| Here is a quick rundown on some of the best 4A matchups between GHSA teams this season: |
| Class AAAA |
| 11/14 – No. 8 Henry County vs No. 9 Jones County5A (SWD Showdown II) |
| 11/20 – No. 10 Columbia at No. 1 Lithonia |
| 11/20 – No. 7 Worth County at Tift County6A |
| 11/21 – Buford at Tift County6A |
| 11/21 – No. 8 Henry County at No. 9 Newton |
| 11/21 – No. 5 Sandy Creek vs. Westminster3A |
| 11/23 – Buford vs. Sequoyah5A (Jared Cook Classic) |
| 11/24 – No. 7 Warner Robins5A at Perry |
| 11/24 – Americus-Sumter at No. 4 Allatoona5A |
| 11/27 – No. 2 Jonesboro vs. No. 2 Norcross6A
11/27 – No. 5 Sandy Creek vs. No. 9 Grady (Hardwood Jam Fest) |
| 11/28 – No. 1 Lithonia vs. No. 3 Morgan County3A (Hardwood Jam Fest) |
| 12/1 – No. 6 St. Pius at No. 9 Grady |
| 12/1 – Richmond Hill5A at No. 3 Liberty County |
| 12/4 – No. 10 Columbia at No. 6 St. Pius |
| 12/4 – No. 4 Bainbridge at No. 1 Seminole County2A
12/5 – Buford at No. 3 Morgan County3A 12/8 – Buford at No. 2 St. Francis1A |
| 12/11 – No. 4 Bainbridge at Westover |
| 12/11 – No. 9 Grady at No. 1 Lithonia |
| 12/12 – No. 1 Lithonia at No. 6 St. Pius |
| 12/12 – No. 7 Worth County at No. 4 Bainbridge |
| 12/12 – No. 8 Henry County at No. 8 East Hall3A |
| 12/19 – No. 2 McIntosh5A at No. 5 Sandy Creek |
| 12/22 – No. 4 GAC2A at No. 6 St. Pius
12/22 –Buford vs. No. 10 South Atlanta3A (War Eagles Classic) 12/28 – No. 2 Jenkins3A vs. Buford (Grayson Ram Classic) 12/30 – Buford vs. Grayson6A (Grayson Ram Classic) |
| 1/5 – No. 5 Thomasville2A at No. 4 Bainbridge |
| 1/5 – Westover at No. 7 Worth County |
| 1/9 – No. 2 Jonesboro at No. 8 Henry County |
| 1/9 – North Atlanta5A at No. 9 Grady |
| 1/12 – No. 1 Lithonia at. No. 10 Columbia |
| 1/12 – No. 1 Seminole County2A at No. 4 Bainbridge |
| 1/12 – No. 3 Liberty County at Richmond Hill5A |
| 1/15 – No. 9 Grady at No. 6 St. Pius |
| 1/16 – No. 6 Blessed Trinity3A at No. 6 St. Pius |
| 1/16 – Tift County6A at Buford |
| 1/18 – No. 3 Westlake6A vs. No. 10 Columbia (MLK Classic)
1/18 –Buford vs. No. 5 Calhoun3A (MLK Classic) |
| 1/18 – No. 9 Grady vs. North Atlanta5A |
| 1/19 – No. 6 St. Pius at No. 10 Columbia |
| 1/19 – No. 7 Worth County at Westover |
| 1/23 – No. 1 Lithonia at No. 1 Miller Grove5A |
| 1/23 – No. 3 Liberty County at Burke County
1/23 – No. 3 Morgan County3A at Buford |
| 1/26 – No. 1 Lithonia at No. 9 Grady |
| 1/29 – No. 3 Liberty County at Thomson |
| 1/29 – No. 4 Bainbridge at No. 7 Worth County |
| 1/29 – No. 6 St. Pius at No. 1 Lithonia |
| 2/5 – Perry at No. 7 Warner Robins5A |
Sandy’s Spiel Super Sleepers
There is no hiding it. My favorite time of year, basketball season, is finally here. To get ready for the season, I have narrowed down a few teams that I would classify as Super Sleepers. Not just sleepers, but teams that haven’t eclipsed the .500 mark in a few years and are finally ready to do so.
Class AAAAAA
In the most competitive classification in the state, the perennial powers remain the same, but Harrison (10-17, 4-10) may be in line to capture its first winning season since 2011-12 and fight for a playoff seed out of Region 4. Hillgrove has lost a ton via graduation and transfers from last year’s 23-6 team and are expected to take a step back while 21-8 McEachern could be the favorite to win the region. North Cobb and Kennesaw Mountain both made it as the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, but nothing is set in stone for 2015-16. Harrison proved last season that they can play with some tough competition, losing to 5A semifinalist Cedar Shoals 54-53, beating Hillgrove 51-41, beating McEachern 69-61 and losing to 4A runner-up Carrollton 54-47. Seniors Austin York and DJ Rowe give coach Clay Crump a nice one-two punch and solid leadership on the floor. Junior guard Tate Coston is also expected to make a big impact on the Hoyas. They will face some good tests throughout the season (Sequoyah, Berkmar, Houston County) and should be a tough out once region tournament play comes along.
Class AAAAA
Houston County (10-16, 0-7) plays in the difficult Region 2B with the likes of No. 7 Warner Robins and No. 9 Jones County, but coach Stephen Walls has a nice group back that is in search of its first winning season in over five years. The Bears actually snuck into the playoffs after a winless regular season in region play and fell to LaGrange 60-41.Strong guard play will carry the Bears. Leading scorer junior Amari Colbert averaged 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists per game as a talented do-everything guard. Senior forward Javion Johnson is an elite leaper and chipped in 8 points and 8 rebounds a night last season. Jaylon Golds pitched in 10 points and 5 assists as a junior and brings quickness to the Bear backcourt. Marquis Traylor from Missouri brings over some size and athleticism inside. As a junior he averaged 7.7 points and 6.3 rebounds while showing off his hops, blocking 1.3 shots per game.
Class AAAA
Though they haven’t enjoyed a winning record since 2012-13, Stephens County (8-19, 3-7) could find themselves playing meaningful basketball into the months of January and February. After a slow start to the season, the Indians under coach Chad Bridges began to play better and will try to carry that momentum over to 2015-16. Junior guard Nunu Walker is a talented scorer. Senior Tay Jones will play another big role along with sophomore Deandre Singleton, a 6-foot-6, 260-pound center. The Indians played Region 8 opponents hard, losing to Johnson-Gainesville (29-1) 54-46 in overtime and to Monroe Area (18-12) 47-45. With the graduation of some key pieces along the region, Region 8 should be a dog fight for the top four seeds.
Class AAA
It has been a while since Pepperell (11-15, 5-5) has been over .500, but that still didn’t stop the Dragons from making an appearance in the state tournament, sneaking in as a No. 4 seed. Coach Skip Matherly returns seniors Thomas Eddy, Austin Strickland and Rickey Campbell along with sophomore Malech Wilson, giving the Dragons some nice experience. They will need to replace high-scorer DeSean Ware, but Pepperell won’t be the only team in Region 5 losing talent. Rockmart and Callaway have lost some important players as well.
Class AA
Social Circle (8-14, 4-8) has slowly begun to improve under head coach Ken Aldridge. He took over a 1-22 program after the 2012-13 season and improved to 3-23 before finishing 8-14 last season. The Redskins narrowly missed out on a playoff berth, but proved they could play with the competition. No. 3 seed Union County (17-12, 8-4) struggled with the up and coming Skins, actually splitting the series with Social Circle taking game one 49-48, before the Panthers won game two 68-67. Junior guard Deion Head is a big time player and averaged 16.8 points and 5.3 assists last year.
Class A
Trapped in the
devastatingly tough Region 6, Pinecrest Academy (10-15, 4-8) still stands a chance of reaching the elusive .500 mark. Ryan McCarthy and John Crone are a duo of highly experienced juniors that give coach Jay Lynch solid options. The playoffs aren’t likely in the cards, but expect the Paladins to be very competitive.
5A Must See Games
| Here is a quick rundown on some of the best 5A matchups between GHSA teams this season: |
| Class AAAAA |
| 11/14 – No. 9 Jones County vs No. 8 Henry County4A (SWD Showdown II) |
| 11/14 – No. 8 Heritage-Conyers vs. No. 5 SWAC1A (SWD Showdown II) |
| 11/14 – Tucker6A at No. 10 Cedar Shoals |
| 11/16 – Dacula6A at No. 3 Gainesville |
| 11/21 – Sequoyah vs. Dacula6A (Jared Cook Classic) |
| 11/23 – Sequoyah vs. Buford4A (Jared Cook Classic) |
| 11/24 – No. 7 Warner Robins at Perry4A |
| 11/24 – Americus-Sumter4A at No. 4 Allatoona |
| 11/24 – No. 6 LaGrange at Mundy’s Mill |
| 11/27 –No. 2 McIntosh vs. Douglas County6A (Holiday Hoopsgiving) |
| 12/1 – No. 2 McIntosh at Mundy’s Mill |
| 12/1 – No. 3 Gainesville at No. 8 Heritage-Conyers |
| 12/4 – No. 7 Warner Robins at Tift County6A |
| 12/4 – South Paulding at No. 4 Allatoona |
| 12/5 – Southwest DeKalb at No. 1 Miller Grove |
| 12/8 – No. 3 Gainesville at No. 10 Cedar Shoals |
| 12/12 – No. 6 LaGrange at No. 7 Callaway3A |
| 12/15 – No. 7 Callaway3A at No. 6 LaGrange |
| 12/18 – Apalachee at No. 8 Heritage-Conyers |
| 12/19 – No. 10 Cedar Shoals vs. No. 9 Newton6A (Classic City Shootout) |
| 12/ 19 – No. 2 McIntosh at No. 5 Sandy Creek4A |
| 12/21 – No. 6 LaGrange vs. No. 10 South Atlanta3A (War Eagle Classic) |
| 1/9 – No. 6 LaGrange at Carver |
| 1/15 – No. 4 Allatoona at South Paulding |
| 1/15 – No. 10 Cedar Shoals at No. 8 Heritage-Conyers |
| 1/18 – Sequoyah vs. No. 8 Berkmar6A (MLK Classic) |
| 1/19 – No. 6 LaGrange at Northside-Columbus |
| 1/22 – No. 9 Jones County vs. Houston County |
| 1/23 – No. 1 Lithonia4A at No. 1 Miller Grove |
| 1/29 – No. 7 Warner Robins at Houston County |
| 2/2 – Mundy’s Mill at No. 2 McIntosh |
| 2/2 – No. 8 Heritage-Conyers at No. 10 Cedar Shoals |
| 2/5 – Perry4A at No. 7 Warner Robins |
| 2/5 – Northside-Columbus at No. 6 LaGrange |
6A Must See Games
| Here is a quick rundown on some of the best 6A matchups between GHSA teams this season: |
| Class AAAAAA |
| 11/16 – Dacula at No. 3 Gainesville5A |
| 11/21 – No. 8 Henry County4A at No. 9 Newton |
| 11/21 – Buford4A at Tift County |
| 11/21 – Dacula vs. Sequoyah5A (Jared Cook Classic) |
| 11/24 – No. 8 Berkmar vs. Duluth (Jared Cook Classic) |
| 11/24 – No. 4 East Jackson3A at No. 3 Westlake |
| 11/27 – No. 6 Pebblebrook vs No. 1 Greenforest 1A (Holiday Hoopsgiving) |
| 11/27 – Duluth vs. No. 6 Holy Innocents’2A (Holiday Hoopsgiving) |
| 11/27 – Douglas County vs. No. 2 McIntosh5A (Holiday Hoopsgiving)
11/27 – No. 2 Norcross vs. No. 2 Jonesboro4A(Hardwood Jam Fest) |
| 11/28 – No. 2 Norcross vs. No. 1 Greenforest 1A (Holiday Hoopsgiving) |
| 11/28 – No. 3 Westlake vs. No. 2 Pace Academy2A (Holiday Hoopsgiving) |
| 11/28 – Langston Hughes at No. 10 Lambert |
| 11/28 – Douglas County vs. Dacula (On the Radar Hoops Showcase) |
| 11/28 – No. 8 Berkmar vs. No. 9 Newton (On the Radar Hoops Showcase) |
| 11/28 – No. 2 St. Francis1A at No. 5 Milton (Dai-Jon Parker Classic) |
| 12/4 – No. 7 Warner Robins5A at Tift County |
| 12/5 – Duluth at No. 9 Newton |
| 12/5 – No. 6 Pebblebrook vs. No. 2 St. Francis1A |
| 12/8 – No. 2 Norcross at No. 7 Collins Hill |
| 12/12 – No. 8 Berkmar vs. No. 2 Jenkins3A (Valhalla Classic) |
| 12/15 – No. 9 Newton at Tucker |
| 12/19 – No. 9 Newton vs. No. 10 Cedar Shoals5A (Classic City Shootout) |
| 12/19 – McEachern vs. Dacula (SEBA Hoopfest) |
| 1/5 – No. 7 Collins Hill at Duluth |
| 1/5 – Douglas County at No. 3 Westlake |
| 1/9 – No. 4 Wheeler at No. 5 Milton |
| 1/12 – No. 3 Westlake at No. 6 Pebblebrook |
| 1/12 – No. 1 Shiloh at No. 8 Berkmar |
| 1/16 – No. 1 Shiloh at Dacula |
| 1/16 – Tift County at Buford4A |
| 1/18 – No. 3 Westlake vs. Columbia4A (MLK Classic) |
| 1/19 – No. 7 Collins Hill at No. 2 Norcross |
| 1/23 – Dacula at No. 1 Shiloh |
| 1/29 – Duluth at No. 7 Collins Hill |
| 1/29 – No. 3 Westlake at Douglas County |
| 2/2 – No. 5 Milton at No. 4 Wheeler |
| 2/2 – No. 8 Berkmar at Dacula |
| 2/2 – No. 6 Pebblebrook at No. 3 Westlake |
| 2/5 – No. 8 Berkmar at No. 1 Shiloh |
Sandy’s Spiel Preseason Top 25
After releasing my Top Ten for each classification in the state, I now tackle the unenviable task of trying to put together a Top 25 regardless of classification.
A Power Poll of the best teams in the state. There will be no right answer, but I’m sure there will be a couple wrong answers. It never hurts trying to rank the state, and the picture will hopefully clear up a little more as the season goes on.
But without further ado, here is my first crack at the Sandy’s Spiel Top 25:
- Shiloh
- Miller Grove
- Norcross
- Westlake
- Greenforest Christian
- McIntosh
- Wheeler
- Milton
- Pebblebrook
- Lithonia
- Seminole County
- Pace Academy
- St. Francis
- Laney
- Jonesboro
- Collins Hill
- Jenkins
- Morgan County
- East Jackson
- Liberty County
- Gainesville
- Bainbridge
- Sandy Creek
- Crawford County
- Brunswick
Breakdown by class:
6A – 7 (No. 1, No. 3, No. 4, No. 7, No. 8, No. 9, No. 16)
5A – 4 (No. 2, No. 6, No. 21, No. 25)
4A – 5 (No. 10, No. 15, No. 20, No. 22, No. 23)
3A – 4 (No. 14, No. 17, No. 18, No. 19)
2A – 3 (No. 11, No. 12, No. 24)
1A – 2 (No. 5, No. 13)