Class AAAAAAA

1. McEachern
2. Collins Hill
3. Woodstock
4. West Forsyth
5. Archer
6. Grayson
7. Campbell
8. North Paulding
9. Norcross
10. Cherokee

Class AAAAAA

1. Westlake
2. Buford
3. Carrollton
4. Langston Hughes
5. Kell
6. Sprayberry
7. Lovejoy
8. Grovetown
9. Sequoyah
10. Rockdale County

Class AAAAA

1. Forest Park
2. Woodward Academy
3. Southwest DeKalb
4. Loganville
5. Maynard Jackson
6. Cass
7. Griffin
8. Tri-Cities
9. Jones County
10. New Manchester

Class AAAA

1. Troup County
2. Jefferson
3. Carver-Columbus
4. McDonough
5. Arabia Mountain
6. Luella
7. Druid Hills
8. Spalding
9. Flowery Branch
10. Madison County

Class AAA

1. GAC
2. Johnson-Savannah
3. Beach
4. Cross Creek
5. Rockmart
6. Stephens County
7. Cedar Grove
8. Sonoraville
9. Westminster
10. Coahulla Creek

Class AA

1. Early County
2. Washington County
3. Rabun County
4. Josey
5. Vidalia
6. Laney
7. Northeast-Macon
8. Fannin County
9. Chattooga
10. Elbert County

Class A-Private

1. Hebron Christian
2. Holy Innocents’
3. Mt. Paran
4. St. Francis
5. Galloway
6. Wesleyan
7. Greenforest
8. Trinity Christian
9. Calvary Day
10. ELCA

Class A-Public

1. Calhoun County
2. Greenville
3. Clinch County
4. Turner County
5. Wilcox County
6. Central-Talbotton
7. GMC
8. Lake Oconee Academy
9. ECI
10. Mitchell County

 

Class 7A

Welcome to the 2020-21 season where nothing can be taken for granted. With the season start pushed back, coaches will be in hyperdrive to prepare their teams. A new classification cycle begins this year, shuffling around the state’s best teams and giving us a lot to digest. Opening atop the heap in Class 7A is No. 1 McEachern. The Indians are four seasons removed from their last state title in 2017 which capped a run of four straight, which Westlake looks to accomplish now in 6A. McEachern finished 19-10 with a 61-40 Elite Eight loss to Collins Hill. The Eagles thought that with the removal of Westlake, life would finally be much easier but instead, the Indians have loaded up in Powder Springs, adding two-time reigning Class A-Private Player of the Year 6-foot-4 four-star prospect Jillian Hollingshead (16.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.6 spg) along with 5-foot-10 junior Kaela Ward (Holy Spirit Prep) and 5-foot-7 junior Kristen Roche (Hillgrove). Hollingshead is now the centerpiece on a team with elite guard play paced by seniors Denim DeShields (16.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 6.8 apg, 3 spg – Indiana State), Sianny Sanchez-Oliver (Delaware State), Kiarah Cole-Massiah (8.8 ppg) and Jayda Lowe along with junior Caelan Ellis (13.5 ppg; 92 3PT). For once, No. 2 Collins Hill who finished 31-1 with a 72-53 loss to Westlake in the title game will try to counter with a little more cohesion than usual. 6-foot-2 Sacha Washington is a Purdue-commit that has averaged a double-double over the course of her career. Three-point shooter Eden Sample is headed to Old Dominion while Aniecia Malone (North Greenville), Jailah Clark-Jones (UNCG) and 6-foot-4 LaCambria Shakespeare (Alabama A&M) have all pledged to play at the next level. On paper, the gap between McEachern and Collins Hill and the rest of Class 7A is fairly large, but not as big as when Westlake dominated the classification. Slotting in at No. 3 is Woodstock. The Wolverines had a terrific season at 23-5 but were bit by the injury bug at the wrong time. They lost Sophia Singer (Western Carolina) early in the season before losing third-leading scorer Karson Martin (9.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.2 apg, 2.5 spg) late in the year, ending her freshman campaign prematurely. The Wolverines will need to replace Carly Henderson’s 13 points per game, but the engine that makes Woodstock run is back in the form of All-State guard 5-foot-6 junior Bridget Utberg. The flashy playmaker averaged 19.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals per game. Coach Regina Tate-Leslie will look to build on last year’s premature first round exit to Campbell 48-42, a game in which speed and turnovers killed the Wolverines. 6-foot-3 Savannah Casey is a Georgia College-commit and returns as the team’s leading rebounder and shot blocker, posting 8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.7 blocks per game. Also added to the interior is 6-foot-1 sophomore Casey Miller who transfers in from Northside-Columbus. Keep an eye out for the growth of sophomore Sara Grace Bertolini in the backcourt. No. 4 West Forsyth improved from 16-12 to 20-8 with a gritty first round loss at Norcross 37-31. The Wolverines may be ready to take the torch from North Forsyth who has owned the region the past few seasons but sees many cornerstones finally graduate. Coach David May has a great core behind juniors Calie Thrower (15.2 ppg, 2.8 apg, 1.8 spg), Cayla Cowart (11.5 ppg, 7 rpg) and Kalie Thrower (8 ppg, 1.3 apg, 1.5 spg). If the Wolverines are able to win Region 6, it will have been well-earned. North Forsyth has a core of shooters in juniors Ali Jones, Anna Gliatta and Haelim Adle along with experienced senior Lily Bales and 6-foot junior post Maddie Erickson. Forsyth Central is led by UMass-commit Aisha Dabo, 5-foot-10 junior Jillian Bretz and 6-foot senior Elizabeth Pruitt. No. 5 Archer boasts the 2019-20 Class 7A Freshman of the Year in 5-foot-11 Taniya McGowan who averaged 14.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.4 steals. Also back is leading scorer senior guard Cazia Nelson (15.3 ppg, 2.3 apg, 3 spg) for a team that went 17-11 with a Sweet 16 berth before running into buzzsaw Westlake. The Tigers have impactful size around the rim in 6-foot-1 seniors Maya Jackson and Thailand Smith. No. 6 Grayson is back in the mix after a 19-10 season saw them lose in the Sweet 16 to Cherokee 74-53. Junior Catherine Alben (12.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.8 apg, 3 spg) is a dynamic athlete in the open floor. She is joined by South Alabama-commit Nadia Howard who missed all of last season with a knee injury. Junior Tylia Kemp (7.5 ppg) returns with experience while 6-foot-1 Kourtney Rittenberry has transferred in from South Gwinnett for her senior season along with 5-foot-11 junior Sariya Henry, who makes the move from Loganville. 6-foot freshman swingman Erin Rodgers could log important minutes and be a key part of the future. No. 7 Campbell always finds themselves in a competitive position. They have broken away from Westlake, but see the Lions replaced by the newest frontrunner in 7A, McEachern. The Spartans lose a ton of length and speed from their 23-8 Final Four team that lost to Collins Hill 54-37 with the graduation of sisters Jameah and Jaleah Alston. The press will look a little different, but the offense will still have reliable guards in junior Sarah Taub (9.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.1 apg, 3.1 spg), a North Florida-commit, and junior Nia Bozeman (8.6 ppg). Junior Laila Battle (5.1 ppg) will be asked to step up for Coach Randy McClure. No. 8 North Paulding is powered by the interior. 5-foot-9 junior Aliyah Washington (12 ppg, 8 rpg) is one of the toughest players in Georgia. She is flanked by 6-foot-3 Alabama-commit Taylor Cullinan who can dominate stretches of the game. Senior guards Caroline Ariaz and Speedy Olivera are reliable in the backcourt as pressure on-ball defenders. The Wolfpack will need consistent scoring from the outside to help ease the heavy load placed on Washington and Cullinan. No. 9 Norcross has talent in the form of seniors Mariah Baltierra (9.2 ppg, 2.5 apg, 2.2 spg) and Devyne Turner (8.9 ppg, 1.9 spg). 5-foot-10 junior Zaria Hurston provides some size and rebounding (5.1 rpg). Sophomore Kayla Lindsey had good moments in her first season. The Blue Devils will need to identify where their offense will come from in order to reach their potential. A large senior class exits No. 10 Cherokee. The Warriors lose Sydne Watts (Navy), Chatham Brown (Shorter) and Ashlyn Andrus (Limestone) but go back to work with 6-foot-3 Furman-commit Kate Johnson (10 ppg, 10 rpg, 4 bpg) and a skilled junior class that should slide in nicely headlined by 6-foot Keimarya Rivera, Presli Clark, Lilly Griffith, Skylar Edwards and Karoline Karl. Senior Haylee Donley brings athleticism to the perimeter and sophomore Elle Kenney is a knockdown three-point shooter.

Class 6A

Hands down, the toughest classification in Georgia is Class 6A, home to two defending state champions (7A-Westlake & 5A-Buford) and two runners-up (5A-Kell & 6A-Glynn Academy). Even with that being said, No. 1 Westlake is the overwhelming favorite to four-peat and is the best team in the state of Georgia. The Lions have now won 78-straight games against Georgia competition and have not lost since five-star South Carolina-commit Raven Johnson (15.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.9 apg, 4.3 spg) the two-time reigning Class 7A Player of the Year first donned the Blue and Black.  The Lions lose some firepower in Carlyse Hooks (ETSU) and 6-foot-5 Lydia Freeman (Georgia Southern), but 6-foot-2 defensive ace Virginia Tech-commit Brianna Turnage (7.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2 apg, 1.6 spg, 1.9 bpg) and leading scorer 5-foot-8 junior Ta’Niya Latson (16.3 ppg) are back. Players like 6-foot senior Misia McKinney and 5-foot-11 junior Camerah Langston are coming off strong summers and should help anchor the Lions in the paint where Freeman leaves a hole. Olympia Chaney (UT Arlington) has transferred to Forest Park, leaving a void on the perimeter. While there may be a few more questions marks than there were last season, it’s nearly impossible to pick against the GHSA’s most dominant dynasty in the past five years. If anyone had the X’s and O’s to beat Westlake however, it would be No. 2 Buford. The four-time defending state champs and winners of five out of the last six jump up from Class 5A. They outlasted Kell 66-63 in the title game and lose just two seniors, highlighted by Furman’s Tate Walters. Back in 2018-19, the two teams met and saw Buford put up a 58-51 fight – the second tightest margin of victory for Westlake over the past two years, the others: 60-53 over Collins Hill in the 2018-19 Class 7A championship and last season’s 55-52 win over Lovejoy. Buford’s continuity from last year’s 31-1 team sees point guard Ashyia Willis (Georgia College) return along with sharpshooter Blair Wallis, Sara Viti, 6-foot junior Tamori Plantin and junior guard Tatum Ozment. Sophomores 6-foot wing Olivia Orsley, Samiya Wayne and Kirby Wallis will vie for playing time in a crowded rotation that sees highly touted freshmen Jayla Gudz, Alyssa Green and Ava Watson, a 5-foot-8 combo guard with an Alabama offer already, enter the fold. No. 3 Carrollton may have been the third-best team in Class 5A last season. They fell to Kell by 7, 2 and 1-point and finished the year 20-11 with a 58-47 loss to Buford in the Elite Eight. Vanderbilt-commit De’Mauri Flournoy is a star that can do everything at 5-foot-7. She averaged 19.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.9 steals while hitting 84-216 threes (39%). The Trojans’ top four players return along with game-changing junior 5-foor-4 Kehinde Obasuyi, who missed her entire sophomore season after tearing her ACL in a preseason scrimmage. The lefty is a speed merchant that can score all over the floor. She returns to action alongside 5-foot-11 sophomore Kanija Daniel. The Alabama-offeree does a little bit of everything with her aggressive athleticism. She posted 13.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.7 steals. Sophomore Eghosa Obasuyi netted 8 points per game as a freshman and senior Jenee Edwards brings a rugged presence in the paint at 5-foot-10, averaging 4.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1 block a year ago. No. 4 Langston Hughes has been quickly rising up the ranks under Coach Xavier Trice, improving from 9-12 to 20-9 to 24-6 last season with a win over a hobbled Lovejoy team in the Elite Eight before falling to Glynn Academy in the Final Four 59-38. The Panthers are in a tough Region 4 that features No. 1 Westlake and No. 7 Lovejoy. Langston Hughes returns their core led by reigning Region Player of the Year junior Ta’Mia Stargell, playmaking senior point guard Autumn Phillips, three-point specialist senior Damesha Cain and versatile junior forward Raven Thompson. The Panthers have quality size in Derika Davis and Tianna Dismuke to help do the dirty work. No. 5 Kell fell in dramatic fashion to Buford in last year’s Class 5A title game after improving from 11-15 and winning their first 32 games before the championship. The Longhorns loaded their roster with key 2023 players led by superstar guard 5-foot-6 Crystal Henderson, one of the state’s most lethal shooters who averaged 18.6 points, 4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.8 steals as a freshman while shooting 38% from three. Losing sophomore Jamiah Gregory is a huge loss to Kell’s dynamic style of play. The freakishly talented athlete announced the end of her playing career on September 4^th after being diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Jada Green will have an opportunity to step up in her place. 5-foot-11 junior Amaya Moss was crucial inside with her efficiency around the basket, posting 8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 steals. Seniors Makyah Favors and Sylvia Kahoro provide outside shooting to help stretch the floor. No. 6 Sprayberry made a late run once All-State standout Flau’jae Johnson was ruled eligible. The 6-foot junior guard had a breakout offseason which saw her net offers from a plethora of High Major programs. She is one of the most dynamic players the state has to offer and will once again carry the Yellow Jackets along with 6-foot-1 sophomore center Anna Vereen, who averaged 10.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.7 blocks. Sprayberry graduates just two seniors and has key pieces Amaya Johnson, Ella Grace Hickman and Janelle McDaniel back. No. 7 Lovejoy won’t have as big a target on their back as years past as Genesis Bryant (North Carolina State) and Anaya Boyd (Georgia Tech) have graduated, but the Wildcats have a new crop of talent in the mix headlined by 6-foot-1 junior Layla Hood, who averaged 19.3 points, 16.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks at Elite Scholars Academy. Lovejoy will be tough inside considering 6-foot-1 junior Bryana Hardy will be back to help anchor the paint as well. Senior Mariah Spain should see an increased role in the backcourt as will Asha Shareef in the frontcourt. Sophomores La’Nya Foster and Ayana Boyd could add a scoring punch, but Boyd injured her knee late in the summer and will be working her way back. Freshman guard Bryanna Preston is a 5-foot-9 dynamic playmaker who will make an immediate impact filling in for Boyd and Bryant and looks to be the next great guard on McDonough Road. No. 8 Grovetown returns their top four players from last year’s 19-7 Sweet 16 team in Region Player of the Year 6-foot-1 junior Keona Curtis, senior Jada Porter, senior Aniyah Jones and junior D’Mya Griffin. The Warriors fell to Douglas County 41-39 to end their season but emerged throughout the year as one of Augusta’s best squads, making a season-opening statement by beating Laney 64-61. No. 9 Sequoyah will be battle-tested with a tough non-region schedule and a once young team that is now coming of age. The Chiefs finished 19-11, upsetting defending state champion Lanier in the first round on an Elle Blatchford buzzer-beating three before falling to eventual state runner-up Glynn Academy 67-50. Blatchford, a sophomore, is the straw that stirs the drink. The 5-foot-10 point guard averaged 11 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.8 steals as a freshman. The Chiefs return their entire starting five with junior A’ryn Jackson (9 ppg, 6.3 rpg), senior Deja Rakestraw (8.6 ppg), junior Kayli Hamby (7.7 ppg) and junior Susanna Rogers (6.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2 spg) all back for Year 2 under Coach Chris Yarbrough. Junior Amy Singh has made strides in the offseason and will play a bigger role after picking up an offer from LaGrange in October. Sequoyah will be in a slugfest to stay atop Region 7 and in the Top 10 as Cambridge (24-6), Johns Creek (19-12), Riverwood (21-7) and River Ridge (14-13) all could challenge for the top spot in the grouping. No. 10 Rockdale County rounds out the seemingly endless Class 6A which could see 15-20 different teams earn time in the poll. The Bulldogs will battle with No. 8 Grovetown and Heritage-Conyers (18-11) throughout the year. The Bulldogs aren’t complete strangers to their new Region 3 rivals. Rockdale lost to Heritage 44-41 but beat Grovetown 53-47. The Bulldogs drop down from Class 7A where they finished 22-8, beating Archer to win their first region title since 1984 and recording their first 20-win season since 2004 in Year 2 under Region 8-7A Coach of the Year Sean Turley. Their season ended in the Sweet 16 to Campbell as the Bulldogs could only muster six points in the second half and saw a two-point lead turn into a 50-25 loss against Campbell. Rockdale, just like Heritage, returns their top five players. 5-foot-11 senior Shaquice May is a dynamic playmaker and scorer that averaged 12.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 steals. Senior Alana Moore (9.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and sophomores Lia Edwards (8.2 ppg) and Nylah Williams (8.2 ppg, 7 rpg) round out a balanced attack.

Class 5A

On paper, two teams stand above the rest in Class 5A and they both reside in Region 3. No. 1 Forest Park drops down after capturing the Class 6A state title, their first since 1970. 6-foot-4 five-star senior Sania Feagin is the reigning Gatorade Player of the Year in Georgia and a South Carolina-commit. She can control games when she wants to, averaging 17 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3 steals and 3.6 blocks per game. The Panthers lose four key seniors – three of their top five leading scorers. Presbyterian-commit 6-foot-1 Jasmine Stevens (7.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg) must bring her game to the next level in support of Feagin. Replacing Joi Reid (Western Carolina), Jasmine Jacob and Janaya Jones in the backcourt may be challenging at first. The late addition of UT Arlington-commit Olympia Chaney (Westlake) strengthens the guard rotation and gives Coach Steven Cole a knockdown three-point shooter. Senior Jordynn Webster (5 ppg) and sophomore Jayda Brown (4.9 ppg) will see big bumps in role. Region 3-5A First Teamer 5-foot-7 senior Ghylissa Knowles has moved in from Fayette County to add stability. The Panthers have some impactful young size in their freshman class that could see some minutes. No. 2 Woodward Academy has all the pieces and star-power to contend for their first title of the new millennium. The War Eagles exploded onto the scene, improving from 9-19 to 27-4 as five-star 6-foot junior guard Sydney Bowles (25.1 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.5 apg, 5 spg) saw some major talent added to her supporting cast. Woodward Academy fell in the Elite Eight to Carver-Columbus 70-63 but returns their top seven players. Senior guard Kai Lanier is a sparkplug defensively that harasses ballhandlers. The daughter of Georgia State Men’s Basketball Head Coach Rob Lanier averaged 11.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.5 steals. 6-foot-1 sophomore Sara Lewis posted 11.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.1 blocks and has taken a major jump over the offseason with her consistent play and reliable motor. 6-foot-2 junior MacKenzie Moring provides great length inside as a defensive anchor that tallied 7.6 points, 5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. No. 3 Southwest DeKalb is in a very favorable region that shows St. Pius X (21-7) as their top resistance to winning another region title. The Panthers lose Region Player of the Year Jayla Kimbrough but return outstanding size and length in seniors 6-foot-2 Taylor Christmas, 6-foot-1 Adrieanna Brownlee and 5-foot-9 wiry wing Pryia Thompson. Brownlee is a bruiser inside that can score with her back to the basket while Christmas can do the same but also stretch the floor from the three-point line. Senior guard Aniyah Lee will have big ballhandling responsibilities and is coming off a Second Team All-Region selection. Senior Lauryn Bell will be a key cog in the backcourt. The Panthers finished 21-7 and a perfect 14-0 in region play before falling to Rome 59-56 in the opening round of state. Continuing the theme of great frontcourts, No. 4 Loganville struck gold with the addition of 5-foot-11 Lenior-Rhyne-commit Rose Bone, who moves over after being named First Team All-Region 8-A at Athens Academy. Bone slots in next to All-Region player 6-foot Janae Charles and junior wing Sydney Bolden. The Red Devils also welcome in 6-foot-3 freshman Emaya Lewis, a potential defensive game-changer in due time. Loganville will enter with confidence, coming off a 20-8 campaign that saw no bad losses. The Red Devils fell 43-42 to Lithia Springs in the first round. No. 5 Maynard Jackson has no shortage of talent but it hasn’t quite clicked yet outside of region play. The Jaguars finished 20-9 last season and have gone 57-23 with a 37-4 region record over the past three seasons but haven’t advanced past the Sweet 16. Last year’s team fell 59-55 to Woodland-Stockbridge in the second round. The Jags are set to return five of their top six players led by 6-foot-1 junior Xaviera Dyer (9.2 ppg), 6-foot-2 Delaware State-commit Unique Miller (8.2 ppg), senior Sherion Cooper (7 ppg), senior Patsy Mosley (6.5 ppg) and senior Kristian Jewsome (6.4 ppg). No. 6 Cass has finally broken away from the tortuous Region 7 which housed powers Kell (32-1 – State Runner-Up), Carrollton (20-11 – Elite Eight), Rome (20-10 – Sweet 16) and Villa Rica (22-7) and are better for it. The Colonels held their own against the elites, going 17-9 and 8-8 in region but getting shutout of a postseason berth. They are now the team to beat in the newly shaped Region 7 that sees familiar foe Hiram (13-13) as one of their top contenders along with Calhoun (18-12). Cass is anchored by budding star 6-foot-1 junior Claire Davis, a do-everything player that can play every position. She was a First Team All-Region selection after pouring in 19.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2 steals and 3.1 blocks per game. She gets help from 5-foot-9 senior Londaisha Smith, a defensive standout that stuffs the stat sheet in her own way. Coach Burt Jackson has trustworthy guards in junior Haley Johnson and Kell move-in Gracie Elkins, a three-point shooter that has worked her way back from an ACL tear that cost her her junior season. No. 7 Griffin is young, but they are now experienced led by their robust sophomore class headlined by High Major target 6-foot-2 Samiah Puckett (6.3 ppg). The Region Freshman of the Year is joined by Leah Turner (10.3 ppg) and Aaliyah Duranham (8.2 ppg) to round out the 2023 class. 6-foot junior Nadiyah Byard (4.4 ppg) is still a little raw offensively, but she’s got extreme length and is a vocal energy giver that has a Brianna Turnage type game. The Bears finished 19-11 with a 47-44 loss to Veterans in the opening round of the tournament. At 15-10, No. 8 Tri-Cities has some momentum heading into the season even though they lost five of their last six games and fell to Johns Creek 60-51 in the first round. The Bulldogs expect to return their top four – all seniors: Shyni McGee (14.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg), Jayla Thompson (13.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Anica Roberts (10.7 ppg) and Kelly Satterwhite (6.2 ppg). No. 9 Jones County pieced together a 24-6 season with an Elite Eight loss to Kell 64-54. The veteran leadership and scoring provided by Region Player of the Year Lu Woolfolk will need to be replaced by the Greyhounds but Jones County has a star in sophomore Jada Morgan. Expect the 5-foot-7 guard to go on scoring binges throughout the year as she powers the offense. Sophomore Kimmya Epps will be ready to see more responsibility in the backcourt while 6-foot-2 senior Camryn James is back from injury and will provide a whole new dynamic to the Greyhounds after missing her junior season. No. 10 New Manchester slides into the bottom of the rankings to start the year. High Major prospect 6-foot-2 junior Kharyssa Richardson leads the way after averaging 13 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. The Jaguars finished 13-13 last year, missing the postseason but return Richardson, junior Kamryn Bates (10.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.8 apg, 3 spg), senior Hannah Wright (9.1 ppg) and junior India Johnson (6.9 ppg). Coach Vincent Parks is bullish on Bates’ upside and believes she could become an All-State performer.

Class 4A

Improving from 17-9 to 27-2 but falling short in the state championship, Troup County opens up at No. 1 as they return all of their key pieces except leading scorer Amber Gilbert. 6-foot junior Aniya Palmer is garnering High Major interest after posting 11.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.4 steals and 2.9 blocks per game. She is flanked by tenacious sophomore forward Alexcia Murphy who added 9.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.2 steals. An improving backcourt consists of seniors Jada Green and Darnesheyuna McCollough and juniors Samarria Weldon and Moniya Murphy, all scrappy defenders. Keep an eye on freshman guard Angie Dowdell. She could see important minutes early in her career. In at No. 2 is Jefferson. The Dragons ended their season 25-5 with a 54-51 loss to eventual state champion GAC in the Elite Eight. Only one key contributor is gone however. North Georgia-commit Livi Blackstock and junior Deshona Gaither power an aggressive trapping defense. 5-foot-10 junior Natalia Bolden is finally back after tearing her ACL on May 17, 2019 and getting cleared to play on July 28 this summer. She will be joined by senior Courtney Kidd, who made strides in her absence. No. 3 Carver-Columbus will attempt to reclaim their throne but will have to do so without All-American Olivia Cochran (Louisville). The Tigers struggled without her in the Final Four last season, getting eliminated 56-47 by Troup County and finishing their year 26-5. Coach Anson Hundley will still have great size however in senior twin towers 6-foot-3 Enyshaun Jones and 6-foot-2 Khamya Edmonds. Senior D’Miya Beacham returns with big game experience and will be relied upon to take the load off of 5-foot-10 freakishly athletic wing Kionna Gaines, who is committed to play at Clemson. Gaines will have to prove she can consistently score throughout the season as the focal point of the offense to keep Carver in title contention. No. 4 McDonough has plenty of talent to take a deep run. They finished 17-13 with a 58-48 loss to Troup County in the Elite Eight. Patechia Hartman slides over a chair to become head coach and has seniors Sky Watters (14.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.5 spg), Nya Pope (13.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and Alabama A&M-commit Ja’Niah Alexander (12.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 4.2 apg, 3.2 spg) all back to lead the way. Finding an effective post presence would help the Warhawks mightily. No. 5 Arabia Mountain was outstanding outside of when they played Southwest DeKalb, who they no longer have to worry about. The Rams finished 24-6 with three losses coming to the Panthers. Arabia Mountain fell in the Elite Eight to Woodland-Stockbridge 60-53 but return five of their top six. Senior Jordyn Ward led the team in scoring at 11.9 points while junior Keyonna Giles added 10.4 points and rising sophomore Myori Pruitt tacked on 10.1 points and a DeKalb County-best 5.9 assists and 5.2 steals per game. Senior Sydney Bunkley added 8.3 points and junior Mikayla Jameson was effective in the paint at 9.3 points, 7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks as a sophomore. Arabia Mountain now adds 5-foot-5 freshman point guard Malaya Jones into the mix, a dynamic playmaker that makes everyone around her better. Don’t be surprised if she earns All-Region honors in her first year. 25-6 a year ago, No. 6 Luella will be almost completely retooled as stars Keely Brown (Fresno State) and Paris Miller (Johns Creek) have graduated and transferred, respectively. Coach Latoya Brown has intimidating enforcers inside in Furman-commit 6-foot-1 Jada Session (6.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and 6-foot-1 sophomore Arianna Dyson, who could nearly double her scoring output this season after tacking on 6.4 points and 7.8 rebounds as a freshman. Senior Breyell Mobley (5.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.9 spg) and sophomore guard Camryn Berry, who saw crunch time minutes in the Lions’ 56-51 Final Four overtime loss to eventual champion Americus-Sumter, will be asked to do more this upcoming season. The Lions added strong guards in senior Cortney Gardner (Lovejoy) and Region 4-5A First Teamer sophomore Semya McCree (Dutchtown) who should fill the scoring void left by Miller. No. 7 Druid Hills was the talk of the early season a year ago when they started off 7-1 and peaked at No. 4 in the state in Week 2. The Red Devils however, were soon derailed by injuries and the transfer of Jayla Thompson to Tri-Cities, sending Druid Hills into a 7-14 tailspin to end the year at 14-15 with a 60-53 loss to Spalding in the first round of state. 5-foot-3 junior guard Kyia Craft is a bundle of energy and ignites the offense with her defense. She averaged 10.5 points, 3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.9 steals. Juniors Natalie Martin (9.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and Kaitlyn Robinson (7.4 ppg, 3.4 spg) are back along with sophomore Karmen Frazier (7.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg), giving Coach Ro Rice a nice core to work with. Life after state title winning Head Coach Tykira Gilbert (Fayette County) and All-State forward Corriana Evans (Eastern Kentucky) begins as Montay West comes over from the Griffin boys sideline to take the reins at No. 8 Spalding. Seniors Kierstyn Milner (13.3 ppg), Nuriah Slaton (9.6 ppg) and Elicia Threatt (7 ppg) are back, Milner and Threatt the two lone holdovers from their 2017-18 championship run. Last season Spalding put together a 23-5 record with a 47-42 loss to eventual state champion Americus-Sumter in the Elite Eight. No. 9 Flowery Branch had a rare down year, finishing 16-12 – the first time they didn’t win at least 20 games since 2013-14. A now experienced roster is led by Region Player of the Year 6-foot-3 Mercer-commit Ashlee Locke. She is flanked by junior guard Shaina Kriews who was an All-Region pick a year ago. Morgan Aguilar is now a senior in the backcourt while Bella Brick enters her sophomore season. No. 10 Madison County is anchored by the two-time reigning Miss Sandy’s Spiel, North Carolina-commit Kayla McPherson, who averaged video game-like numbers at 5-foot-7, hanging 36.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 steals per game. With that type of production Madison County will always have a chance at surprising people. Junior Tiffany Wilson is back as the Red Raiders’ number two option. If Coach Dan Lampe can develop anymore of a supporting cast, Madison County could be in the hunt for deep playoff run. If not, they will likely repeat a season similar to that of last year’s 15-13 campaign which ended with a first-round exit losing to Northwest Whitfield 52-46.

Class 3A

Class 3A is wildly deep with 20 teams that were in the discussion to open up in the Top 10. For those who aren’t in the poll currently, don’t worry. Expect there to be plenty of shuffling and cannibalization especially in Regions 5, 6 and 7 which all could see multiple teams in the rankings at the same time at one point or another. To start the year, Region 5 and Region 6 each place three teams among the Top 10. No. 1 GAC fought its way out of Region 7 battle-tested, ending up with the number two-seed but pushing their way all the way to the state title getting past a murder’s row of Jefferson (54-51), Johnson-Savannah (52-50) and Beach (54-44) to capture the state title at 20-12. The Spartans lose Ava Irvin (Syracuse), but return the rest of their key players headlined by star junior guard Kaleigh Addie (21.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.1 apg, 2.8 spg). The high-scoring playmaker has received offers from High Major programs and will lead the Spartans back into war alongside junior Jaci Bolden (11.8 ppg). 6-foot-3 senior Laurren Randolph committed to Memphis after averaging 5.8 points and 6.1 rebounds while 6-foot junior Molly Pritchard, already an Ohio State soccer goalkeeper commit, should be back after doing yeoman’s work on the glass, chipping in 2.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. GAC’s path to another state title won’t be any easier this season as Region 5 has five teams capable of being in the Top 10 with two-time defending Class 2A State Champion Douglass (26-5), No. 7 Cedar Grove (19-6), No. 9 Westminster (20-8) and Sandy Creek (18-11). Savannah powerhouses slide in at No. 2 and No. 3. No. 2 Johnson-Savannah has unfinished business after a 25-2 season ended unsatisfyingly as the Atomsmashers saw a nine-point lead evaporate in the second half against GAC in the Final Four. Jaida Burgess (Tampa), Antalazia Baker (Radford) and Marylashia Westbrook graduate 33.8 points between them, but Coach Brandon Lindsey has upside and length coming back in juniors 6-foot-1 Amani Hamilton (11.7 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 3.2 bpg) and 6-foot-1 K’lya Hankerson (9.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.9 spg, 1.3 bpg). 5-foot-9 junior Zoriah Mobley (8.6 ppg) and 5-foot-3 senior Tiana Williams (7.9 ppg) will power the backcourt. No. 3 Beach lost all four meetings with Johnson-Savannah and fell to GAC in the state championship 54-44, putting a capper on a tough 22-10 season that saw Coach Olufemi Gordon battle with the lingering effects of a stroke back in June. Assistant Matthew Hawthorne acted as head coach and helped rally the girls around Gordon. Leading scorer Kaila Rougier is back to pace the offense. The North Florida-commit poured in 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3.5 steals per game as a game-changing guard. With Madison Evans (Brewton-Parker) graduating her 12.3 points, others will need to step up to help Rougier. Junior Ameyah Dantzler is a physical post that averaged 7.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1 block per game. Senior Destiny Whitehead provides size as well, coming off 4.2 points and 4.9 rebounds a night. Rising sophomores and juniors will be asked to help fill Evans’ void in the backcourt. Down from Class 4A where they finished 19-7 with a buzzer-beating 46-45 loss to eventual state runner-up Troup County, No. 4 Cross Creek could be a trendy pick to make a deep run. If Alexcia Murphy didn’t score at the horn, the Razorbacks could have found themselves eventually playing in Macon instead. Coach Kim Schlein had a lot of thoughts about the game afterwards and will have her team hungry for more success. 5-foot-9 guard Jordyn Dorsey is a dynamic talent, one of the best players in the state that may not get as much credit as she deserves. She could be this year’s Jelissa Reese (Troy) who led Americus-Sumter to the 4A state title. Dorsey piled up 17.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3 steals per game. Graduating Micah Bess will hurt but the rest of the Razorback core remains intact with junior Erin Martin (10 ppg), sophomore Jasiiyah Holmes (4.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Junior Jenna Wilbon (3.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg) all returning with a host of experience. Georgia’s most dominant player a season ago was No. 5 Rockmart’s Keyarah Berry. The Indiana-commit almost single-handedly carried Rockmart to the state title before the Yellow Jackets fell apart in the fourth quarter and lost on a Stantagious Alford buzzer-beater to Southwest-Macon, 54-52 in the Class 2A Final Four. Berry, a 5-foot-11 freak of nature, poured in 32.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 4.5 steals and 1 block per game. She averaged 36.3 points and 13.3 rebounds over Rockmart’s playoff run while shooting 9-28 (32%) from three. Berry will once again carry the Yellow Jackets into state relevancy even though they will be in a much tougher region with respected programs such as No. 8 Sonoraville (23-7), No. 10 Coahulla Creek (20-8) and Ringgold (20-9). In support of Berry once again will be Megan Little, a green-light three-point shooter that pitched in 12.3 points per game.  Depth and supporting cast will once again be a potential issue when the Yellow Jackets get deep into the playoffs. No. 6 Stephens County was a pleasant surprise, improving from 5-19 to 21-7, breaking records along the way under second-year Head Coach Laura Baker. It was the Indians’ most wins since going 20-8 in 2006-07 and with their top seven all returning for their senior seasons, Stephens County will be a dangerous group once again, this time down a classification in 3A. Bre Taylor is back healthy after going down with a season-ending injury in early January, zapping the Indians of their third-leading scorer at 10.8 points at the most crucial point of the season. They still managed to claw their way out of a topsy-turvy competitive Region 8 with the number one regular season seed before settling for the three-spot in the state tournament. Stephens County would lose 65-56 in the first round at Gilmer. With the core back healthy, the Indians will ride 5-foot-11 Ranajah Verdell (14.1 ppg), Nana Eades (13.8 ppg), KiKi Howard (9.3 ppg), Savana Broska (6.9 ppg) and Agnes Scott-commit Lindsay Moore (3.5 ppg) to what should be a memorable season. No. 7 Cedar Grove rallied to beat Dawson County in the first round before falling short to Beach in the Sweet 16, 50-43. The Saints posted a 19-6 record and return DeKalb County leading scorer, 5-foot-6 junior Rickayla Johnson who netted 18.9 points, 3 assists and 2.8 steals while also leading the county (according to DeKalb County School District) in two-point field goal percentage (70%), three-point field goals (44%) and free throws (72%). Back in support of Johnson is senior forward Lelah Easterly (8.6 rpg, 2.5 bpg). No. 8 Sonoraville put together another strong season at 23-7 but for the second straight year, saw Johnson-Savannah end their season, this time in the Elite Eight 58-49. The Phoenix only lose one senior but it’s a big one – Region Player of the Year 5-foot-10 post Maliyah Parks. Sonoraville has an experienced core back though led by seniors Alexa Geary, Abby Chambers, Brooke Jones and Shorter-commit Lindsay Bowman. No. 9 Westminster were babies last year, relying heavily on four freshmen and two sophomores. With a year under their belt, the Wildcats have plenty of reason for optimism considering they went 20-8 – losing in the first round to Fannin County 54-45 – but boast five-star 6-foot sophomore wing Courtney Ogden as their centerpiece. Ogden dominated in Year 1, posting 19.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.8 steals. As she gets better and better, so will her teammates, giving Westminster some potentially scary upside down the road. Kiera Staude (6.3 ppg), Evelyn Shores (4 ppg) and Jenny Jacobson (3.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg) will be tasked to keep pace with Ogden’s rapid development. The Cats will get no days off in a veteran-filled Region 5. Rounding out a robust Top 10 is No. 10 Coahulla Creek. The Colts fought back-and-forth in a see-saw Region 6 and settled with a 20-8 record, falling to Jefferson 62-55 in the first round, putting up a great fight. Coahulla Creek has a strong senior trio with major experience in 6-foot center Katelyn Richards (Shorter), three-point shooter Emma Turner and elite passer Kenley Woods. If the Colts can get enough from their supporting cast, they will be dangerous come tournament time but first they must navigate the likes of No. 5 Rockmart, No. 8 Sonoraville and Ringgold among others to get there.

Class 2A

Powered by 6-foot-3 Florida State-commit Makayla Timpson, No. 1 Early County grabs the top spot as the Bobcats search for their first title since 2003, hoping to send their star off with a storybook ending. Early County has been close but no cigar, losing to eventual state champion Douglass twice – 57-51 in the 2018-19 championship and 53-49 in the Final Four last season finishing the year 26-5. The Bobcats lose the majority of their rotation but return their best two players led by Timpson, the two-time Class 2A Player of the Year that averaged 22.7 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 4 steals and 5.4 blocks as a junior. Junior guard Jordan Eafford is one of South Georgia’s better backcourt members. She tossed in 13 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3.8 steals and has come up big in big games. Finding production outside of the dynamic duo will be a key factor in Early County’s success. At 23-5, No. 2 Washington County fell in the Elite Eight at Douglass 54-53. Coach Sug Parker will have to replace point guard Destinee Ellison’s scoring and playmaking but daughter Miracle Parker is one of Middle Georgia’s best seniors. The All-State wing averaged 19.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 3.1 steals and 1.3 blocks. She is joined by junior forward Ashley Gray (10.1 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.8 spg), sister of WNBA star Allisha Gray. Sophomore Mikaili Parker (5.9 ppg) and senior Na’riah Gamble (5 ppg, 5.7 rpg) should see upticks in production. No. 3 Rabun County is always a staple in the Top 5 and seemingly always has a chance at making a deep run no matter who is on the roster. The Lady Cats finished 23-4, slipping all the way to the four-seed with upset losses to Banks County and Putnam County in the Region 8 tournament. Rabun County had the unenviable task of traveling to defending champion Douglass in the first round and actually had the Astros down 15 in the fourth quarter before a miraculous comeback saw Douglass steal a 44-42 victory and the rest is history. Coach DeeDee Dillard loses cornerstones Laken Stiles (Piedmont), Destiny Deetz, Hanna Cannon and Ali Ramey but culture never graduates. Juniors Gracie Deetz, Carley Haban, Sophie Woodard and Loren Stiles are next to leave a legacy. Freshmen Lucy Hood and Ellie Southards should earn minutes right away and present a bright future. As long as they don’t play Laney, No. 4 Josey can beat anybody in Class 2A. The Eagles have emerged as one of the best teams in Augusta, but they have a mental block when facing the old guard of the Wildcats, losing 34-straight games, never able to capture a No. 1 seed heading into the state playoffs. On paper, Josey should be better than their archnemesis but until they actually beat them, I have no faith they can get the job done. Josey does have one of the hottest prospects in Georgia however, who could break the spell. 5-foot-10 junior guard Ky’Shonna Brown has exploded over the summer picking up offers from Georgetown, Gardner-Webb, Hampton, North Florida, Seton Hall, Kennesaw State, George Washington and Cincinnati. Brown averaged 7.4 points as a sophomore and must up her game and carry the Eagles with her newfound esteem. Senior Deajah Houck is back as the team’s leading scorer at 8.7 points, 2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 3 steals. Sophomore Arieonna Booker chipped in 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. Josey finished 23-6 with a 53-43 loss to Douglass in the Sweet 16. Under first-year Head Coach Sissy Anderson No. 5 Vidalia improved from 12-14 to 24-5. The Indians took a trip to the Elite Eight were they were eliminated by Indiana-commit Keyarah Berry’s 37 points and 10 rebounds, a 62-57 loss to Rockmart. Outside shooter Jashiyah Jones has graduated but Vidalia does return First Team All-Region pick Treyunna Roundtree and Second Teamer Dresden Clark. It’s been two full seasons since No. 6 Laney has won a title. For another year, there will be a ton of roster turnover but the Wildcats still remain extremely dangerous with their style of play and ability to attract talent. Laney posted a 27-3 season and lost to State Runner-Up Southwest-Macon in the Elite Eight 50-47. Gone are the Wildcats’ top three scorers which accounted for 37.1 of their 70 points per game. Senior 5-foot-10 post Alteona Collier is back as the team’s top option after posting 7.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.7 steals. Behind her is sophomore Amari Bonner (5.7 ppg), junior Keona Darby (4.4 ppg) and 6-foot-1 junior Sinclaire Fryer (4.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg) among others in a deep rotation that saw seven players average between 5.7 and 2.9 points. No. 7 Northeast-Macon improved from 9-17 to 19-10 as Jakia Little made a jump her sophomore season, pouring in 21.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 3.5 steals per game. She’s the engine that makes the Raiders go and hopefully will see teammate Laniyah Richardson make a similar leap in production after the freshman pitched in 10 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.3 steals. The tandem’s third option is another sophomore, Shadae Thorpe who chipped in 6.3 points, 4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 2.3 steals in her first season. The young Raiders fought tooth and nail with Early County in the opening round of the playoffs losing 62-50 as a bad 12-4 third quarter sunk their chances of an upset. On the big stage, both Little (20 points) and Richardson (11 points) did their thing and will have postseason experience to lean on in the future. Down from the toughest region in Class 3A where they played some of the best of the best including state champion GAC, No. 8 Fannin County is prepared to continue their upward trajectory. In Year 2 under Head Coach Ryan Chastain, the Rebels improved from 7-18 to 19-11, capturing a state playoff berth and beating Westminster 54-45 in the first round before falling 92-45 to Johnson-Savannah in the Sweet 16. Guard play paces Fannin County led by 5-foot-6 junior Becca Ledford, a potential breakout candidate. She will be flanked by seniors Abby Ledford, three-point specialist Natalie Thomas and Mackenzie Johnson. Sophomore Riley Reeves earned good reps over the summer while 5-foot-2 freshman point guard Courtney Davis is highly touted as a smart ballhandler with a very good scoring touch. No. 9 Chattooga welcomes back 5-foot-4 spitfire Faith Ann Foster for one final season. Foster is a 1,000-point scorer and will be the school’s all-time assist leader by the time she graduates. The Indians lose just one senior, floor spacer Jacie Martin. Chattooga went 21-7 and lost 64-45 to Early County in the Sweet 16. Though they didn’t make a deep run, what they did do is nearly sweep the most dominant player in the state, Keyarah Berry, beating Rockmart 42-38 (holding Berry to a season-low 12 points) and 64-48 (20 points) before losing 57-56 in the Region 7 Championship as Berry scored her 44^th point to win the title.  Even in their loss to Early County, the Indians held 6-foot-3 Florida State-commit Makayla Timpson to 12 points. The Indians’ stingy defense and success in slowing down the two best players in the class should give Chattooga confidence heading into the season. Look for First Team All-Region selection Makiya Parrish to make a big jump her sophomore season, giving Coach Alvah Beasley one of the better backcourts in 2A. No. 10 Elbert County was a year ahead of schedule. Coming off a 12-18 season and seeing Anderson-signee Maggie Campbell go down with another knee injury and miss her entire senior season, there was no reason to expect a team loaded with eight freshmen could compete at the level they did, finishing 16-10 in one of the toughest regions in the state and coming two points short of a playoff berth in a 61-59 loss to Banks County. In Year 2 at the helm, Coach Josh Jones placed three of his freshmen on the All-Region team in Aaniyah Allen (13.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.7 spg), Niya Moon (11.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and Terrace Hester (9.1 ppg). Sophomores Jameria Allen and Brenasia Faust played huge minutes as well as freshmen. With their entire core set to play together for the next three seasons, Elbert County is on the verge of building something special with their chemistry in the Inferno.

Class A-Private

It didn’t take long, but the landscape of Class A-Private has officially shifted as Jan Azar’s move to No. 1 Hebron Christian has cemented their place as title favorites after going from 14-13 to 30-1 her first year on the job. The Lions’ influx of talent gelled together quickly and saw a somewhat controversial ending to their season as a late three that would have tied the game was waved off as Hebron fell to eventual state champion Holy Innocents’ 52-48 in the Final Four. Everyone is back from last year’s dominant team led by 5-foot-11 Samford-commit Nicole Azar (19.9 ppg, 4.1 apg, 3.1 spg, 107 3PT), 6-foot-2 Rice-commit Malia Fisher (15.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 3.5 spg, 1.6 bpg), 6-foot-2 junior Jessie Parish (9.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.2 apg, 2.8 spg, 1.2 bpg), 6-foot-3 Samford-commit Carly Heidger (9 ppg, 6 rpg, 1.5 bpg), 5-foot-8 UNC Asheville-commit Carly Fahey (7.1 ppg, 6.6 apg, 3.5 spg), 5-foot-8 Ella Heard (6.5 ppg, 2.2 apg) and 5-foot-7 Georgia College-commit Sydney Whalen. The Lions will be challenged throughout the season as Region 5 may be one of the strongest in the entire state as it houses No. 2 Holy Innocents’, No. 5 Galloway and No. 6 Wesleyan. Two-time defending state champion No. 2 Holy Innocents’ has the difficult task of trying to replace two-time Class A-Private Player of the Year 6-foot-4 Jillian Hollingshead who jumped ship for McEachern after bringing home two titles. The Golden Bears went 26-5 last year and controlled their title game matchup with St. Francis 66-53. With some key seniors gone and Hollingshead no longer able to anchor the paint, Holy Innocents’ will need to identify their go-to players as they return no All-Region players. There still is some nice talent for Nichole Dixon to coach up however. The backcourt is strong and experienced between junior Naja Reeves and senior Cierra Foster, who has battled ACL injuries her entire career, but is an impactful presence when healthy. 5-foot-11 sophomore Olivia Hutcherson had strong moments during her freshman season as a rebounder, shot blocker and scorer. She added 8 points, 5 rebounds and 1 block in the state championship. Senior Rachel Suttle, a UGA soccer commit, pitched in 19 points and 9 rebounds in the title game a year ago and is trusted in big spots. 5-foot-10 senior Camryn Jones transfers in from Pace Academy to add length and another potential scoring option. They’ve been knocking on the door of becoming a true title contender for two years and now it’s time for No. 3 Mt. Paran to get over the hump and earn a Final Four berth. Entering Year 4, former Berry College Head Coach Stephanie Dunn has successfully turned around the program, inheriting a 3-19 team and going 13-12, 24-4 and 21-6 with an Elite Eight appearance last year. One of the catalysts in the turnaround has been daughter 6-foot junior wing Kara Dunn. The All-State standout is blowing up, garnering offers from Kentucky, Miami, Indiana, Alabama, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Florida, Vanderbilt and more over the summer. One key piece is gone in center Jasiah Washington, but plenty returns alongside Dunn. 5-foot-3 junior point guard Katelyn Dunning is a fierce competitor that can score from the perimeter and set up teammates with advanced court vision. 5-foot-10 junior Kaylynn Kirklen and 5-foot-7 senior Havalynn Abernathy are key cogs in the rotation. Keep an eye on 5-foot-9 junior Shamaria Jennings. The terrific athlete is rapidly improving her offensive game as a slasher and scorer from the mid-range. Her defensive instincts will be important in big games. The Eagles lost to St. Francis 72-66 in the Elite Eight and have gotten closer and closer to beating the Knights over the past two seasons. Now housed in a cozy six-team region that has traditional North Georgia winners Darlington (23-5) and Christian Heritage (18-7), Mt. Paran is in prime position to run the table in region play and lock up a top four seed after earning the eight seed a year ago. We said it was now or never a year ago for No. 4 St. Francis but the Knights came up short in the title game against Holy Innocents’ 66-53 after dispatching Wesleyan 75-61 in the Final Four and finishing 28-4. Though they still have enough talent to make the vast majority of the classification blush, on paper the Knights aren’t as loaded as they were last year, leading scorers Savannah Samuel (Oregon State) and Amirah Abdur-Rahim (Notre Dame) along with fourth leading scorer Kennedi Philson (Lynn) graduating 41.1 of the team’s 68.7 points per game. 5-foot-6 Mississippi State-commit Mia Moore will keep the Knights playing at a high level, the playmaker posting 13.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 4.3 steals per game a year ago. 6-foot sophomore Trynce Taylor showed spurts of her potential as a freshman and should anchor the paint this upcoming season after averaging 5.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals. Senior Morgan Harper (4.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2 spg) and sophomore Erica Moon (3.6 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.4 spg) are two talented guards while 5-foot-11 junior Ryin Tillis has drawn the attention of colleges over the offseason. Much like Mt. Paran, St. Francis benefits greatly by ending their burgeoning rivalry. The Knights sit atop Region 6 which should not pose any threat of challenging the traditional power. No. 5 Galloway is inching closer to becoming a Final Four contender. A 19-8 season a year ago saw some really good wins against comparable opponents but double-digit losses to top dogs Mt. Paran (61-39), Holy Innocents’ (63-45), Wesleyan (71-49) and Trinity Christian (67-41) show they still have some work to do to get to the next level. However, with that being said, the Scots debut ahead of both Wesleyan and Trinity Christian as the addition of 5-foot-9 freshman playmaker Tianna Thompson could put them over the top and allow them to firmly be entrenched in the discussion of the Top 5. Thompson will slot in next to experienced guards like ETSU-commit Jada Ryce and sophomores Allison Hoffmann and Kyla Cain. The core four in the backcourt could give plenty of teams issues. In at No. 6 is Wesleyan, who is retooling after Coach Jan Azar exported a plethora of talent during her move to Hebron Christian. Wesleyan grad Carolyn Blackman enters Year 2 on the job after a 22-6 season and a Final Four trip. The Wolves lose major talent as AC Carter (Georgia Tech), Lanni Brown and Lauren Hill graduate while East Carolina-commit Paige Lyons has transferred to Dutchtown for her senior season, leaving 6-foot center Alyssa Phillip, a Georgia State-commit, as Wesleyan’s top option after averaging 11.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals. Players like senior Abby Scott and sophomore Morgan Damm may be asked to score the ball more. The good news is that Wesleyan has some bright young talent coming up through the pipeline. Freshmen Chazadi Wright and Eva Garabadian could see rotational minutes in Year 1. Wesleyan’s somewhat inexperienced team will be thrown into the fire right away in Region 5. Starting to mimic the boys program, you never know who will suit up for No. 7 Greenforest, but best believe they will find a way to have height. The Eagles went 22-6 and lost 63-53 to Hebron Christian in the Elite Eight, an impressive close to a great season. The Eagles lose leading scorer Marieme Diouf (Costal Carolina) and must replace her 17 points per game in the backcourt. Greenforest will be anchored by extreme length inside with 6-foot-3 senior L’or Mputu (14.5 ppg) and 6-foot-5 Coastal Carolina-commit Benie Lundu (5 ppg). 5-foot-11 senior Sifa Inez Joyeuse returns after posting 11.4 points per game in the backcourt along with 5-foot-8 senior Adrianna Jones (7.3 ppg) and 5-foot-10 junior Divine Lukombo (5.9 ppg). If Greenforest adds any new surprise players, they could climb up the rankings quickly. No. 8 Trinity Christian improved from 10-14 to 19-7 with the addition of 6-foot-1 wing Anna Denes, a UAB-commit. The Hungarian averaged 20 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 7 steals per game. She was assisted by sophomore Madison Morge, who chipped in 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2 steals as a freshman. Another Hungarian national team member has been added to the mix in 6-foot-3 junior Zsofia Telegdy, who has picked up offers from Kansas, UTEP and UAB over the summer. Unfortunately, she is ineligible to play this upcoming season, making the European duo a great “what-if” combination. The Lions will look to improve upon their Sweet 16 appearance which ended with a 69-27 loss to Wesleyan. No. 9 Calvary Day grabs their annual spot at the bottom of the Top 10, coming off a 22-7 season which ended in the Sweet 16 with a 60-48 loss to ELCA. The Cavaliers will have another sparkling record this upcoming season thanks to the split of public and private schools. They won’t have to worry about ECI and Kennesaw State-commit Prencis Harden or defending Class A-Public State Champion Wheeler County and should be a heavy favorite to go undefeated in Region 3 behind a core that returns everyone except Jasmine Akins. Reigning Region Player of the Year 5-foot-3 Mahkayla Premo enters her junior season and will suit up with First Team All-Region guard 5-foot-6 sophomore Hannah Cail. They duo forms an electric tandem that can both play-make and shoot from distance. They are joined by seniors Nevaeh Hamilton and Tynley Smeltzer, two experienced veterans that are comfortable in Coach Jackie Hamilton’s system. No. 10 ELCA takes the final spot in the preseason poll. High volume shooter and scorer Weronika Hipp is off to Clemson leaving the lion’s share of the offense to run through 5-foot-10 Jacksonville-commit Jalisa Dunlap, who averaged 17 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.3 blocks. Dunlap is more than capable of carrying an offense but she will need some help if the Chargers want to improve upon their 18-8 Elite Eight finish which came to a close with an 81-39 loss to Holy Innocents’. Keslynn Oxendine has battled through injuries her entire career and has committed to play at Texas A&M after averaging 7.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Outside of Dunlap and Oxendine, scorers need to emerge. Senior Megan Darden (4 ppg, 7 rpg) is an undersized 5-foot-8 post that battles on the boards but is known more for her softball and soccer skills. Junior Bria Bellamy has good bloodlines and could see improvements on her 3.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per-game averages. ELCA is in a fairly friendly region compared to last year as they and No. 7 Greenforest open up as the two frontrunners.

Class A-Public

With the separation of private schools and public schools, some windows for winning may have opened a bit wider in a few certain areas, but the biggest decider as to who may win the state title is the decision of a star to sit out her senior season. No. 1 Calhoun County is anchored inside by 6-foot-2 USC Upstate-commit Takia Davis, a triple-double threat with her scoring, rebounding and shot blocking. The Cougars finished 25-5 with a 63-44 loss to Central-Talbotton in the Final Four, a year after losing 50-38 to Marion County in the state championship – a 29-3 season. The Cougars are in great shape as they return their entire roster including seniors Ayanni Mansfield and Destiny Hightower, two First Team All-Region picks. Junior Jateriah Winbush and seniors Tyesha Curry and Ja’Niyah Wimberly were Second Team selections. No. 2 Greenville will battle all year long with No. 6 Central-Talbotton in Region 5. The Patriots handed Central their only regular season loss last year 72-65 before getting drilled in the rematches 60-34 and 58-29. Greenville finished their season 22-8, playing a tough non-region schedule but losing to Calhoun County 54-39 in the Elite Eight. Much like Calhoun County, Greenville’s entire roster is back outside of one seldom used bench player. Seniors Jabrica Leslie (17.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.8 apg, 3.8 spg) and Shabrica Leslie (14.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 2.9 apg, 4.9 spg) lead the charge. Junior Amanda Ogletree (8.5 ppg) and senior Adrianna Perdue (8.2 ppg, 5.3 apg, 3 spg) balance the attack. No. 3 Clinch County returns their athletic high-scoring duo for Year 2 under Head Coach Chase Daniel. The Panthers rolled up a 23-3 record but got clipped by Turner County in the Elite Eight 65-54. Seniors point guard Zyhia Johnson and 5-foot-10 wing Angel McRae consistently turn defense into offense with their blinding speed and pressure defense. The supporting cast will help determine how deep the Panthers can go this season. After two years under Tia Lewis (Fitzgerald), No. 4 Turner County has turned to first-year Head Coach Yachika Wilson to get the most out of a talented team that peaked at the right time going 20-10, losing to eventual state champion Wheeler County 81-66 in the Final Four. Dynamic point guard Mya Byrd (Columbia State) leaves a large void, but the Rebels return Region 2 Defensive Player of the Year 5-foot-8 senior Yakia Temple (14.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.3 apg, 2.5 spg) and Freshman of the Year 5-foot-7 TyKhia Burgess (11.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.2 spg, 1.2 bpg) along with 5-foot-8 senior Jaylasia Office (12.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 2.1 spg, 1.1 bpg). Though they had some missteps here and there throughout the season, the Rebels did beat Clinch County twice and only lost to Central-Talbotton by 8 early in the season. No. 5 Wilcox County beat Turner County two out of their three matchups and slide over from a crowded Region 2 to Region 4 where they look the early favorite to capture the top seed. The Patriots finished 20-10 and lost in the Elite Eight to Wheeler County 55-41. Four out of the team’s top five players return headlined by double-double machine 5-foot-11 senior Alayasia Dixon an athletic and agile post that rebounds and blocks shots at a high rate.  Junior guard Destiny Tisdol is a double-digit scorer while 5-foot-4 senior Erianna Hargrove and junior forward Shania Lagrier have big game experience. No. 6 Central-Talbotton was set to debut at No. 1 after losing a heartbreaker in the state championship, 55-50 to Wheeler County and finishing their year 27-2, but Class A-Public Player of the Year 5-foot-9 Bernyla Sparks announced in September that she is sitting out her senior season due to COVID-19 concerns after posting 22.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. Junior Renijua Johnson who averaged 10.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.6 steals and athletic senior Ty’Shemia Bunkley (9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4 apg, 2.2 spg, 1.1 bpg) will now have to carry the load. No. 7 Georgia Military College is the top dog and benefits greatly from the new region change. The Bulldogs were already tough in Region 7, going 20-6 and 13-1 in region play finishing the season with the eight-seed and advancing to the Elite Eight where they were defeated by Central-Talbotton 56-23. With that being said, the Bulldogs are a near lock to grab a top four seed as they are in the worst region on paper which saw the other six teams combine to go 32-101 if you don’t include ACE Charter who didn’t play a full region schedule and finished 10-6. Ready to dominate the competition are seniors 5-foot-10 Deandria Stephens (13.7 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.7 apg, 3 spg, 1.9 bpg) and 5-foot DeAisha Stephens (10.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.5 apg, 2.8 spg), the team’s top two scorers from a season ago. No. 8 Lake Oconee Academy has been building for this moment since the school played its first game in 2016-17. The Titans have improved each season under Head Coach Kevin Furtado going 3-18, 11-13, 17-12 to 21-7 last year with the school’s first ever playoff win, 43-30 over Claxton. The Titans ran into former region foe GMC for the third time and for the third time lost a nail biter 47-43 in the Sweet 16. 5-foot-9 senior Destiny McClendon has blossomed into one of the best players in the state, the Chattanooga-commit pouring in 24.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game last year as a junior. Her top three members of the supporting cast are expected to return highlighted by senior post Piper Bosart (10.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.4 bpg) and sophomore guard Hannah Heinen (5.7 ppg, 3 rpg, 2.9 apg, 2.3 spg). For the first time in program history, the hunter becomes the hunted as the Titans move into Region 8 where they are the favorite with top challenger being Commerce, who returns their top four from a 15-11 team. No. 9 Emanuel County Institute is a major benefactor of the public-private split avoiding Calvary Day, Savannah Country Day and Savannah Christian who would often loom on the East side of Region 3. Coming off a 16-9 season in which they defeated Mitchell County 74-62 in the opening round of the state playoffs before falling to Calhoun County 56-37 in the Sweet 16, the Bulldogs are locked and loaded to make a run with four of their top five back including their two leading scorers. 5-foot-11 Prencis Harden is a Kennesaw State-commit and statistically, one of the most dominating players Georgia has to offer in the lower classifications. She pumped in 29.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.8 steals per game earning First Team All-State honors. In the postseason she averaged 32.5 points, 12 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4 steals. She has help in the form of 5-foot-9 senior Nuturi Smith who pitched in 13.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks. If the Bulldogs can get some scoring help outside of Harden and Smith, ECI could be in store for a memorable season. No. 10 Mitchell County earns the final spot in the poll to open the season. They finished 13-12 last season – nothing special – but went 12-4 in Region 1 battling the likes of Calhoun County (25-5), Pelham (22-4) and Quitman County (15-11). The Eagles should improve this year with their entire roster still intact. Senior Anyla Bell, a high scoring guard, is the reigning Region 1 Offensive Player of the Year. Back with her is First Team All-Region selection Ty’Quanna Lewis. First-year Head Coach Sabrina Douglass also returns Second Teamers Gabby Battle and Gabriella White along with Honorable Mention picks Kanijah Gardner and Miracle Smith.