Class AAAAAAA

1. Wheeler (16-6)
2. McEachern (17-6)
3. Newton (15-7)
4. Grayson (17-5)
5. Pebblebrook (16-7)
6. Norcross (20-4)
7. Cherokee (19-4)
8. South Gwinnett (16-7)
9. Archer (16-6)
10. Buford (17-6)

Class AAAAAA

1. Alexander (20-4)
2. Jonesboro (20-3)
3. Lanier (19-4)
4. Grovetown (16-8)
5. Etowah (16-8)
6. St. Pius X (18-5)
7. Langston Hughes (17-7)
8. Marist (17-6)
9. Woodward Academy (20-4)
10. South Paulding (18-6)

Class AAAAA

1. Kell (20-2)
2. Eagle’s Landing (23-1)
3. Hiram (20-2)
4. Tri-Cities (15-8)
5. Dutchtown (18-7)
6. Mays (16-7)
7. Tucker (18-6)
8. Maynard Jackson (14-7)
9. Winder-Barrow (16-8)
10. Chapel Hill (15-8)

Class AAAA

1. McDonough (21-3)
2. Pace Academy (18-6)
3. Southwest DeKalb (20-2)
4. Madison County (22-2)
5. Bainbridge (22-1)
6. North Oconee (19-5)
7. Fayette County (18-5)
8. Westside-Macon (19-6)
9. Lovett (14-9)
10. Westover (17-6)

Class AAA

1. Johnson-Savannah (19-4)
2. Sandy Creek (17-6)
3. Monroe Area (20-3)
4. Beach (20-3)
5. Cedar Grove (15-6)
6. Cross Creek (14-10)
7. Dougherty (12-10)
8. Monroe (17-6)
9. Wesleyan (17-6)
10. Groves (13-10)

Class AA

1. Westside-Augusta (17-6)
2. Columbia (24-1)
3. Spencer (19-4)
4. North Cobb Christian (19-4)
5. Drew Charter (19-5)
6. Putnam County (18-5)
7. Windsor Forest (18-5)
8. Butler (13-8)
9. Thomson (14-5)
10. Providence Christian (21-3)

Class A D-I

1. Mt. Vernon (17-8)
2. Mt. Bethel (17-6)
3. Mt. Pisgah (17-7)
4. Social Circle (13-10)
5. Darlington (21-3)
6. King’s Ridge (16-8)
7. Paideia (9-13)
8. Woodville-Tompkins (15-9)
9. Savannah (18-6)
10. Dublin (17-4)

Class A D-II

1. Greenforest (15-7)
2. Christian Heritage (21-1)
3. Portal (22-1)
4. Wilkinson County (19-6)
5. Macon County (23-2)
6. Calhoun County (21-4)
7. Manchester (18-4)
8. Mitchell County (21-3)
9. Charlton County (21-2)
10. Chattahoochee County (19-5)

The final week of the regular season is here, but a few region tournaments actually tip off this week. Please send all finalized region tournament schedules to [email protected] to ensure the bracket is posted to our Master Schedule which will be updated in real-time with final scores as state tournament tickets are punched over the next two weeks.No. 1 Wheeler has yet to lose in the state of Georgia, the Class 7A powerhouse posting a dominant week beating Osborne 95-61 and 70-54 with a 77-44 rout at Walton sandwiched in between. Indiana-signee Jakai Newton made his season debut in the nick of time scoring six of his 12 points in the fourth quarter to rally No. 3 Newton past No. 9 Archer on the road 65-55 after trailing by 14 points in the second half. McDonald’s All-American Stephon Castle (UConn) poured in 26 points to lead the way. Archer is down two spots after also losing at No. 4 Grayson 59-43. The Rams closed their week with a 71-47 win at Parkview, Gicarri Harris collecting 27 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. No. 6 Norcross is not playing good basketball, losing 58-55 at Peachtree Ridge and slipping past 10-14 North Gwinnett 67-65, causing to the Blue Devils to drop two spots. No. 7 Cherokee is playing good ball, torching North Cobb 81-52 to climb three positions to reach their high mark in the poll. No. 8 South Gwinnett topped Parkview 65-55 while Carrollton (18-5) drops out of the rankings with a 58-51 loss to Westlake. No. 10 Buford resurfaces in the Top 10 following a two-week hiatus. The Wolves hammered Collins Hill 68-48 to stay in the Region 8 title hunt.

Don’t look now but defending Class 6A state champion No. 4 Grovetown has ripped off 12-straight wins, but this week it wasn’t easy. Brunswick blew a 12-point lead at home heading into the fourth quarter and saw Grovetown win 70-67 in overtime. The Warriors then used a 20-9 second quarter to gain separation and hold off 11-13 Glynn Academy on the road. No. 5 Etowah slips a spot after losing 63-60 to River Ridge as Coach Jason Dasinger served a suspension. The Eagles returned to form with a convincing 79-68 win over last week’s Class 3A No. 1 Sandy Creek, leading nearly wire-to-wire. No. 6 St. Pius X avenged an earlier loss, beating No. 8 Marist 52-45. The War Eagles fall two spots after 11-13 Dunwoody went on the road and pushed Marist to overtime before the upset-minded Wildcats lost 53-47. Lee County (22-3) drops out after scoring just nine points in the second half in an ugly 35-24 loss at Tift County after leading 21-18 through three quarters. No. 10 South Paulding oscillates back into the Top 10 bouncing in and out of the poll since Week 9, unable to maintain their position for consecutive weeks but hoping their third go around lasts longer. The Spartans won 74-65 at Paulding County and must win at Newnan on Tuesday to secure the three-seed in Region 5, losing to the Cougars on a buzzer-beater 59-58 in their first meeting on January 13. For what it’s worth, the Spartans have been better on the road (10-2) [neutral 3-1] than at home (5-3) this season.

It took No. 3 Hiram three overtimes to avoid a major Class 5A upset against Calhoun, surviving 87-82 as Walter Matthews and Chase Tyler scored 25 points apiece to outduel Lipscomb-signee Dylan Faulkner’s 31 points. No. 5 Dutchtown was upset at the buzzer at Union Grove 68-66 forcing the Bulldogs down a spot. No. 4 Tri-Cities rises two places with a 72-67 win over No. 6 Mays, who was without Saulamon Evans. The Raiders, who move down one place in the poll, also lost 57-53 to No. 10 Chapel Hill, but the Panthers fall two spots after a bad 67-60 loss at 7-17 Lithia Springs who they beat 83-50 in their first meeting. No. 7 Tucker holds tight with a 61-53 win at Lithonia but a 57-49 loss to Class 2A No. 2 Columbia. No. 8 Maynard Jackson smacked Lithia Springs 82-33 on the road while No. 9 Winder-Barrow also climbs a slot with a strong 60-52 win at Eastside, freshman Jerrin Samuel pouring in 22 points and Jeremiah Holloway racking up 13 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals.

In Class 4A, No. 2 Pace Academy defeated No. 9 Lovett 61-52. No. 3 Southwest DeKalb outlasted Hapeville Charter in overtime, 57-55. No. 4 Madison County moves up after yet another win over a ranked opponent, this time winning at Walnut Grove (12-12) 50-41 behind Chris Rhodes’ 14 points. The Red Raiders have now secured nine wins against teams who have spent time in the Top 10. Walnut Grove rebounded with a 74-69 win at Seckinger but is this week’s casualty. No. 7 Fayette County drilled LaGrange (86-67) and Trinity Christian (72-45) while No. 8 Westside-Macon slipped by Baldwin (54-49) and Spalding (72-60). No. 10 Westover crawls back into the rankings after a 3-0 week highlighted by a 79-56 win over a sneaky good Terrell County.

The top of Class 3A has been reshuffled as No. 1 Johnson-Savannah rises to the top spot for the first time since Week 4 after drilling No. 4 Beach 76-50 in their rematch, Malachi Robinson busting out with 25 points and 10 rebounds followed by Joshua Quarterman’s 20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. The Atomsmashers have cleared the last hurdle in the city to be considered Coastal Georgia’s best program but will likely have to do it one more time in order to claim the Region 3 crown. The Bulldogs had a sluggish 43-36 win over Liberty County before their loss to Johnson-Savannah but rebounded with a 56-46 win over No. 10 Groves, who debuts in the Top 10 after pounding a reeling Calvary Day (14-9) 68-40, the Cavaliers losing four-straight including a 74-53 defeat at Long County to complete their freefall. Outside of Savannah, No. 2 Sandy Creek couldn’t slow down Class 6A No. 5 Etowah’s outside shooting, allowing 14 threes in a 79-68 road loss. No. 3 Monroe Area crashes into the Top 3 with back-to-back dominant performances beating Franklin County 83-58 and Hebron Christian 68-44 on Senior Night, Jeremy Anderson with 19 points. Standing between the Purple Hurricanes and a perfect Region 8 regular season are road games at Stephens County and Oconee County, two teams that have spent time in the Top 10. Speaking of perfect, No. 7 Dougherty is still unblemished in Region 1 coming off a statement win over crosstown rival No. 8 Monroe, driving 5.4 miles to blitz the Golden Tornadoes 68-50 as Markelle Jones scored 19 points and Maurice Davis collected 13 points and 15 rebounds to jump Monroe in the rankings. No. 9 Wesleyan showed resolve in Region 7, separating themselves from the pack to take a two-game lead with two to play after winning at West Hall 44-38 to avenge an earlier loss and outlasting Gilmer 66-65.

Class 2A saw No. 2 Columbia win at Class 5A No. 7 Tucker 57-49 as Rashad Headges (16) and Jaden Baugh (15) combined for 31 points. No. 4 North Cobb Christian escaped Therrell with a 40-38 win before outscoring Washington 29-7 in the fourth quarter on Senior Night for a memorable 70-57 victory, Albert Wilson III the catalyst with 28 points, 14 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks while Christian Hernandez sank five threes, finishing with 21 points. No. 6 Putnam County loses ground following a 78-59 loss at No. 9 Thomson, Lavonta Ivery netting 25 points. No. 7 Windsor Forest scratched out a 68-63 win at Vidalia. No. 10 Providence Christian is a hard-luck dropper in the poll, down three slots to make way for Windsor Forest and Region 4’s No. 8 Butler and No. 9 Thomson to move up. The Storm had to rally from down 25-9 to push past Athens Academy 66-60.

The revolving door of Top 5 teams in Class A D-I now puts No. 1 Mt. Vernon back atop the heap after securing a 61-46 win over No. 2 Mt. Bethel, Xavier Shegog posting 17 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists to claim the coveted one-seed out of Region 6. There has never been a team like No. 7 Paideia, truly capable of winning the state title or not even making the playoffs at all. The inconsistent Pythons slide four spots after losing 66-62 in overtime at Weber School, sinking them all the way to the six-seed heading into the region tournament. Paideia, who holds wins over No. 1 Mt. Vernon, No. 2 Mt. Bethel and No. 3 Mt. Pisgah now must beat Mt. Pisgah just to make state, a nightmare matchup for the Patriots in their own right after losing 66-58 at home in overtime to the Pythons back on January 6. No. 6 King’s Ridge drops a spot in the poll, losing at St. Francis 66-62 and will now have to return back next Tuesday in a win or go home spot in the four vs. five game. Elsewhere in the state, No. 4 Social Circle rises two spots once again buoyed by their strength of schedule, claiming a 52-41 win at Oglethorpe County but a 50-40 loss at Eastside. No. 5 Darlington is the antithesis of Social Circle but is up three spots nonetheless with easy wins over Trion (70-35) and Armuchee (72-32).  The Tigers haven’t been threatened at all in Region 7, winning by an average of 39 points per game. The Tigers have respectable non-region wins over 6A 14-10 Rome (63-47), 2A 17-4 Model (67-59) and 5A 12-10 Calhoun (67-63) who just lost in triple-overtime at Class 5A No. 3 Hiram. Darlington’s only in-state losses have come against Class 7A No. 7 Cherokee 66-44 and 6A 14-10 Paulding County 63-48 after leading the first three quarters.

Strength of schedule and non-region results are starting to play a major factor in ranking Class A D-II, but it looks like our top two spots are firm as No. 1 Greenforest held off No. 2 Christian Heritage 74-66 in Decatur. The Lions took the Eagles to the brink, going 13-27 from three and having the score within two points with 90 seconds remaining before Greenforest was able to seal the deal. Jax Abernathy bombarded the Eagles with 34 points nailing five threes. The two are all but a lock to see each other in the Region 7 championship. No. 3 Portal survived a scare with Bryan County, 63-60. Below the Top 3 is where the wheels start spinning. No. 4 Wilkinson County is up a spot, winning at Hancock Central 62-60 while No. 6 Calhoun County drops two places following a 77-63 defeat at a surging No. 5 Macon County who has now won 20-straight. The Bulldogs’ only two losses came in succession, beat 64-58 at home by Wilkinson County and losing on the road to No. 7 Manchester 82-68 in December before routing the Blue Devils in the rematch 97-78 on January 20. No. 7 Manchester actually moves up three spots this week following a 79-53 win at Harris County but more importantly their overall resume, holding wins over No. 9 Chattahoochee County (73-56) and Wilkinson County (71-65) with wins over 6A Alcovy (87-63) and 4A 15-9 Spalding (76-47) sprinkled in. Back to what happened this week, No. 8 Mitchell County is down two slots after losing at Terrell County 43-38 who is an interesting potential three-seed in Region 1, playing a brutal non-region schedule and splitting with both Mitchell County and Calhoun County. No. 9 Charlton County sinks two positions with a 55-50 loss at Clinch County. Strength of schedule is an issue in Region 2, pushing the Indians down in the rankings and keeping 17-3 Clinch County unranked for another week. Outside of Charlton and Clinch, the six-team region is a combined 30-56, which isn’t unusual in the smaller classifications, but usually found in larger regions, which makes non-region scheduling that much more important but even then, both teams have struggled to play tough competition which is hurting their standing in the rankings. In Charlton County’s 12 non-region wins against teams from Georgia – they do have two wins over 18-4 Hilliard, FL – their opponents have a combined record of 75-156 (even weaker considering Bacon County (6-11) and Pierce County (7-14) were played twice), their most significant win a solid 70-40 victory against 13-10 Randolph-Clay. Clinch County’s nine non-region GHSA wins have come against opponents with a combined mark of 48-88 (again, weaker considering Berrien (7-16) and Brooks County (6-19) were played twice but as was Irwin County (11-11) one of their better wins) giving them just Charlton County as their lone win against a GHSA team over .500 while the Indians have two, Randolph-Clay and Charlton County. Both teams are still dangers to make deep playoff runs, but their resumes don’t quite stack up yet to other teams in the poll that have longer of a leash like No. 10 Chattahoochee County who hangs in after a tough 54-51 loss to Northside-Columbus, a 15-6 Class 5A school that has spent time in their respective Top 10.