “addition by subtraction” after losing Anthony Showell (St. Francis) and AJ Cheeseman (Collins Hill) to transfers in the offseason. Only three seniors are now on the roster. Javis Diaz leads the team in scoring with over 15 points per game while Obinna Ofodile has continued to control the paint both on the boards and with his shot blocking ability. Sophomores Will Huzzie, Adam Flagler and mid-season addition Lamont Smith have provided fire power. 6-foot-10 freshman Alex Powell has continued to improve and gives Hood possibly the best inside length in the state. The Wildcats lost to Norcross 69-53 on Jan. 8 and get their next crack on Feb. 2 at Norcross. Mountain View, coming off a 6-20 year, has been a pleasant surprise with 12 wins and a nucleus of young players that will only improve. Peachtree Ridge has been sneaky good behind Markel McCollum, Jeremiah Starks and Milz Tatum.

Region 8

      Team                          Overall          Region
No. 5 Shiloh                 14-4                 8-2
No. 9 Dacula                14-4                 7-2
Berkmar                         12-7                 7-3
Grayson                         16-3                 7-3
Brookwood                 14-5                 6-4
Central Gwinnett     8-8                   5-5
Parkview                       8-10                 2-7
Archer                           6-13                1-9
South Gwinnett        5-13                 1-9

Last night’s 61-58 Central Gwinnett upset of No. 2 Shiloh has shaken the region and even the state picture to its core as the balance of power in Gwinnett County has shifted from Region 7 last year to Region 8 this year. Shiloh has now lost two straight region games, the first coming on Jan. 16 at No. 9 Dacula, 66-57. Before the Dacula loss Shiloh’s last in-state regular season defeat was on Feb. 7, 2014 at Archer. The last time the Generals lost back-to-back region games? It’s been over five years. There is now a log jam atop the standings with all four teams in the mix, with Brookwood waiting in the weeds as one of the most dangerous teams in the region. Shiloh (Josh Okogie – GT), Dacula (Kevon Tucker – Wofford) and Berkmar (Al Durham – Indiana) all have D1 star power. Grayson relies on Alphonso Willis and Austin Dukes, two tough as nails guards, while Brookwood has a mixture of youth and upperclassmen making contributions. Bubba Parham, a junior, leads the Broncos in scoring at 16 per. Senior point guard Micah Kinsey is the engine for Coach Daniel Bowles, posting 11.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 4.3 steals per contest. Sean Agnant, Trae Higginbotham and 6-foot-7 sophomore Amari Kelly round out the Brookwood balance.