Analysis, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Biggest Surprises & Disappointments

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With each new year, storylines present themselves (unless you’re the AJC, you manufacture your own with wildly inaccurate rankings). This season there have been some pleasant surprises and some early disappointments throughout the state.

Class AAAAAA

In Class AAAAAA, no one stands out more than Johns Creek (12-2). The Gladiators started the season 11-0 before suffering their first loss of the year to another turned around program, Brookwood (10-3), who finished 7-19 last year. The Broncos handed Johns Creek a loss in the Deep South Classic, 65-62 in overtime. If you did your homework and studied up on the Broncos roster heading into ’15-16, it should come to no surprise that they are playing this well. It will be interesting to see if they can keep up their hot start in the treacherous Region 8.

Back to the Gladiators though. After a 14-15 season and 10-8 record last year in Region 6, Johns Creek is now 7-1 in region play behind seniors Mark Lancaster and Mason Henkel. Lancaster is averaging more than 16 points and five rebounds per game while Henkel adds 13.1 points and 5.5 boards. The Gladiators along with No. 5 Tift County and region rival Lambert were the last three teams undefeated in 6A. Yesterday they had the opportunity to see how they measure up against Lambert, the region’s frontrunner and lost 64-53 as the Longhorns’ size proved to be the difference with Navy signee Connor Mannion and North Georgia signee Ross Morkem combining for 50 points and 26 rebounds.

Ross Morkem was too big for Johns Cree | Ty Freeman
Ross Morkem was too big for Johns Cree | Ty Freeman
Class AAAAA

A few programs have built off strong seasons and have turned into top ten teams in AAAAA. No. 9 Riverwood out of Region 7B sits at 15-1 overall with their lone loss coming to last year’s 4A state runner-up, Carrollton, at the Lake City Classic. Improved three-point shooting, primarily from Elijah Jenkins and Charnchai Chantha, has also made the Raiders a threat as they now have perimeter support around double-double machine Kohl Roberts, who is averaging over 16 points and 13 rebounds a night.

No. 7 Camden County (13-0, 4-0) is one of two undefeateds (No. 2 Allatoona) left in the classification. The Wildcats come off a 19-10 season and are the team to beat right now in Region 3. Seniors Jaylen Smallwood (17.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg), Logan Ballard (13.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and Keyshaun Street (12.5 ppg) are among the catalysts that drive Coach William Moore’s offense.

The biggest turnaround has been the Shaw Raiders (10-2, 2-0), hailing from Region 1. A 8-16 mark a year ago seems like a distant memory as Coach Terry White’s team is off to their best start since ’11-12. Averaging 80 points per game, the Raiders are overwhelming teams with their firepower. Seniors Dakeen Diaz (15.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg), Kourtney Shakespeare (12.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and the emergence of 6-foot-6 center Cam Paulding (12.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg) has the Raiders in the mix for a playoff berth while battling the likes of LaGrange, Northside-Columbus and Carver-Columbus.

Dakeen Diaz leads Shaw in scoring | Ledger-Enquirer
Dakeen Diaz leads Shaw in scoring | Ledger-Enquirer
Class AAAA

Region 4-AAAA’s No. 8 Eagle’s Landing (13-1, 6-1) has held its own this year with their only loss coming to No. 1 Jonesboro. Jordan Lewis is pitching in 16.6 points per game to pace the Eagles. The competition is stiff in Region 4, but the Chuck Miller Holiday Classic champs are in good shape to contend.

The biggest disappointment in AAAA? UGA signee Tyree Crump’s Bainbridge Bearcats (7-7, 3-3). The boys from Bearcat Boulevard opened up at No. 4 but find themselves struggling to stay afloat in a deep Region 1. With a star D-I guard, big man Trevon Shaw and DeVonte Jones, the team’s top three scorers from an 18-9, 11-7 season all returning, why shouldn’t they have been highly regarded? The Bearcats have played a decent schedule, but with high expectations, flop losses to Dougherty and Americus-Sumter can’t happen. Bainbridge still has the juice to compete, falling to 2A No. 1 Thomasville 63-61 in overtime last night, but it still has yet to be seen if they can get over the hump.

Tyree Crump needs more help at Bainbridge
Tyree Crump needs more help at Bainbridge
Class AAA

Major overhauls have taken place in Class AAA. Jeff Steele has come over from Johnson-Gainesville and has turned Lumpkin County into a contender behind 1,000-point scorer Jack Howard. The Indians cracked the top ten earlier this season and are 13-3 overall and 4-1 in Region 7 after a 9-20, 5-8 campaign. Coahulla Creek has been inserted onto the map going from 14-11, 8-8 in Region 6 to 13-3, 7-1 this year. Region 2 has seen No. 9 Southwest-Macon (11-3, 7-1) transform into a central Georgia hot ticket thanks to transfer Nick Hargrove and Justin Slocum. The 6-foot-6 Slocum averages 22.1 points and 12.6 rebounds while Hargrove adds 20.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists.

Lumpkin County's "Men of Steele"
Lumpkin County’s “Men of Steele”

A shoutout needs to go to the gang at Jackson County. 4-22 overall last year with a 0-12 Region 8 record. This year they are 8-7 overall and 2-2 in region. Who did one of those two wins come against? My biggest disappointment of the year so far, East Jackson. The Eagles (8-7, 3-2) opened the year ranked No. 4, expected to dethrone current No. 3 Morgan County for region supremacy. A trio of star-studded sophomores were supposed to carry Coach David Boyd’s team in the wide open class AAA. Instead, they have taken their lumps against out of state opponents and haven’t wowed in region play, losing to Jackson County at home 67-63 and falling to Morgan County by 7. The Eagles are better than their record indicates thanks to a tough schedule, but most expected a better showing this far into the year.

Drue Drinnon streaking past Aaron Augustin
Drue Drinnon can steer the Eagles in the right direction | Colin Hubbard

I caught flack for saying it’s been somewhat of a tumultuous season, but look at the facts: Coach Boyd has dealt with health problems, Lamont Smith, one of their two new sophomore guards, has transferred back to Gwinnett County, they’ve taken some bad lumps in national tournaments and a loss to a 4-win team from a year ago isn’t pretty. There is plenty of time left to right the ship. Playing a tough schedule can only benefit the Eagles moving forward as once the state tournament starts, records are thrown out the window and nobody remembers what happened in November. Drue Drinnon and Travis Anderson are still two of the best sophomore guards in the state, but they need more help around them if they are going to live up to the lofty expectations bestowed upon them at the beginning of the year.

Class AA

Much like East Jackson, in AA its Pace Academy (3-8, 2-1) who decided to play a national schedule and couldn’t measure up. No. 2 to start the year, a 2-8 beginning to the season was too much to keep them in the polls. Showcasing big time prospects Wendell Carter Jr., Isaiah Kelly and Zack Kaminsky has hurt the Knights in the Win-Loss column. Now that they are back in Region 6 play, the Knights are looking to recreate last year’s 27-3 success. A win over No. 4 Holy Innocents’ on Tuesday 63-58 is a great start. The cupboard is far from bare for Coach Demetrius Smith. They are battle-tested and ready for a deep playoff run.

Penn-commit Zack Kaminsky is one piece to the Pace puzzle
Penn-commit Zack Kaminsky is one piece to the Pace puzzle

Region 2’s Long County (11-3, 5-1) has been a huge surprise following a 6-22, 1-14 year. Sophomore Henry Blair (11.7 ppg) and junior Perrell Brisbane (10.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg) have been two cogs in the success Coach Deshon Brock has seen.

Class A

My biggest shock in 1A is just how wide open the field is. Outside of No. 1 Greenforest, everyone has shown the ability to beat each other, but in the process have uncovered flaws in each team. I can’t foresee there being any 40-point first round blowouts especially in 1A-Private. Of course there are a few slight favorites to make the Final Four, but it would not surprise me if two or three unfamiliar faces crash the party.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Predictions

Sandy’s Spiel Super Sleepers (Update 1/6/15)

 

Class AAAAAA

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2015-16: Harrison: (7-7, 2-3)
2014-15: Harrison: (10-17, 4-10) 

The Hoyas have played well and are right in the thick of things in Region 4, battling for a top four seed heading into the region tournament. DJ Rowe was expected to be a big piece of the puzzle this year at the guard position, but he is no longer with the program. Juniors Juwan Owens and Tate Coston have played exceptionally well in his absence. In Tuesday’s 61-59 overtime win over North Cobb, Owens finished with 23 points. The heart and soul of the Hoyas however is senior forward Austin York. The big man has manufactured buckets inside and has shown touch from the perimeter. He posted 15 points and 11 rebounds in the win. The Hoyas have the bulk of their region schedule ahead including two meetings with No. 6 McEachern. Harrison should be in-line to capture a state playoff berth, but if they aren’t able to, expect them to play the role of spoiler down the stretch.

Class AAAAA

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2015-16: Houston County: (5-7, 0-1)
2014-15: Houston County: (10-16, 0-7)

Houston County has played a challenging non-region schedule to get ready for 2016. The Bears have seen 5-star forward Khavon Moore and Westside-Macon three times this season and took 1-of-3. A 55-50 overtime loss to 1A-Private No. 8 Whitefield Academy early in the season was a promising sign that the Bears have enough talent to stick with anyone. Their best win of the season came against 9-3 Dublin, 88-77. The Bears have a balanced attack which is spearheaded by DL Hall, Jaylon Golds and Amari Colbert. Kolbey Singleton, Marquis Traylor, Javion Johnson and Zion Johnson also get the lion’s share of minutes. In Region 2B, the Bears are stuck with No.10 Warner Robins, Jones County and Northside-Warner Robins. They will need to play good ball to get into the postseason, but they have more than enough talent to get the job done.

Class AAAA

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2015-16: Stephens County: (12-4, 1-0)
2014-15: Stephens County: (8-19, 3-7) 

At 12-4, the Indians are off to the best start of any Super Sleeper and have already surpassed last year’s win total. Stephens County won the Apple Classic in Walhalla, South Carolina and will enter region play with good momentum even after a 68-58 loss to Hart County. Nunu Walker, DeUndra Singleton and Ty Nails have played well for the young team that features just three seniors. Walker is a junior guard, while Singleton is a 6-foot-7, 240-pound sophomore and Nails a 6-foot-4 freshman. Stephens County’s best wins have come against 10-4 Madison County, 69-66 and 8-7 Jackson County, 50-46. Region 8 is wide open this year with Madison County, North Hall, White County, Buford and Monroe Area all contenders.

Class AAA

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2015-16: Pepperell: (8-5, 3-0)
2014-15: Pepperell: (11-15, 5-5) 

In teeny-tiny Region 5, the Dragons are emerging as a front-runner to capture a top two seed. In 5B, Rockmart (2-10) and Cedartown (3-7) don’t look like challengers. In 5A, lies No. 8 Callaway (5-3), Central-Carrollton (7-5) and Haralson County (0-14). Malech Wilson, Austin Strickland and Thomas Eddy have led the charge. Coach Skip Matherly sports eight seniors and six sophomores on their roster, giving them a blend of experience and youth. Currently the Dragons are on a six-game winning streak entering the heart of region play. Key tilts on Jan. 15 and Feb. 2 against Callaway will determine how legit Pepperell really is.

 Class AA

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2015-16: Social Circle: (6-8, 0-2)
2014-15: Social Circle: (8-14, 4-8) 

Only two teams, Riverside Military (6-5) and Washington-Wilkes (7-5), are above .500 in Region 8. The Redskins are in last place in the region at 0-2, but have plenty of time to catch the three leaders that sit at 2-1. Junior Deion Head continues to be one of the best players in the region. He is averaging 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 3.7 steals per game. One area for improvement in order to take his game to the next level would be his three-point shooting. He is an unfathomable 2-of-46 from beyond the arc, good for a miniscule 4%. The Redskins shoot just 21% from deep and will need to find some perimeter threats if they want to make the playoffs. Freshman Nick DeBoer is the team’s best shooter at 36% from three. He is averaging 9.4 points per game. Senior Zae Jackson adds 8.9 while sophomore Antonio Dorsey is posting 7.6 points and 8.0 rebounds on average. Senior Tommy Johnson leads the team in rebounding at 8.1 to go along with his 6.9 points per game.

Class A

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2015-16: Pinecrest Academy: (7-7, 1-4)
2014-15: Pinecrest Academy: (10-15, 4-8)

Balance has helped the Paladins get off to a steady start. Three players average double figures with two others scoring over 7 points per night. Seniors Zayne Rice and Adam Rocko have been consistent scorers. Rice averages 12.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals while Rocko goes for 10.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals. Junior John Crone pitches in 10.3 points per game. Seniors Santi Villar and Matt Howell both average over 7 a night. 1A-Private is wide open this season, but Region 6B looks too tight for the Paladins to bust into the playoffs. No. 2 St. Francis and No. 8 Whitefield Academy are among the seven teams ahead of the last-place Paladins in 6B.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Recaps

1-5 Recaps

BOYS

Class 6A-5A Recaps

Class 4A-3A Recaps

Class 2A-1A Recaps


GIRLS

Class AAAAAA

No. 6 South Forsyth 60, North Forsyth 42: Sarah Myers netted a game-high 19 points while Emily Dreslinski added 11 to win the Civil War. Haley Simpson scored 17 points in the loss.

Northview 38, Alpharetta 36: Freshman Ashlee Austin pitched in 18 points to lead the Lady Titans. Freshman Maya Richards netted 10 points in the win.

Class AAAAA

No. 2 Flowery Branch 65, Apalachee 22: Taniyah Worth finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. Maddie Hetzel scored 12 while Caroline Wysocki (11) and Julianne Sutton (10 points, eight rebounds) both finished in double figures to lift the Lady Falcons to 16-0.

Class AAAA

No. 2 Marist 49, St. Pius 26: Diarra Oden finished with 16 points and eight rebounds while Dominique Oden notched 15 points and five rebounds to knock off the Lady Golden Lions. St. Pius had 10 points from Macey Carson and eight points from Kathryn McKenzie.

Pickens 62, Southeast Whitfield 50: Mackenzie Hampton posted 15 points and 16 rebounds in the win for the Nettes.

Class AAA

North Clayton 55, No. 10 South Atlanta 47: Dalania Clardy scored 19 points and Jasmine Holcombe recorded a double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds to upset the Lady Hornets.

Calhoun 68, Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe 32: Ryan Brzozoski finished with 13 points to provide the sting for the Lady Yellow Jackets. Jana Johns scored 11 points while Ashlyn Barnes posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Cassie Henderson added 10 points and six rebounds.

Jenkins 46, Islands 38: Jazmyne Ulmer scored a game-high 17 to lead the Lady Warriors. The Sharks received 16 points from Brittany Walker.

Coaches' Corner, GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Player Feature

Lincoln County Quickly Becoming More Than Just A Football School

500 Wins. An .830 winning percentage. 33 Region titles. 11 State Championships. That is Lincoln County’s resume for football. Lincolnton, one of the best pigskin towns in the state. For basketball? Try 1998 as the Red Devils’ last notable winning season. Lincoln County has long been known as a football county but with Wesley Wuchte at the helm and Ahmad Rand inside, the two are steering the Red Devils to one of the program’s best seasons in school history.

Currently Lincoln County is 7-3 overall and ranked No. 7 in Class A-Public. It has been a vast turnaround from last year’s 10-11 campaign. Coach Wuchte, a former Evans High School standout under Coach Kevin Kenny and Aiken Tech forward for Coach Bruce Capers, is in his second year as varsity head coach after leading the junior varsity. The 26-year-old coach has overseen the slow development of the program, coaching all the juniors and sophomores on the roster since they were in eighth and ninth grade. Wuchte also serves as the Lincoln County Middle School head coach.

At 26, Coach Wuchte has led the Red Devils to their best start in years
At 26, Coach Wuchte has led the Red Devils to their best start in years

So how has Lincoln County gotten off to a fast start? It has to do with taking the seriousness on the gridiron and transferring over that same winning attitude onto the hardwood.

“I think it’s just buying into the culture,” explained Wuchte. “It’s a big football school out here. I only have three of my kids that don’t play football and only play basketball and that’s Zach [Crite], Ahmad [Rand] and Maciah [Gunby], which are my three leading scorers.

“Overall they are just buying into the culture. …They are playing defense hard, they play together and they are playing for one another.”

Introducing Ahmad Rand

For a program that hasn’t seen a winning season in nearly two decades, Wuchte was brought in with a young energy and a passion to turn things around. Players have been held accountable, film has been dissected with the team and each player has bought into doing the little things in order to be successful.

As the team has grown and realized something special could be on the horizon, one star has shined bright. 6-foot-7 junior forward Ahmad Rand has blossomed into the centerpiece for a now balanced attack with Crite (16.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.8 spg), Gunby (9.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and Devon Holloway (11.3 ppg, 10.2 rpg) all making key contributions. The interest in Rand has started to grow and for good reason as he has shattered the school record for triple-doubles and is averaging an eye-popping 16.7 points, 16.4 rebounds and 9.6 blocks per game this year. He has heard from a handful of Division II schools and one D-I program, Kennesaw State University.

(L-R) Ahmad Rand, Zach Crite & Devon Holloway
(L-R) Ahmad Rand, Zach Crite & Devon Holloway

Rand has helped turn Lincoln County into a highlight factory with his dunks and ability to swat any shot thrown his way. The Red Devils welcomed rival Washington-Wilkes to Lincoln County last Tuesday and won 74-64 in front of a sell-out crowd that hasn’t been seen in years thanks to the hype that Rand and the rest of the Red Devils have built.

“It was so packed. It was so unreal. Kids were like ‘man I’ve never seen the gym this packed’ and I said yeah, you guys are turning it around, continue to grind. We are in the right direction, I’ll tell you that,” said Wuchte.

Finding Focus

Rand initially played football his freshman year but decided basketball was his calling after Wuchte encouraged him to focus on hoops. So how has Rand turned himself into a household name? It didn’t happen overnight or by luck.

“He just dedicated his whole entire offseason. So every day, I’m talking about four or five days a week him, Maciah and Zach, those three would be in there every day and Ahmad and Maciah especially, religiously they came every day,” said Wuchte.

Ahmad agreed that it has been a lot of hard work that has gotten him to the level of play he’s reached this season.

“I’ve been doing a lot of individual workouts with my coach in the offseason. Plus I’ve been into AAU which has definitely helped me out a little bit,” said Rand.

Ahmad Rand has overcome obstacles to become a premier '17 player
Ahmad Rand has overcome obstacles to become a premier ’17 player

Rand played over the summer with Team Power in Augusta but may be branching out to play with the Atlanta Xpress, one of the best Under Armour sponsored teams in the entire nation which features the likes of MJ Walker (Jonesboro), Elias Harden (Sandy Creek), Rayshaun Hammonds (Norcross) and Michael Durr (Westlake) as some headlining juniors.

Rand says he is used to playing power forward or center, but understands that if he joins a larger team or plays at the next level he may see a lot of time at the small forward position as well.

When asked why he decided to dedicate his life to improving on the court and in the classroom, one name came up as a motivating force.

“To be honest, he’s [Coach Wuchte] is the main reason why I’ve made it this far,” said Rand. “I didn’t really start taking basketball serious until my freshman year and sophomore year. He’s been helping me a lot during the offseason and doing a lot of workouts. He’s been pushing me and motivating me. Every day in the car ride home he’s telling me what I need to improve on and what other stuff I need to do.”

On The Map

As Coach Wuchte continued to provide support and guidance for Rand, the light went on as Ahmad realized he could have a future in basketball.

“When I started seeing myself get better, I started going home and thinking real hard about it. This year I said I have to have a better season than last year and that’s what I’ve been doing. And every day I’ve been working harder and harder and my name started getting out there more.”

Along with seeing his own name popping up across the internet, the re-emergence of Lincoln County basketball has been something special to Ahmad and something he takes pride in being a part of.

“Knowing that Lincoln County is a football county, we have a lot of leaders. Me and our starting shooting guard were talking about it. We have to bring LC up. This week we’ve beaten teams from Augusta and everything so that has been helping us get our name out there a lot.”

It’s been a long time coming, but Lincoln County basketball is finally being put back on the map by Coach Wuchte, Rand and a strong junior and senior class. With only around 350 kids in the school, the Red Devils have learned to become a close knit team, not only by suiting up together but by blood as Rand is cousins with both junior Zae Gartell and sophomore Javon Reid, who also stars as the Red Devils’ quarterback in football, a team which finished 9-2 this year.

Don’t be surprised if Lincoln County with its new found focus and emphasis on basketball becomes a statewide player on both the football field and the basketball court.

Chad Cook of @AugBball breaks down Lincoln County’s win over Lakeside: http://www.augbball.com/2015/12/lincoln-county-improves-to-3-0-with-win.html

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 7 Rankings

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Class AAAAAA

  1. Westlake (7-2)
  2. Shiloh (9-2)
  3. Norcross (12-2)
  4. Wheeler (8-5)
  5. Tift County (13-1)
  6. McEachern (10-2)
  7. Collins Hill (13-1)
  8. Newton (10-2)
  9. Dacula (10-2)
  10. Pebblebrook (9-6)

Class AAAAA

  1. Miller Grove (12-2)
  2. Allatoona (12-0)
  3. McIntosh (11-2)
  4. Gainesville (6-1)
  5. Cedar Shoals (14-2)
  6. Heritage-Conyers (13-1)
  7. Camden County (12-0)
  8. South Paulding (11-2)
  9. Riverwood (14-1)
  10. Warner Robins (8-2)

Class AAAA

  1. Jonesboro (10-3)
  2. Grady (12-1)
  3. Lithonia (10-4)
  4. St. Pius (11-2)
  5. Liberty County (9-1)
  6. Walnut Grove (13-1)
  7. Sandy Creek (9-4)
  8. Eagle’s Landing (12-1)
  9. Thomson (10-2)
  10. Upson-Lee (11-3)

Class AAA

  1. Laney (12-0)
  2. Jenkins (10-2)
  3. Morgan County (10-3)
  4. South Atlanta (10-2)
  5. Calhoun (10-0)
  6. Central-Macon (10-2)
  7. Westminster (11-2)
  8. Callaway (5-2)
  9. Southwest-Macon (10-3)
  10. Westside-Augusta (5-2)

Class AA

  1. Thomasville (14-0)
  2. Crawford County (10-1)
  3. Seminole County (9-3)
  4. Holy Innocents’ (10-3)
  5. Vidalia (11-2)
  6. Early County (8-2)
  7. GAC (8-6)
  8. Macon County (9-3)
  9. Wesleyan (8-3)
  10. Chattooga (14-1)

Class A-Private

  1. Greenforest (13-1)
  2. St. Francis (8-5)
  3. North Cobb Christian (9-3)
  4. SWAC (7-7)
  5. St. Anne-Pacelli (8-4)
  6. Landmark Christian (8-3)
  7. Lakeview Academy (8-3)
  8. Whitefield Academy (7-7)
  9. Tattnall Square Academy (10-2)
  10. Our Lady of Mercy (7-3)

Class A-Public

  1. Treutlen (9-1)
  2. Wilkinson County (8-3)
  3. Randolph-Clay (10-4)
  4. Hawkinsville (7-3)
  5. Taylor County (8-4)
  6. Atkinson County (8-2)
  7. Lincoln County (7-3)
  8. Terrell County (8-6)
  9. Hancock Central (6-4)
  10. Wilcox County (7-5)

The Lake City Classic at Allatoona High School separated some pretenders from contenders as of now in Class AAAAAA. McEachern entered ranked No. 10 but after a strong showing in the tournament and a second-place finish, the Indians move up to No. 6. They thrashed last week’s No. 6 Lambert (13-2) 73-37 causing the Longhorns to fall out of the poll. Lambert quickly rebounded however with a blowout of last week’s No. 8 Milton (9-5) by a final of 93-67. The final result was eye opening after the Eagles had lost to 5ANo. 3 McIntosh 74-68. Milton completed its 0-3 week at the tournament by dropping a 70-59 decision to 1A-Private No. 3 North Cobb Christian, 70-59 and in the process tumbled out of the top ten. McEachern not only routed Lambert, but scored an impressive overtime victory over McIntosh 75-68 in the semifinals before falling to Allatoona 64-61. Freshman Isaac Okoro finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and three blocks while Darius Jones poured in 20 points to lead the Indians over McIntosh.

No. 3 Norcross and No. 4 Wheeler both fell to out-of-state opponents while No. 5 Tift County suffered its first loss of the season in the Arby’s Classic championship in Bristol, Tennessee to Wayne (OH) without second leading scorer Preston Horne who injured his knee earlier in the tournament. No. 8 Newton won the Yuletide Classic championship behind the play of Dre Butler (All-Tournament Team) and JD Notae (Tournament MVP).  A flock of Falcons, No. 9 Dacula and No. 10 Pebblebrook, both re-emerge in the top ten. Dacula finished 3-1 at the Kingdom of the Sun tournament in Florida. In their next game they clash with 12-1 Grayson in a crucial Region 8 meeting. Pebblebrook has played a heavy national schedule including seven of their 15 games coming against out-of-state competition. The Falcons return to Region 3 play battle-tested and already 5-0. Auburn signee Jared Harper and Collin Sexton have transformed into the most potent backcourt in the state, both averaging well over 20 points a night for Coach George Washington.

No. 1 Miller Grove continued its steady dominance this year in Class AAAAA by capturing the Chick-Fil-A Invitational championship at Tucker High School. En route to raising the trophy, the Wolverines clawed away 4ANo. 3 Lithonia 60-47 and beat Tucker in the championship on their home floor, 80-61. No. 2 Allatoona remained perfect by winning the Lake City Classic on their home court. Wins over North Cobb Christian, Berkmar and McEachern have the Buccaneers as hot as anybody in the state. Coach Markus Hood’s matchup zone and the stifling defense of Trey Doomes and Ephraim Tshimanga have the Bucs looking like a good bet to make another deep run in state. No. 5 Cedar Shoals continued to make a statement as well and built to its already impressive resume. The Jaguars won the Sweet South Classic and picked up wins over 1A-Private No. 4 SWAC, 48-44 and 3ANo. 3 Morgan County 61-59 along the way. In the championship victory over the Bulldogs, Phlan Fleming hit a basket with one second left to capture the crown. Fleming finished with 27 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals and was named tournament MVP. No. 10 Warner Robins is back in the rankings after LaGrange dropped to new 4ANo. 10 Upson-Lee, 77-65.

A familiar face takes over No. 1 in AAAA. Two-time defending state champion Jonesboro reaches the top of the poll for the first time this season after a third-place showing in the MaxPreps Holiday Classic. MJ Walker pumped in 38 points in the third-place game victory over Bishop Gorman (NV), 65-64. No. 2 Grady relents its hold on the top spot after a narrow loss to Jefferson Davis (AL), 67-61. No. 4 St. Pius quietly continues its ascension up the polls after losing to Grady and No. 3 Lithonia. The Golden Lions swept their way to winning the St. Pius X Christmas Classic and drilled Blessed Trinity in the finals, 67-38. Henry County (9-4), who peaked at No. 4 in the state, has dropped out of the top ten following their third straight loss. Stockbridge (6-5) won at Henry County 86-71 on Saturday. Virgil Fields finished with 29 points, six assists and 13 rebounds while Jadon Davis added 37 points and six assists to drop the Warhawks.

In AAA, No. 2 Jenkins moves up one spot after a tough No. 3 Morgan County loss in the Sweet South Classic championship. No. 4 South Atlanta blasted Sequoyah at the Farm Bureau Insurance Classic in Spartanburg, South Carolina 82-54. Artavious Banks led the way with 25 points. No. 5 Calhoun impressed many on its way to winning the SmileGeneration.com bracket at the Lake City Classic. On Saturday, the Yellow Jackets had to deal with an up-and-coming contender in Region 6, Coahulla Creek (12-3). Down 39-35 entering the fourth, Calhoun outscored the Colts 25-13 on the road to secure a 60-52 win. Jireh Wilson and Kaelan Riley, both football signees, were huge as Wilson finished with 31 points and six rebounds while Riley posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. No. 7 Westminster debuts in the poll after a huge 65-43 win over 1A-Private No. 4 SWAC and an 11-2 start behind Will Benson, Philip Jones and Mikael Sampson. No. 10 Westside-Augusta also debuts in the top ten following a Banks County (12-2) 42-40 loss to a shorthanded 6ANo. 7 Collins Hill in the Commerce Christmas Tournament championship. The Patriots get the slight nod over the Leopards. Westside’s only two losses have come to No. 1 Laney by a combined seven points. Speaking of Laney, the Wildcats held on to beat 4ANo. 9 Thomson, 62-58 at home behind Christian Keeling’s 23 points and Zep Jasper’s 20.

No. 1 Thomasville has emerged as the class of AA after sweeping through the Thomasville Hoopfest to win the title.  Elsewhere in the classification, there have been road bumps. No. 2 Crawford County lost its first game to Manchester 63-61. No. 3 Seminole County is riding a two-game losing skid after falling to Boyd Anderson (FL) and Valdosta at the Thomasville Hoopfest, two teams Thomasville defeated. No. 5 Vidalia lost its first two games of the season as well to Richmond Academy and Brunswick. One team that is trending upwards is No. 4 Holy Innocents’. They jump up two spots following a perfect 3-0 championship run at the Pensacola Catholic Crusader Christmas Tournament. The Golden Bears return home to host Pace Academy. The Knights have played a national schedule and have paid dearly, dropping from No. 2 to unranked at 2-8 overall. No. 10 Chattooga at 14-1 makes an entry into the state picture.

Class 1A-Private and Public are still trying to sort themselves out. Outside of No. 1 Greenforest, 1A-Private looks like anyone’s ball game. No. 4 SWAC has dropped three straight with losses to Cedar Shoals, Stone Mountain and Westminster. No. 7 Lakeview has fallen to East Hall and North Hall back-to-back while No. 8 Whitefield Academy limped to 1-2 at the Lake City Classic with losses to Kell and Hillgrove in the SmileGeneration.com bracket.

1A-Public has seen No. 2 Wilkinson County start to make a move. They continue to rise following a 57-54 win over Stratford Academy (8-3) on Saturday. No. 9 Hancock Central held off a furious comeback from No. 7 Lincoln County to win 69-64 after leading by 22 at the half. In the loss rapidly rising ’17 prospect, 6-foot-7 Ahmad Rand, posted another triple-double with 18 points, 18 rebounds and 11 blocks.

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