Week 12 GHSA Boys Basketball State Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

1. Milton (21-2)
2. Grayson (17-3)
3. McEachern (20-4)
4. Pebblebrook (21-3)
5. Berkmar (18-5)
6. South Forsyth (19-3)
7. North Gwinnett (16-7)
8. Cherokee (18-6)
9. Norcross (17-6)
10. Etowah (17-7)

Class AAAAAA

1. Wheeler (19-4)
2. Kell (15-5)
3. Evans (18-2)
4. Shiloh (16-4)
5. Douglas County (18-5)
6. Centennial (15-3)
7. Chattahoochee (14-2)
8. Westlake (15-3)
9. Lanier (15-5)
10. Statesboro (17-2)

Class AAAAA

1. Tri-Cities (19-4)
2. Eagle’s Landing (22-1)
3. Veterans (17-0)
4. St. Pius X (20-2)
5. Lithonia (12-2)
6. Woodward Academy (15-6)
7. Jonesboro (16-4)
8. Dutchtown (18-7)
9. Clarke Central (15-6)
10. Cass (17-6)

Class AAAA

1. Baldwin (11-0)
2. Spencer (11-1)
3. Miller Grove (11-4)
4. Monroe (16-4)
5. Fayette County (14-11)
6. Stephenson (10-4)
7. Westover (10-5)
8. Jefferson (16-4)
9. Luella (17-6)
10. Cedar Shoals (15-7)

Class AAA

1. Sandy Creek (19-4)
2. Hart County (17-3)
3. Windsor Forest (8-2)
4. Johnson-Savannah (11-2)
5. Salem (14-4)
6. Cross Creek (16-4)
7. LaFayette (15-1)
8. White County (14-5)
9. Monroe Area (15-8)
10. Americus-Sumter (15-3)

Class AA

1. Pace Academy (21-1)
2. Swainsboro (14-1)
3. Columbia (15-5)
4. Chattooga (15-2)
5. Thomasville (15-1)
6. Lovett (14-6)
7. Washington County (11-1)
8. Westside-Augusta (12-4)
9. Banks County (17-7)
10. Laney (12-5)

Class A-Private

1. Providence Christian (18-3)
2. Galloway (13-1)
3. St. Anne-Pacelli (12-3)
4. Mt. Pisgah (17-6)
5. Trinity Christian (15-7)
6. Christian Heritage (18-2)
7. Greenforest (12-4)
8. First Presbyterian Day (15-1)
9. St. Francis (7-8)
10. Holy Innocents’ (8-3)

Class A-Public

1. Drew Charter (21-0)
2. Dublin (23-1)
3. Irwin County (16-4)
4. Towns County (16-3)
5. Bowdon (20-4)
6. Hancock Central (8-1)
7. Chattahoochee County (9-1)
8. Lanier County (14-5)
9. Social Circle (13-8)
10. Portal (16-6)

Region Brackets

Region tournaments are now among us…for some. As of February 7, here is who IS NOT holding a region tournament: 5-7A, 4-7A, 3-7A, 2-7A (only a 4/5 game), 4-6A, 3-6A, 3-5A, 5-5A, 6-5A, 5-4A, 4-4A, 4-2A, 3-2A, 1-2A, 4-1A Private and 7-1A Private. Some of these regions will begin their tournaments this week while others still have a week left of the regular season. Got all that? Good. The one thing we do know for sure is that the state tournament is scheduled to start on February 23rd and 24th. Remember, I will be here with you every step of the way to try and collect region brackets, scores and even All-Region teams as the information becomes available. Please help me help you by providing me region tournament brackets and scores on Twitter @KyleSandy355 and also by emailing me at [email protected]. Thank You! Continue reading Week 12 GHSA Boys Basketball State Rankings

Coleman and Spells power Portal past undefeated Claxton for first-place

Portal 55, Claxton 50

33 miles apart, long-time rivals Claxton (13-1, 6-1) and Portal (16-6, 11-1) met in the Turpentine City to determine first-place in Region 3 A-Public. The Tigers of Claxton rolled in undefeated with a 59-50 win over the Panthers back on January 9, using a fast pace style of play loaded with quick football players and little size to speak of. Portal counters with three high-scoring freshmen and one of the best shot blockers Georgia. In front of a packed crowd, it was Portal who was able to hold on in a nip-and-tuck game Friday night to slide into first-place with one regular season game remaining.

Claxton came out of the gate hot, leading 8-2 and then 11-4 after Jamon Mangusho hit Cameron Arthur for a three in the corner, one of his three triples of the game.

6-foot-5 freshman Amir Jackson kept Portal afloat with buckets inside and saw Claxton settle for a 15-11 lead after one following a Josh McKeever assist to Brian Bacon.

Down 17-15, Portal began to make their push at the 5:33 mark. 5-foot-8 sophomore Elijah Coleman got loose with six quick points as the Panthers started to find a groove offensively. 6-foot-7 Fred Spells, one of the top shot blockers in Georgia last season, came off the bench and immediately changed the game. He swatted five shots in the first half and had a put-back slam to give Portal a 19-17 lead.

Wilken Washington drove baseline to make it a 6-0 run mid-way through the quarter.

A pull-up jumper from Jackson capped the Panther run at 11-2 as Portal extended their lead to 26-19 with 1:20 to play in the half.

The Panthers led 28-21 going into the break but saw Claxton regroup in the third quarter and charge back behind a Mangusho jumper and an Arthur offensive rebound to cut the lead to 30-28 at the 4:00 mark.

With Spells on the bench two minutes into the third quarter with foul issues, Claxton was able to get to the basket and breakdown the Panthers off the dribble with their quickness. The Tigers broke off a 12-3 run to lead 33-31 with 2:37 left in the quarter before Spells checked back in.

Immediately as Spells returned, the tides shifted again in favor of the Panthers. Spells emphatically rejected his seventh shot into the crowd before Portal finished the quarter on a 6-3 spurt to tie the game at 37 heading into the fourth.

The final stanza belonged to Coleman. He scored 12 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter to pair with his 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. A tough bucket inside pushed Portal ahead 44-41 and the Panthers led 47-45 with 2:18 remaining before Spells fouled out with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 9 blocks. With their game-altering post out of the game, Coleman kicked it into another gear, finishing through contact to extend the lead to 51-46 with 1:14 left.

Two Coleman free throws with 43 seconds left put the finishing touches on a decisive 6-1 jolt that ballooned the Panthers’ advantage to 53-46. Arthur hit a corner three with 15 seconds remaining to trim the lead to 54-50 but Claxton’s undefeated dream season ran out of time as Portal was able to hold on for a 55-50 win in front of a raucous home crowd.

My Take

Portal has a chance to be scary good by the time their 2024 core is seniors. While they will mightily miss the game-changing shot blocking of 6-foot-7 Fred Spells, the cohesion the trio will build playing together year-round at the high school and travel level will be invaluable. The head of the snake is 5-foot-8 Elijah Coleman. He’s very skilled for a freshman, especially at the Class A-Public level. He can get into the lane and finishes with strong body control. Coleman is a shifty creator that can squeeze in tough passes off the dribble to open teammates. The way he controlled the game down the stretch was impressive. He went 6-9 from the line in the fourth quarter and 11-21 for the game to finish with 23 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. 6-foot-5 Amir Jackson doesn’t look like a freshman. He has a strong frame that should pack on muscle over the course of his career. He finished around the basket and brought a tough rebounding presence. Jackson showed touch from the perimeter on a pull-up jumper. He has room for growth with his ball handling. Jackson contributed 13 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals. The third-head of Portal’s freshman triumvirate is Joseph Thomas, who’s father played at Indiana.  Thomas had an off night, but you could tell he has the shot-making gene in him. He’s got a projectable body on the perimeter at 6-foot and can score from the mid-range and beyond. He took some tough off-balance shots on Friday but managed to chip in 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block. Spells was the difference-maker for the Panthers. With a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Spells erases every shot remotely close to his area. His length lets him tap out rebounds and earn second chances. He will need to get stronger to play at the next level. He didn’t finish very well around the rim, but his athleticism and elite shot blocking make him an intriguing prospect that JUCOs have already taken notice of. Although their record isn’t as sparkling as Claxton’s, I really think Portal is the scarier team in the postseason due to their pieces. Spells, if he can stay out of foul trouble, can completely lock down the paint and if opposing teams don’t have enough floor spacers to pull him away from the basket or at least the ability to knock down open shots from the perimeter, they will struggle against Portal inside who also has Jackson’s strength around the rim. Portal’s 1-2-2 press and 3-2 zone are long and I could see Coleman and Thomas getting hot and causing some issues in the state tournament. They may not be true state title contenders just yet, but in three years don’t be surprised if Portal becomes a consistent threat to play in Macon.

Claxton is loaded with dual-sport athletes. Shakari Denson (Ohio) and Karon Taylor (Mercer) are two D-I football players. In fact, their entire starting five outside of Jamon Mangusho signed to play football in college earlier this week. The Tigers come at you in waves. While their tallest player stands just 6-foot-2 in Cameron Arthur, the Tigers make up for it with their pace of play and overall scrappiness. They attack on defense and rebound the ball well considering their lack of size. Arthur was their best scorer on Friday, totaling 16 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists while hitting three threes. His effort around the rim and his ability to space out the floor hurt Portal. Mangusho excelled when he played the high post against the Portal zone. He hit a handful of jumpers and I liked his overall versatility and willingness to play a little bit out of position in order to help his team. The 6-foot-1 guard with a 3.85 GPA finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. Denson, 5-foot-11, added 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal while providing tough on-ball defense, helping hold Joseph Thomas to eight points. Claxton will feast on teams that don’t have above average guard play. Their footspeed and pound-for-pound strength make them tenacious on defense. Their size and lack of true skilled creators may hurt them in the long run, but their toughness and quickness will pose problems for teams in the state playoffs.

Top Performers

Portal
Elijah Coleman – 23 points (11-21 FT), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
Amir Jackson – 13 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Fred Spells – 8 points, 7 rebounds, 9 blocks
Joseph Thomas – 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

Claxton
Cameron Arthur – 16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
Jamon Mangusho – 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
Shakari Denson – 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

Ogden and Chartrand carry No. 10 Westminster past No. 7 GAC

No. 10 Westminster 58, No. 7 GAC 54

Housed in one of the most competitive classifications in the state, defending Class 3A state champion No. 7 GAC (7-5, 6-1) took to the floor looking to secure first-place in Region 5 as they hosted No. 10 Westminster (10-1, 9-0) a young team off to a hot start building upon last season’s 20-win campaign, a 14-win increase from the year before. Paced by underclassmen, the Wildcats were able to grab a statement win on the road and roll into the final two weeks of the regular season unblemished in region play and primed to climb in the rankings.

Aside from an early corner jumper from Memphis-signee Laurren Randolph, it was all Westminster to start the game, jumping out to a 10-2 lead behind blue-chip sophomore Courtney Ogden.

The 6-foot-1 guard scored eight quick points as she attacked the lane and put the Wildcats ahead 12-7 late in the quarter, wheeling and dealing her way to a bucket.

While Ogden set the tone for the Wildcats, Kaleigh Addie did the same for the Spartans scoring seven points to trim the lead to 12-9 after one.

In the second quarter Addie and freshman Stella Chartrand traded buckets.

Addie streaked past Chartrand to close the gap to 25-24 with 1:42 to play.

But Chartrand couldn’t be stopped in the period, carrying Westminster with 17 of her 22 points in the stanza, helping the Wildcats maintain a 32-28 advantage at the break. Chartrand poured in three three-pointers and methodically worked her way to the hoop using back downs and spins to get free.

Trailing by eight mid-way through the third quarter, Addie dialed up a three to draw within five and then got a steal and a layup to make it 36-33 at the 2:31 mark.

The Spartans continued their charge, closing on a 9-2 run as Randolph cleaned up a late miss and sent GAC into the fourth quarter down 38-37.

Following an Addie free throw to knot the game at 38, Westminster responded with a 7-0 spurt spanning 1:50 to power ahead 45-38 with 3:32 left. Ogden scored the first five points, converting an And-1 scoop layup and then a floater to her left before outletting to Chartrand for a breakaway layup. As Addie tried to keep pace from the line, going 6-7 in the quarter, Ogden continued her surge. She scored on another And-1 floater to make it 48-42 with 2:38 remaining before a Jaci Bolden hard drive and left-hand layup made it 50-48 with just over 90 seconds left.

Chartrand answered on a driving layup in transition to make it 52-48 with 1:28 to play in favor of the Wildcats but missed her free throw on the And-1 opportunity to keep the door slightly ajar for the Spartans but Ogden would slam it shut seconds later, converting her third And-1 of the quarter to make it 55-48 with 55.9 left. Ogden would net 15 of her game-high 31 points in the final quarter including 7-7 from the line and 11-11 for the game.

Addie sank three free throws after being fouled on a three with 19.1 seconds remaining to trim the lead to 56-52, but Ogden would seal the game with a pair of free throws to remain unbeaten in Region 5.

My Take

Westminster is an interesting team. Based on their results against like opponents, it comes as no surprise that the game went down to the wire. I may have favored Westminster slightly heading into Wednesday night, but I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect as it was my first viewing of 6-foot-1 sophomore Courtney Ogden in a varsity setting after watching her play 17U and a much smaller role with FBC United over the summer. The four-star guard lived up to the hype and delivered in a big way. She was unguardable at times. With her size and strength Ogden can get to where she wants on the floor and has the touch and length to finish over defenders that try to check her. She loved to attack the rim and finished with five floaters and three timely And-1s. Ogden has great balance when attacking the hoop and can spin to free herself for open looks. What I liked best about her game was how efficient she was. She didn’t take very many bad shots and hardly ever settled for long perimeter jumpers. She was too quick and too skilled when GAC’s bigs checked her and she was too tall and physical when smaller guards tried their hand. Ogden poured in 31 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 5 blocks. She’s the type of player that can carry a team to a state title if she has a little bit of help and boy did she have it on Wednesday in 5-foot-9 freshman Stella Chartrand. Google Chartrand, I guarantee you won’t find much about her or at least I sure didn’t. Expect that to change with the way she played tonight, especially in the second quarter when Ogden caught a big breather on the bench. Chartrand plays with confidence, can handle the ball and score from multiple levels. While she’s not necessarily the type of guard that can rip through and beat her man off the dribble straight up with a quick move just yet, Chartrand likes to play an old-school punishing style of basketball that can be frustrating and get defenders off balance. When Chartrand attacks, she loves to back her way down and spin multiple times before losing her man. She has a nice touch around the basket and can score on little five-footers. Her perimeter shot is really what opened things up. She drilled three threes in the second quarter hitting one off a jab step in the corner and another off the dribble in rhythm. Chartrand is an aggressive player that can create things off the bounce. Defensively she got a handful of steals, but she struggled at times keeping her man in front of her, especially when it was a shifty guard like Kaleigh Addie. Chartrand finished with 22 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 steals in one of the biggest games of her young career. Outside of Chartrand and Ogden is where things get interesting. The duo combined for 53 of their 58 points. If one of the two have an off night, I wonder about who can help pick up the slack. Westminster doesn’t have any creators outside of Ogden and Chartrand but where the rest of the roster does excel is defensively. The Wildcats have a few interchangeable pieces and can pick up full court. 5-foot-10 sophomore Evelyn Shores drew the assignment of defending Kaleigh Addie and did a nice job making things a little more difficult than usual. Shores along with 5-foot-9 sophomore Kiera Staude are two athletic and fairly long wings. They can defend multiple spots and switch defensively. While neither got a ton of steals, their footspeed and active hands helped disrupt the offense at times. If Ogden and Chartrand can consistently produce at a high level, I think Westminster’s defense is good enough to beat a lot of teams even if the supporting cast doesn’t score many points.

Kaleigh Addie worked hard for her 27 points, 7 rebounds and 7 steals. She’s a bona fide star that has proven she can lead a team to a state title and take over in the biggest spots. Her quick first step really got her going as she was able to get into the teeth of the defense and finish with floaters or draw fouls. She went 9-11 from the line. Her quick hands on defense helped ignite the Spartans. Aside from Addie, GAC got support from Memphis-signee 6-foot-3 Laurren Randolph and 5-foot-6 junior Jaci Bolden. Randolph stretched the floor with two baseline jumpers. She’s still not a finished product, but her outside shooting and length is something that is covetable at the next level. She had 9 points, 6 rebounds and 1 block. Bolden was quiet, serving more as a facilitator as she tallied 7 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists and 1 steal. With as much as Addie handles the ball, I would have liked to see Bolden be more aggressive on offense. When she’s attacking with the ball in her hands it helps take a load off of Addie’s shoulders as a scorer. Bolden finished the game with a nice strong left-handed drive. More assertiveness like that will serve her well. At the end of the day, GAC just didn’t have an answer defending Ogden. Their bigs had a hard time staying in front and their guards were too small. There aren’t many players like Ogden in Class 3A, so learning how to defend her can only benefit the Spartans as they head into the state playoffs and attempt to defend their crown.

Top Performers

Westminster
Courtney Ogden – 31 points (11-11 FT), 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 5 blocks
Stella Chartrand – 22 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals

GAC
Kaleigh Addie – 27 points, 7 rebounds, 7 steals
Laurren Randolph – 9 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block
Jaci Bolden – 7 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 1 steal

Game Night Recap 2-2

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 1 Milton 72, No. 6 Cherokee 50: Kanaan Carlyle scored 24 points followed by LT Overton (16), Campbell-signee Broc Bidwell (15) and Ohio State-commit Bruce Thornton (10). Cherokee was led by Xavier-signee Elijah Tucker’s 22 points. Taihland Owens scored 11 and Tayden Owens had 10.

No. 5 Berkmar 55, Discovery 44: Malique Ewin collected 16 points and 13 rebounds. Jermahri Hill had 15.

No. 7 South Forsyth 67, No. 10 Gainesville 51: Devin McGlockton posted 19 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. Brandon Stoudamire scored 15 points and Kohl Harris had 14 points and 4 assists. Ethan Underwood scored 10 points.

Archer 55, Duluth 38: Mekhi Carter tallied 17 points, 5 assists and 3 steals. Major Freeman had 7 points and 4 rebounds while Mark Peah scored 6 points and Rochard Simeon netted 5.

Lambert 70, Forsyth Central 44: Mason Barnes had 18 points, 4 assists and 3 steals. Niko Wilson netted 16 points while Paul Lunguana had 12 points and 7 rebounds. James Tyre and Bryce Bracco scored 9 apiece.

Newnan 74, Ola 47: Wesley Drake scored 19 points and Zion Brown had 11. Donte Colton picked up 9 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks.

East Coweta 80, Campbell 58: Sammy Moss scored 22 points in three quarters. Christian Cook added 17 points. Delrecco Gillespie and Answer Adams netted 10 apiece.

Peachtree Ridge 59, Mountain View 49: In the loss Zay Wilson had 15 points and Javon Jordan scored 14. Chance Boothe scored 10. Continue reading Game Night Recap 2-2

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