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Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Gainesville press frustrates Miller Grove

 

No. 2 Gainesville 84, No. 2 Miller Grove 65

It didn’t take long for the 2016-17 GHSA season to give us a doozy of a matchup, albeit still just a scrimmage. Class AAAAAA Preseason No. 2 Gainesville hosted Class AAAAA No. 2 Miller Grove as the Wolverines took to the floor for the first time without familiar face and seven-time state championship winning coach Sharman White leading since the program’s inaugural season in 2005.

The Miller Grove machine piloted by Rasul Chester looked like it was ready to keep clicking, jumping out to a quick 8-0 lead against the hosting Red Elephants behind two Jalen Mason threes. Gainesville got off to an inauspicious start, Kajuan Hale blowing a wide open layup off the tip and struggling with turnovers, but the Elephants quickly put the slow start behind them and began to gain their footing thanks to their potent junior class.

Jarred Rosser got Gainesville on the board at the 5:33 mark and Bailey Minor chipped in the first of four three-pointers on the night to steady Gainesville. Miller Grove stifled the Elephants early, altering shots at the rim. 6-foot-7 junior Kevin Paige swatted away six shots on the night and pitched in a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. A bucket along the baseline gave the Wolverines a 16-7 lead at the 1:30 mark of the first quarter, Miller Grove humming along.

Things changed.

Gainesville ratcheted up the pressure with their full court press and saw Miller Grove start to breakdown. The Wolverines were hampered with early foul trouble, 10 to 2 in the first quarter and Gainesville capitalized, closing the quarter down 18-16.

The length between Jarred Rosser, Jarrel Rosser and KJ Buffen disrupted Miller Grove. The Elephants consistently trapped the first pass and continued to harass the Wolverine ball handlers in the half court as well. The end result was a 31-to-5 Gainesville run that swung into a 38-21 advantage.

Hale started to assault the basket with his quickness. He scored seven points from the line in the second quarter while Minor punished Miller Grove for leaving him open in the corners, dropping in 14 of his game-high 20 points in the first half.

As the turnovers forced by the Gainesville press and the fouls continued to pile up, the flustered Wolverines unraveled, picking up two technical.

Senior Tae Hardy, an explosive scorer who will be counted on to pour in points, was held scoreless by Hale and the rest of the Gainesville defense before his first hoop at 2:16 in the second quarter, Miller Grove down 43-25.

Giving the Wolverines a pulse was Lorenzo Anderson. The junior guard tossed in seven of his team-high 18 points in the first half.

Traditionally a strong three-point shooting team, Miller Grove’s only deep balls came in the first minutes of the game via Mason as the likes of Hardy and George Wilson struggled to find the range. Miller Grove limped into the half down 48-27, Hardy unable to connect on a tough lay-in at the buzzer.

But as any proud program goes, the Wolverines didn’t go down without a fight in the second half. Gainesville led 52-29 with 5:55 remaining in the third quarter before Paige sparked life into the Wolverines. The big man met Buffen at the rim and rejected a dunk attempt, igniting the fast break. Hardy turned it into an And-1 and missed the free throw, but that was all the microwave needed to will his team back into the game.

Hardy went off, scoring 12 of his team-high 18 points in the frame. The Wolverines chipped away with an 18-to-7 run to bring the game to 59-47 with 50 seconds left, but Austin Long banked in a straight away three and Miller Grove picked up their fourth technical of the game.

Brent Kelly followed up a Mike White miss at the buzzer and all of a sudden, a once narrow 12-point game was ballooned back up to 67-49 entering the fourth.

My Take:

It’s only logical for Miller Grove to be a little down this year, but even after tonight’s performance I don’t think the Wolverines are a team to overlook. Joshua Jackmon should return by January after tearing an ACL in the offseason. His leadership from the bench was apparent tonight. Miller Grove would have loved to have the senior out there on the court. But even without the defensive ace, they played aggressive pressure defense with their guards in the half court early on, but once fouls became a problem and Gainesville was able to dictate tempo with their full court defense, everything changed. Tae Hardy was kept in check with two points in the first half. He tried to put on his cape in the third quarter, but too many turnovers and emotions for the entire team deterred their comeback. Miller Grove has talented guards, but aside from Hardy, the simple fact is they haven’t played big time meaningful minutes at the varsity level. This was a good test for them against a strong Gainesville team. The talent is there, but it will take time for the Wolverines to put it together. The lack of a lead guard that could clear out and break the press all by himself hurt Miller Grove. I’m not sure whether or not that’s a lack of expertise ball handling or just great Gainesville length on defense. The two bright spots throughout the night for Miller Grove were juniors Lorenzo Anderson and Kevin Paige. Anderson did a very nice job in the open floor and was able to finish at the cup. He looks like a guy that could emerge. He came off the bench and took a ton of minutes away from sophomore Maurice Harvey who hardly saw the floor after starting. Not positive whether it was foul trouble, injury or just getting lost in the shuffle, but Harvey didn’t tally a single stat when he was on the floor. Paige is a guy that has gotten better every time I’ve seen him. He didn’t play a whole lot down the stretch during Miller Grove’s state title run last year. I got my first glimpse at him over the summer and he has come a long way. Not just a big space eater anymore, Paige showed a great motor flying in for rebounds and turning back six shots on defense. His double-double was a pleasant surprise. Miller Grove doesn’t really run any set plays for him and let him get the ball off the glass. If he develops some post moves, he could be an interesting piece come his senior year.

Well, well, well. Gainesville has all the pieces you want to be considered a serious state championship contender in Class AAAAAA. Five players cracked double figures with two more on the verge. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Bailey Minor is a college basketball player. I cannot fathom how teams let him drift to the corner unguarded for open threes. Not only did Minor can four deep balls, he showed a nice baby hook in the lane and collected seven rebounds and three blocks. KJ Buffen, Jarred Rosser and Jarrel Rosser are long glasses of water. Jarrel played atop Coach Benjie Wood’s press and made it nearly impossible for the Miller Grove guards to get past him when he would double team with Kajuan Hale and others. The Rossers and Buffen play above the rim. Buffen showed an all-around floor game with a couple smooth glides to the basket. He picked up six rebounds and five assists in the win. Hale had a shaky start to the game but he picked it up once Gainesville’s defense started to translate into offense. He’s a quick guard that has good court vision. He alongside Xavier Bledson will be sure to dish out some highlight dimes this season. Mike White came off the bench and played with a wrapped hand. Once he’s healthy, he brings another strong wing athlete that can shoot it. Definitely can’t forget about the play of Austin Long. The epitome of a role player, Long did good things when he was on the floor and hit a huge three to stymie Miller Grove’s third quarter push.

 

Top Performers

Gainesville
Bailey Minor – 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks
Kajuan Hale – 12 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Jarrel Rosser – 11 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
KJ Buffen – 10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block
Jarred Rosser – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks
Xavier Bledson – 8 points, 1 rebound, 2 steals
Austin Long – 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

Miller Grove
Tae Hardy – 18 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
Lorenzo Anderson – 18 points, 6 rebounds
Kevin Paige – 11 points, 11 rebounds, 6 blocks
Jalen Mason – 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

SportsCallAU National Signing Day Auburn Tigers Breakdown

Audio

I was a guest on SportsCallAuburn.com, breaking down Bruce Pearl and Auburn’s recent success in plucking talent away from the state of Georgia. Both Chuma Okeke (Westlake) and Davion Mitchell (Liberty County) signed on the dotted line yesterday, joining the likes of Jared Harper (Pebblebrook), Anfernee McLemore (Worth County), TJ Dunans (MLK) and Bryce Brown (Tucker) who are establishing themselves as mainstays over on The Plains.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Cherokee County Media Day

Etowah High School hosted Cherokee County Media Day on Tuesday morning. The boys went first for an hour followed by the girls. Much to my chagrin, I was only able to stick around for the boys portion of the event before having to hustle over to the office. Here’s some news and notes from my homeland.

 

Woodstock

Head Coach: Kingston Clark
Region 4-AAAAAAA
2015-16: 14-15 

How to become a perennial state playoff team in their new region: “We’ve been working out and conditioning. It’s going to be a tough task. We don’t have Wheeler to worry about any more, thank God for that. Milton’s gone, but it’s wide open. One through six, anybody can come up and win the region.”

What the Class of 2017 means to the program: “We have a great group of seniors. Tyreke [Johnson] was First Team All-Region last year, so he actually has something to prove. Brant [Hurter] signed with Georgia Tech already with a baseball scholarship. Cam [Crowe] has had several people looking at him so he has several offers on the table. They have a lot to prove. First and foremost, the very first thing I talked to them about when I walked into Woodstock’s gymnasium, there were no banners on the wall for boys basketball. So that is the number one goal, that those guys want to leave that legacy so they can come back and have something hanging on that wall they can say they played a part of.”

 

Cherokee

Head Coach: Roger Kvam
Region 4-AAAAAAA
2015-16: 12-14 

On the importance of Phil Cirillo and the senior class: “Phil’s been on the varsity for three years so has Eli [Mayberry] and Jack Carroll, who’s been on for four years, so we have a lot of experience. Jack was on the team as a freshman and actually started. I count on all three of those guys for leadership. Phil is very talented, he can do a lot of different things and play a lot of different positions. We kind of use him like a Queen in chess to do a lot of different things. I feel like we underachieved last year. We were not good on defense and we were kind of selfish on offense and I think we addressed that this summer a little bit.”

 

Etowah

Head Coach: Allen Whitehart
Region 4-AAAAAAA
2015-16: 14-14 

How to shape a new winning culture at Etowah: “First and foremost we came in with hard work immediately in the weight room. Most of the kids haven’t really lifted before. I feel like if you can go in there and push through barriers and kind of get a little strain going you can find out about yourself and that translates right over to the floor. We talked about everything being first class. You’ve got to look the part as well as be the part. I was fortunate enough while I was at Buford High School to be around phenomenal coaches: Gene Durden, Jess Simpson, Tony Wolfe and took a little bit from them. I was smart enough to steal a little bit and take some of that with me.”

On Kam Hickey: “He is going to be playing a 3/4 position for us. He’s going to be really counted on to be a mismatch for us for what we do offensively.”

On Lewis Simonson: “He did not play last year but he is going to be counted on as one of our leaders and someone who can knock down shots.”

On Julian Baldwin & Adrian Cohen: “Julian has a chance to have a great year. We really worked hard with his consistency, getting him stronger. His understanding of the game has really come around a lot. I feel like if he continues to improve at the rate he’s improving he will have a chance to have a phenomenal year. Another kid with a chance for a breakout year is Adrian Cohen. Adrian had a phenomenal fall and phenomenal summer on the [AAU] circuit. Again, consistency is something we are preaching with him as well. He has games when he looks like a really high level player. If those four can have consistency, they can really help us go.”

 

Sequoyah

Head Coach: Allen Carden
Region 6-AAAAAA
2015-16: 20-9 

How to build an identity with a young and inexperienced group: “We’ve talked about that from Day 1 in the weight room – our culture is going to be hard work. We are going to identify with being a strong defensive team. We are going to play smart fundamental basketball. We are going to act the right way and do the right things. As much as I talk about defensive rebounding, everybody knows you still have to put the ball in the hole so you’ve got to be strong skill-wise. But identity, we are always going to hang our hat on playing defense.”

 

Creekview

Head Coach: Casey Gramling
Region 6-AAAAAA
2015-16: 16-10 

How to become a state playoff team year-in and year-out: “That’s the million dollar question. Of course we want to be there and we do have some good pieces this year and we are trying to make a couple culture changes. One of the things we did was my team didn’t participate in a fall league this year. Now the kids are playing 100 games a year and those 25 games they play for their school just represented other games. We are trying to bring it back to where when they put on a Creekview uniform it means something to them.”

On the continuing emergence of KJ Jenkins: “KJ is a junior point guard, incredibly talented. He will be a third-year varsity player and he’s always had that mentality since he was a younger kid on the team. We are working on with him building that leadership role because this is his team and he’s the point guard. It’s a work in progress and he is doing really well in his new role. The kid can score, he’s smooth. He’s got a great shot, he can defend. We’ve had more college coaches in my gym in the last two months than we’ve had in my last two years I’ve been here. They are coming to watch KJ, they are coming to watch Chandler [Wright] and Weber [Sandlin].”

 

River Ridge

Head Coach: Ben Farist
Region 6-AAAAAA
2015-16: 8-18 

How to be patient with a young program and find a way to establish itself in a tough region: “I think a lot of it is not only now what we are doing, but investing in our junior program and realizing that they are the future of what we have but coaching who we have now. We aren’t getting any transfers in or anything crazy like that. So control what we can control. Working hard in the weight room to build athletes that we have currently in our program and making the offense more conducive to what we are good at.”

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Predictions

Bold Predictions

Parkview will make the state playoffs for the first time since 2007-08: Coming off a 10-16 season, the young Panthers will find a way to claw their way into the Class AAAAAAA state playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. With no seniors on the roster, Parkview’s young yet experienced backcourt along with versatile size in Ahmir Langlais and Tonerai Lane will do just enough to go dancing come February.

Update: Parkview finished 12-13 without a playoff berth

Lakeside-Evans and Heritage-Conyers will split during the regular season: Class AAAAAA preseason No. 6 Heritage-Conyers is a heavy favorite to win Region 3, but they will have to slip past some tough-nosed teams out of the Augusta area, especially Lakeside-Evans. A strong core with chemistry, Kalen Williams and blossoming forward Deon Berrien will push the Patriots and nip them once this year.

Update: Lakeside swept Heritage (3-0), including winning the Region 3 championship

Starr’s Mill will make the state playoffs for the first time since 2012-13: The pieces are in place for the Panthers to become one of Region 3-AAAAA’s best teams behind a young nucleus consisting of All-County guard Zach Pina, Region Freshman of the Year Nate Allison and junior forward Drew Hudson. The graduation of McIntosh’s best senior class in school history and the season-ending injuries to two of Morrow’s top three leading scorers makes the feat very doable.

Update: Starr’s Mill finished 18-11 with a Sweet 16 appearance

Stephens County will make the Sweet 16: The Indians last made the state playoffs in 2012-13 and finished 16-9 last year but missed out on the tournament. Now in a friendly region to rack up some wins, 6-foot-7 DeUndra Singleton, NuNu Walker and Ty Nails should be enough to clinch a top two seed in the region and defeat whoever comes out of Region 6-AAAA in the opening round of the state tournament.

Update: Stephens County finished 20-8 with a Sweet 16 appearance

Pace Academy will drop at least one Region 5-AAA game: Even though the No. 1 ranked Knights have arguably the No. 1 ranked player in the nation, someone out of Region 5 will knock the Knights off at least once. Preseason No. 8 Lovett did the honors last year with a 66-63 overtime victory and will get another crack to do it again this year. Add in No. 6 Cedar Grove and a scrappy Redan group and the Knights will certainly have their guard play tested.

Update: Pace Academy finished 16-1 in Region 5 with a 55-42 loss at Cedar Grove

Someone from the field will rise up to steal the Class A-Public crown from Wilkinson County: With No. 2 Crawford County and No. 7 Manchester added to the mix, Class A-Public gets a lot tougher. With that said, No. 1 Wilkinson County enters as the favorite, but this year the field might catch WilCo for just the second time in a six year span. Marcal Knolton (Crawford County) and Rashun Williams (No. 4 Calhoun County) have the talent and size to lead their respective teams to a deep run and match Wilkinson’s front line which is counting on Greg Couson to return healthy from an ACL tear.

Update: Wilkinson County won their 9th state title with a 66-53 victory over Calhoun County

Dwon Odom will have a handful of D-I offers by the end of the season: Already a star on the AAU circuit, No. 5 St. Francis’ freshman guard Dwon Odom will make a name for himself on the varsity level and in a loud fashion. Athleticism like his can’t be taught. The 6-foot-2 pogo stick will play the passing lanes and come away with some monstrous dunks this season. He might not be good enough to carry St. Francis to another state title yet, but he has the makings of becoming something special.

Update: Georgia Tech, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Rutgers among others, have offered

Don’t sleep on Bowdon: Bowdon drops from Class AA to A-Public after making a state playoff appearance. Octavius Meadows, 6-foot-4, returns after being named Times-Georgian All-Area Newcomer of the Year averaging 17.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2 steals per game in his first season playing varsity. Bowdon gets a raw draw however, matching up in Region 6-A with practically everyone else being a Private School, which could hurt their chances on garnering a good enough record to make the state playoffs with the silly power ratings system in Class A. Whether they make the state tournament or not, Bowdon won’t be a pushover this season.

Update: Bowdon finished 10-15; 5-9 in Region 6

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

2016-17 Preseason State Rankings

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Class AAAAAAA

  1. Wheeler
  2. Pebblebrook
  3. Westlake
  4. Norcross
  5. Newton
  6. McEachern
  7. Shiloh
  8. Berkmar
  9. Collins Hill
  10. Tift County

Class AAAAAA

  1. Jonesboro
  2. Gainesville
  3. Langston Hughes
  4. South Paulding
  5. Allatoona
  6. Heritage-Conyers
  7. Dacula
  8. Alexander
  9. Alpharetta
  10. Brunswick

Class AAAAA

  1. Columbia
  2. Miller Grove
  3. Cedar Shoals
  4. Buford
  5. Eagle’s Landing
  6. Warner Robins
  7. New Hampstead
  8. Southwest DeKalb
  9. Fayette County
  10. Riverwood

Class AAAA

  1. Henry County
  2. Sandy Creek
  3. Upson-Lee
  4. St. Pius X
  5. Thomson
  6. North Clayton
  7. LaGrange
  8. Westover
  9. Perry
  10. Cartersville

Class AAA

  1. Pace Academy
  2. Westside-Macon
  3. Liberty County
  4. Jenkins
  5. Morgan County
  6. Cedar Grove
  7. Greater Atlanta Christian
  8. Lovett
  9. Islands
  10. Crisp County

Class AA

  1. Thomasville
  2. South Atlanta
  3. Dublin
  4. Monticello
  5. Vidalia
  6. Callaway
  7. Butler
  8. Banks County
  9. Swainsboro
  10. Chattooga

Class A-Private

  1. Greenforest
  2. North Cobb Christian
  3. Southwest Atlanta Christian
  4. Holy Innocents’
  5. St. Francis
  6. Lakeview Academy
  7. Tattnall Square Academy
  8. Aquinas
  9. King’s Ridge Christian
  10. Whitefield Academy

Class A-Public

  1. Wilkinson County
  2. Crawford County
  3. Turner County
  4. Calhoun County
  5. Taylor County
  6. Hancock Central
  7. Manchester
  8. Quitman County
  9. Lincoln County
  10. Hawkinsville

 

Class AAAAAAA sees Region 2 open up No. 1-2-3 and for good reason. No. 1 Wheeler has undeniable talent. If Coach Doug Lipscomb is able to keep everyone focused, the Wildcats have more than enough firepower to capture their seventh state title…if not, it will be an unmitigated failure, even with how strong the rest of the state is. Super sophomore Terry Armstrong has already transferred back to Michigan. No. 2 Pebblebrook and defending state champion No. 3 Westlake won’t go down without a fight and don’t be surprised if either one of them is back in the state championship. No. 4 Norcross has all of its starters back and is a year wiser and year stronger. The Blue Devils’ blend of size and guard play will make them a difficult out. Don’t sleep on No. 5 Newton. The Rams might not have the size and length of the teams in the top four, but they have just as good of guard play if not better. Ashton Hagans, JD Notae and Isaiah Miller all have a killer mentality and have proven they can play with the big boys. No. 6 McEachern is young but talented with a sophomore class led by Isaac Okoro and Babatunde Akingbola. Unlike the teams in the Top 5, McEachern has a fairly favorable region and has a realistic chance to run the table. No. 7 Shiloh will be in a battle for the Region 8 title with Newton and Grayson. The Generals will lean on a sturdy defense and an experienced backcourt. In at No. 8 is Berkmar, who has the juice with Indiana-commit Al Durham, NJIT-commit Zach Cooks and Jay Estime to knock off anybody in the state if they get hot. The one question will be interior size when the Patriots get deep into the state playoffs. Always steady No. 9 Collins Hill avoids Norcross being in their region but instead will deal with a slew of competitive teams that have all improved. The No. 10 spot has been in flux leading up to finalization of the polls. No. 10 Tift County gets the nod now that 6-foot-6 post Preston Horne is back healthy. The Blue Devils will be tested right away however, playing Class AA No. 1 Thomasville on the road on Nov. 19.  If the Blue Devils trip up, there is a host of teams vying to crack the rankings headlined by the likes of Milton, Grayson, Parkview and more who are on the fringe of solidifying themselves as top programs in Georgia.

Void of a defending state champion, Class AAAAAA will hopefully sort itself through the year but right now spots 2-10 look close to interchangeable with each team having their own strengths and weaknesses. Jonesboro will sit atop the perch to begin the season large in part that every game they play in, they will have the best player on the floor in five-star senior wing MJ Walker. The defensive minded group headed by Coach Dan Maehlman will likely remain one of the toughest teams to score on in the entire state.  Hall County’s Gainesville slots in at No. 2. The Red Elephants have length with three players standing 6-foot-6, a core of good shooters and an overall wide open offense with Coach Benjie Wood teaching and holding everyone accountable on the sidelines. If each player buys into their own specific role, there is no reason the Red Elephants shouldn’t enjoy a deep postseason run. No. 3 Langston Hughes should be in-line for one of the biggest turnarounds in the state behind D-I commits Khalil Cuffee (SE Missouri State) and Derrick Cook (Northeastern) along with new arrival, 6-foot-6 guard Landers Nolley II. The Panthers will be in a dog fight in Region 5 with No. 4 South Paulding and No. 8 Alexander with Mays, Tri-Cities and more all looming. The Panthers come in at No. 3 above the rest of their region foes due to their upside of being able to score the ball. No. 4 South Paulding returns all of its key pieces except for all-time leading rebounder Anthony Brown, who is replaced by freshman Knowledge Ruben. Kane Williams (Georgia State) and JaCori Wilson carry the load on offense for a team that hangs its hat on defense. A consistent third scorer will be the key to their success. Coach Markus Hood and his staff have made overlooking Allatoona one of the most foolish things a basketball analyst can do, but the Bucs do have a lot of pieces to replace around junior guard Trey Doomes as they open up ranked No. 5. Allatoona will always have a premier defense year in and year out. Tyler Jackson and Mike Johnson will have major responsibilities their senior year in the backcourt and must take some of the scoring burden off Doomes’ shoulders. No. 6 Heritage-Conyers has a chance to really flourish in its new home with the Augusta schools. They will be challenged, but the Patriots are the clear cut favorite to take the No. 1 seed out of Region 3. No. 7 Dacula has the versatile guards to get into the state playoffs and make some noise. They will run neck and neck with Gainesville for a top seed out of Region 8. All of No. 8 Alexander’s top scorers return and the Cougars have built some depth over the summer. They are in tough region yet again but will have every opportunity to rise to the occasion and establish themselves as a Top 10 team. No. 9 Alpharetta is trending in the right direction and has put together a great offseason. Once football players Ellis Merriweather and Carlos Carriere join first-year head coach Jason Dasigner on the hardwood, the Raiders have a chance to take off in a region that is very winnable. No. 10 Brunswick graduates some big pieces, but the biggest, 6-foot-8 College of Charleston-commit Kymani Dunham, is still in the picture. He will need help around him, but if he gets it, the 2014-15 state champions could once again play a factor come March.

The balance of power in Class AAAAA runs through Region 5 with Columbia, Miller Grove and Southwest DeKalb battling each other. In a virtual coin flip, No. 1 Columbia gets the top spot over No. 2 Miller Grove. Miller Grove boasts a plethora of guards and strong depth while Columbia has more length and size 1 through 5. The return of five-time state championship coach Dr. Phil McCrary inches the Eagles over Miller Grove who sees seven-time champion Sharman White head to Georgia State while Rasul Chester steps in as head coach. Expect these two teams to trade blows throughout the season and jockey for the No. 1 ranking. Region 8 gives Region 5 a run for its money with Cedar Shoals and Buford. No. 3 Cedar Shoals quietly enters the season as a team no one wants to face led by 6-foot-5 wing Phlan Fleming (Charleston Southern) and perimeter scorer Snipe Hall. The Jaguars clawed their way out of the toughest region in 5A last year will need to hold off a new look No. 4 Buford who now showcases one of the most talented rosters in the state. Sustained success is in the future for Buford with a powerful sophomore class. Coach Eddie Martin may have the Wolves ahead of schedule and we will know right away as Cedar Shoals is as good a measuring stick as it gets. No. 5 Eagle’s Landing has a chance to atone for their early state playoff dismissal last year. Transfers Brandon Thomas and Mohammed Abubakar have bolstered the Eagles’ outside and inside game in a manageable region. No. 6 Warner Robins relies on a trio of strong junior guards who will need to step into the limelight now that Marquez Callaway is gone. With 6-foot-8 Donovan Brown graduated, the Demons’ one weakness on paper is a lack of true game-changing size. No. 7 New Hampstead has one of the best scorers in the state in 5-foot-7 lefty Oronte Anderson, who poured in 22.1 points per game last year. The Phoenix return their top seven leading scorers. No. 8 Southwest DeKalb will be paced by guards Darius Hogan and Mandarius Dickerson. The Panthers will be battle tested come state playoff time. No. 9 Fayette County will lean on Furman-commit Noah Gurley and senior guards Austin Nesmith and Phillip Young to steer the Tigers back into the state playoffs. No. 10 Riverwood enters life without Kohl Roberts and will become a little more perimeter oriented with capable senior guards Elijah Jenkins (Embry-Riddle) and Charnchai Chantha pacing the attack. Morrow was set to debut in the Top 10, but with Leviticus Glover and Stanley Henderson – two of the Mustangs’ top three leading scorers out for the season with knee injuries – the Stangs took a hit.

No defending state champions reside in Class AAAA, truly making it a wide open, up for grabs type grouping. With that being said, Henry County opens up at No. 1. The Warhawks have two D-I guards in Javon Greene (George Mason) and Damion Rosser (New Orleans) and have versatile experienced athletes around them in Kovi Tate and Seth Brown.  No. 2 Sandy Creek is loaded with young talent. Elder statesman Evan Jester will need to be Coach Anthony McKissic’s leader on and off the court. The Patriots might have the most long term talent in the state in Class AAAA.  No. 3 Upson-Lee has something to prove after a first round exit last season. Junior scoring guard Tye Fagan has burst onto the scene this offseason with teammates Zyrice Scott and Travon Walker with the Middle Georgia Supersonics. Mercer, VMI and Chattanooga have all started asking about Fagan. With a strong system in place with some grueling wars now in the rearview mirror, St. Pius X debuts at No. 4 and finds itself in a much friendlier region than it was in last year. It might take a second for the Golden Lions to replace the leadership and scoring of Kerney Lane and Christian Merrill, but once they do Pius should gain a full head of steam heading into the state playoffs. No. 5 Thomson is stacked with experienced guards that will be interchangeable on the perimeter. The Bulldogs should be one of the Augusta area’s top programs this year. No. 6 North Clayton has a senior class that has won on every level. With Ahsan Asadullah (Lipscomb) anchoring the Eagles inside, North Clayton should be a handful for other opponents who can’t match their athleticism outside and length in the post. Region 4 looks tough with No. 1 Henry County, Eastside, Salem and Woodward Academy in the mix. Region 5 puts three teams into the Top 10 with No. 2 Sandy Creek, No. 7 LaGrange and No. 10 Cartersville. Both the Grangers and Hurricanes will have their standout quarterbacks on the hardwood. Laperion Perry is an experienced scorer and has a pair of 6-foot-6 forwards inside while Cartersville is led by tough guard Jaylon Pugh and footballers Avery Showell and 5-star quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Cartersville will be put to the test in a region which requires plenty of travel and a major step up in competition. No. 8 Westover has lethal guard play between Kris Gardner and Jordan “Snow” Brown. Both can fill it up from the perimeter, Brown especially with his endless range. No. 9 Perry loses Georgia State-signee Chris Clerkley inside as a shot blocking specialist, but the real catalyst of the offense Damion Bagley is back along with steady guard Jake Smith.

As wide open Class AAAA is with no perennial powers in the field, Class AAA is the exact opposite. Three reigning state champions will try to defend their titles against a deep pack of proud programs. No. 1 Pace Academy, the defending Class AA champs, open at No. 1 behind Wendell Carter Jr. and Isaiah Kelly. Those two alone make the Knights as scary as nearly anyone in the state. Championships however are usually won with guard play. Pace will need seniors Barrett Baker and Mark Sommerville to hold their own against some tough competition. No. 2 Westside-Macon gets the advantage over No. 3 Liberty County, the defending AAAA champs. Trey Foster could be an X-factor alongside Khavon Moore and Kentrevious Jones. Liberty County slips to No. 3 with the loss of Richard LeCounte, who is said to be forgoing his senior season to enroll early at Georgia for football. The loss of a freak athlete that averaged 20 points and 5 rebounds is a big deal in a tightly contested Class. Auburn-commit Davion Mitchell and Will Richardson will need to find a consistent third option. No. 4 Jenkins brings toughness from Savannah and still has Trevion Lamar and Zion Williams, two winners, in the fold. Defending Class AAA champion Morgan County comes in at No. 5. Alec Woodard and Tyrin Lawrence will need to grow on their strong freshmen campaigns. No. 6 Cedar Groves has a nice core still in place, but if Oklahoma State football commit Jelani Woods decides not to play his final year, the Saints will be without a commanding 6-foot-8 presence. If he does play, he composes of a nice inside-out duo with sophomore guard Devon Barnes. Looking on paper, No. 7 Greater Atlanta Christian is the runaway favorite to run the table in Region 7, but Dawson County, North Hall and East Hall shouldn’t be counted out as potential landmines. Travel could be an issue, but if the Spartans remain focused they have a nice cohesive group to gain momentum heading into the state playoffs. No. 8 Lovett is in Region 5 with No. 1 Pace and No. 6 Cedar Grove; not an easy task. The Lions will scrap and claw for a top three seed but have to maintain separation from the likes of Westminster and Redan who have talent to shake things up a little. No. 9 Islands could play spoiler in Region 3 vs. Jenkins. All-time leading scorer Justin Cave is back for his senior season along with a very experienced backcourt headlined by sophomore Trae Broadnax. No impactful size may be a deterrent for the dark horse Sharks. No. 10 Crisp County sneaks into the final spot. The Cougars are in a manageable five-team region and return their top three scorers including senior Quentavious Dean who averaged 18.3 points per game.

The stranglehold over Class AA by private schools is finally defunct thanks to the new shuffling around of the classifications. The spotlight turns to South Georgia as No. 1 Thomasville is now the heavy favorite to win it all after dominating last year before running into Pace Academy. 6-foot-8 Reggie Perry is only a junior but has committed to Arkansas. Sophomore Titus Wright is a massive 6-foot-9. The Bulldogs lose a host of experienced guards, but if Coach Benjamin Tillman can plug in some competent ball handlers and shooters, Thomasville will be in great shape. No stranger to slaying the dragon however, No. 2 South Atlanta finds itself in a wildly friendly Region 6 after a great year in Region 4-AAA. The Hornets were the only team in Georgia to defeat Greenforest last year and won’t be afraid if they ever run into Thomasville’s front line. Speed, shooting, length, athleticism: Coach Michael Reddick has it all once again. Unlike the Thomasvilles and South Atlantas of the world, No. 3 Dublin doesn’t have great size and instead relies on its jitterbug guards to initiate the offense, the state’s best last year. Juniors Kameron Pauldo and Torian Holder are the engines. No. 4 Monticello took a deep run last year and has a lot of their pieces back including the Purple Hurricanes’ top two guards. 6-foot-5 Malik Crawford has a chance to shine this year in place of De’Miria Glover. No. 5 Vidalia has become a powerhouse but still is in search of their first state title. Junior guard Tahj Jones powers the Indians into the Top 5 to open the season. Braylon Sanders is a potent scoring guard at No. 6 Callaway. The Cavaliers are in a nice position now that they have dropped from Class AAA. No. 7 Butler relies on Head Coach Cervantes Boddy to put each piece in the right place. The Bulldogs don’t have huge size, but they do have very athletic forwards in DeAndre Barton and Will Lambert that can help on the boards. Butler has grown a deep and dependable backcourt as well. No. 8 Banks County sits in an interesting Region 8 with No. 4 Monticello. The Leopards have experience at the AAA ranks and bring down with them two physical presences in the paint in Kahmal Wiley and Dylan Orr, two blossoming double-double threats. Creeping into the Top 10 are No. 9 Swainsboro and No. 10 Chattooga. Swainsboro will add fuel to the fire with their burgeoning rivalry with new region foe No. 5 Vidalia while Chattooga remains the team to beat in Region 7 behind Isaac and Isaiah Foster.

The best team in the entire state last year was Class A-Private No. 1 Greenforest and they will be the heavy favorite to repeat as state champs. The addition of Mo Merritt to the North Cobb Christian frontline gives them enough length to be a force as the No. 2 team in the state. Merritt brings a toughness to pair with high scoring wing Demiere Brown. Florida-commit DeAndre Ballard has plenty of firepower around him for No. 3 Southwest Atlanta Christian to make some waves across the state. A potent bucket getter like Ballard makes SACA a dangerous team when clicking on all cylinders. Sliding in at No. 4 is Holy Innocents’. The Golden Bears’ trio of Jules Erving, Cole Smith and Richard Surdykowski should fare well in their new region, even though it consists of No. 1 Greenforest and No. 3 Southwest Atlanta Christian. If the Bears can stay healthy, they could compete for a high seed come state tournament time. It is a reloading year, not a rebuilding year for No. 5 St. Francis. The Knights might go through some growing pains early on in the year, but freshman Dwon Odom has a chance to be a star and thrive in the high school game. Couple him with senior Wallace Tucker and some more young pieces and St. Francis will likely challenge rival No. 2 North Cobb Christian for the Region 6 title. Coming out of Hall County with nearly every single player returning from last year’s record-setting season, No. 6 Lakeview Academy has the cohesion and team chemistry to trouble teams outside of Region 8 and play spoiler come state tournament time. No. 7 Tattnall Square plays in Region 7 with four other ranked schools (Private: No. 8 Aquinas, Public: No. 1 Wilkinson County, No. 6 Hancock Central, No. 9 Lincoln County). All five schools will likely cannibalize each other, leading to modest overall records, but each team is dangerous in their own right, Tattnall leaning on explosive scorer Calvin Slaughter on the wing. No. 8 Aquinas has people talking in Augusta and looks ready to take the rest of the state by storm. Tre Gomillion will be the heart and soul of the Fighting Irish and now he finally has running mates with the same tenacity and talent with Trent Bowdre, Dejuan Hill and Jelani Shakir all ready to make major contributions. No. 9 King’s Ridge can cement itself as a program on the rise behind experience in Sean Flanigan, Kameron Dozier and Hank Blain. Rising sophomore Eric Coleman is 6-foot-6 and can shoot the ball from distance as a matchup problem. On paper, No. 10 Whitefield Academy looks down, but senior guard Isaiah Hart is a fearless leader that will keep the Wolfpack as a tough out. If youngsters like Dylan McLean and Andrew Thomas-Brown can step up, Whitefield should piece together a nice season and float in the Top 10. If not, they could be on the outside looking in at the rankings.

You can’t pick against the most dominant Class A-Public program until they are knocked off their perch. That’s why Wilkinson County opens at No. 1 as the Warriors begin their quest for state title No. 9 and fourth in a five year span. Clarence Jackson leads the charge while 6-foot-6 power forward Greg Couson continues to recover from a torn ACL. New to the Class A-Public scene is No. 2 Crawford County. The non-stop motor of 6-foot-6 senior Marcal Knolton will now terrorize a new field of teams. He averaged 20 points, 11.7 rebounds and 5.6 blocks per game last season. No. 3 Turner County returns seniors Tamarrion Terry and Jarvis Hall. Terry posted 20.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.8 blocks per game last year. Terry should carry the Rebels to another region championship this season. No. 4 Calhoun County tries to climb the mountain top again after winning a state title in 2014-15. 6-foot-6 junior Rashun Williams might be the most intriguing prospect in the state in A-Public with his raw athleticism. If he develops a consistent jumper, he could become unstoppable in the lowest classification in the state and power another deep Cougar run. Lyn-J Dixon and John Corbin make up a nice one-two punch for No. 5 Taylor County, who also adds Nuke Lucas into the mix from Northside-Warner Robins. Dixon is an uber-athlete that can overwhelm opponents when slashing into the lane. No. 6 Hancock Central graduates four starters but still has Devojia Tucker in the mix. Players from the freshmen and junior varsity level will determine whether the Bulldogs remain one of the state’s best or not. In at No. 7 is Manchester. The drop to Class A-Public helps but a lot graduates from last year’s Class AA state runner-up. It will be on the shoulders of Jahnile Hill and Jerquavion Mahone to carry the Blue Devils. If 6-foot-8 Deylon Parham suits up, he could be the X-factor. No. 8 Quitman County is a team on the rise. Laqueveus Nelson enters his sophomore season after averaging 24 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, earning Region Player of the Year honors. Junior Shahee Billings averaged 16 points and 10 assists. Senior Ja’Darian Gibbs is the third head, adding 12 points and 6 rebounds per game. The Hornets should have some sting this season. Reigning Class A-Public Player of the Year 6-foot-7 Ahmad Rand paces No. 9 Lincoln County. The triple-double machine helped the Red Devils to one of their best seasons in school history. Maciah Gunby runs the point as a lethal shooter from distance. If both can stay focused, Lincoln County will find itself back in the Elite Eight with a shot to go even further. If not, Rand’s senior season will be a disappointing end to a standout career. No. 10 Hawkinsville is one of the stingiest defensive teams in the state and returns CJ Smith to lead the scoring attack.

For complete analysis of each and every team in the state, visit the class-by-class team preview pages.