Class AAAAAAA
1. Milton (3-2)
2. Grayson (5-2)
3. Pebblebrook (7-1)
4. McEachern (2-2)
5. Berkmar (4-2)
6. Cherokee (4-2)
7. Denmark (5-0)
8. Newton (4-3)
9. North Gwinnett (3-2)
10. Norcross (4-2)
Class AAAAAA
1. Wheeler (3-0)
2. Kell (4-1)
3. Chattahoochee (4-0)
4. Lanier (3-1)
5. Heritage-Conyers (5-2)
6. Shiloh (4-0)
7. Richmond Hill (4-0)
8. Evans (2-0)
9. Centennial (4-1)
10. Dacula (4-2)
Class AAAAA
1. Tri-Cities (2-1)
2. St. Pius X (4-0)
3. Veterans (3-0)
4. Woodward Academy (4-0)
5. Eagle’s Landing (4-0)
6. Warner Robins (3-1)
7. Blessed Trinity (3-1)
8. Forest Park (4-0)
9. Woodland-Stockbridge (5-1)
10. Dutchtown (3-1)
Class AAAA
1. Spencer (3-0)
2. Miller Grove (0-0)
3. Westover (2-0)
4. Baldwin (2-0)
5. Monroe (2-1)
6. Fayette County (1-4)
7. Stephenson (0-0)
8. Luella (5-1)
9. Hardaway (1-1)
10. Jenkins (4-3)
Class AAA
1. Sandy Creek (4-2)
2. Windsor Forest (1-0)
3. Johnson-Savannah (2-0)
4. Hart County (3-1)
5. Salem (3-1)
6. LaFayette (1-0)
7. Cross Creek (3-1)
8. GAC (2-3)
9. Monroe Area (2-1)
10. Murray County (3-1)
Class AA
1. Pace Academy (4-1)
2. Columbia (0-0)
3. Lovett (3-2)
4. Thomasville (3-0)
5. Swainsboro (1-1)
6. Butler (1-0)
7. Woodville-Tompkins (5-0)
8. Laney (0-1)
9. Vidalia (3-1)
10. Westside-Augusta (5-0)
Class A-Private
1. St. Francis (3-2)
2. Greenforest (2-2)
3. Providence Christian (3-2)
4. Mt. Pisgah (4-2)
5. Galloway (2-0)
6. Trinity Christian (4-2)
7. St. Anne-Pacelli (0-1)
8. Holy Innocents’ (3-1)
9. Hebron Christian (4-1)
10. Walker (3-0)
Class A-Public
1. Hancock Central (0-0)
2. Drew Charter (5-0)
3. Terrell County (0-0)
4. Dublin (4-0)
5. Manchester (1-1)
6. Lincoln County (0-0)
7. Calhoun County (0-0)
8. Lanier County (2-2)
9. Turner County (2-1)
10. Towns County (3-0)
Now in Week 3, we still wait for teams to get to full strength after football season and for DeKalb County to play ball (which is expected to finally happen this week). December 5th was a big day in the state as the CTC Classic, Milton Tip-Off Classic and the Tournament of Champions all pitted Top 10 teams against one another. The outcome? Two new number ones.
Everybody is beating everybody. Parity feels like its at an all-time high for the current moment as there are no juggernaut teams that are in the hunt for undefeated seasons in Class 7A. No. 1 Milton retakes the top spot after losing to Class 3A No. 1 Sandy Creek 76-73, but coming back to beat No. 2 Grayson 75-64 behind Bruce Thornton’s 34 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. With Milton’s jump and Grayson’s slide, No. 3 Pebblebrook is pushed down a spot even after a 3-0 week. The Falcons’ strength of schedule has been strong, but not as punishing as Milton’s and Grayson’s. The Eagles’ only losses have come to No. 4 McEachern 56-55 and to aforementioned Sandy Creek, while beating Class A-Private No. 2 Greenforest and No. 5 Berkmar. Grayson’s resume boasts wins over Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis, No. 9 North Gwinnett and Sandy Creek. Pebblebrook’s best in-state win came last week against No. 8 Newton 74-53. The Falcons beat Langston Hughes (62-47), Douglas County (82-57) and Class 6A No. 2 Kell (64-59) this week, but the Longhorns were without Scoot Henderson. Elsewhere in the state picture, No. 4 McEachern handled No. 10 Norcross 74-62 at the Milton TOC. The Blue Devils sink four spots after also losing 60-56 at Greenforest. Sandwiched in between was a win over Archer (3-2) 41-36 that dropped the Tigers from the Top 10. Archer also lost 65-47 at No. 8 Newton who re-enters the poll. The Rams have now won four-straight after an 0-3 start. They capped their week with a 58-57 win over No. 5 Berkmar. No. 6 Cherokee leaps over No. 7 Denmark – who they lost to by 1 at the Jared Cook Classic – after rallying to stun Class 6A No. 5 Heritage-Conyers 62-56 at the CTC Classic. The Warriors were dead in the water with less than 2:30 to play, down 54-46 before closing on a wild 16-2 run. Taihland Owens had an 8-point possession to completely change the game. Owens, who finished with 14 points and won game MVP, drilled a three with 2:13 remaining. After the basket Jalen Boston was called for a technical foul under the hoop while jawing with Xavier-signee Elijah Tucker, fouling Boston out of the game. After an ensuing timeout, Owens hit both technical free throws and the Warriors would regain possession. Owens would then call his own number again, drilling a three to complete the 8-0 personal run, all taking place over the course of just four seconds. Cherokee gets the nod over Denmark thanks to strength of schedule.
In Class 6A, No. 1 Wheeler keeps finding ways to win close games. The Wildcats edged Allatoona 50-42 before shocking Class 3A No. 1 Sandy Creek 62-61 at the Tournament of Champions, FGCU-signee Ja’Heim Hudson scoring the game-winning hoop on a dunk with just seconds remaining to complete a comeback of 14 points at the half. No. 2 Kell defeated Allatoona 79-64 but it proved costly as Scoot Henderson was ejected and had to miss their next two games. The shorthanded Longhorns mauled Osborne 100-32 but lost to Class 7A No. 3 Pebblebrook 64-59 at the Tournament of Champions. No. 3 Chattahoochee has reinforcements on the way after wins over Meadowcreek (67-57) and Northview (71-65). Jordan Brown has transferred from Class A-Private No. 1 St. Francis and will try to earn eligibility right away. No. 5 Heritage-Conyers sits in the same spot as last week after getting revenge over Class 3A No. 5 Salem 68-55, but failing to close out Class 7A No. 6 Cherokee at the CTC Classic 62-56. Also at the CTC Classic, No. 7 Richmond Hill put on a dominant display, eviscerating last week’s Class 3A No. 6 Upson-Lee 74-39. 6-foot-3 senior Jaeden Marshall bullied the Knights with 17 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals earning MVP honors. Brayden Baker netted 14 points and UGA baseball-commit Leighton Finley double-doubled with 12 points and 13 rebounds to lead the junior class. There are mass casualties at the bottom of the rankings. Douglas County (3-3), Buford (2-2) and Winder-Barrow (5-1) all fall victim. Douglas County has lost three-straight after losing to Hiram (50-44), Class 7A No. 3 Pebblebrook (82-57) and Westlake (59-53). Buford lost its second game in a row, this time to Alexander 66-60. Winder-Barrow just narrowly misses out on surviving the week. They were upended by No. 10 Dacula 57-39, who makes their debut in the poll and marks already the fifth team from Region 8 to crack the rankings. 6-foot-5 sophomore Lamariyon Jordan is averaging 18 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Following Dacula into the Top 10 is No. 8 Evans and No. 9 Centennial. The Knights took care of Greenbrier 62-48. The transfer of 6-foot-3 junior Devin Story – last year’s Augusta Chronicle Independent Player of the Year while at Westminster averaging 22 points per game – to Evans’ already strong nucleus has put the Knights on the map. Centennial defeated Roswell 65-63 and Landmark Christian 87-51 to get off to their best start since 2009. Staying healthy will be key. Logan Turner hurt his ankle last week in a gritty 47-46 win over Allatoona but was on the mend this week, dumping in 24 points against Landmark.
Class 5A had some interesting results this week. No. 2 St. Pius X went on the road to defeat No. 7 Blessed Trinity 50-44 receiving 11 points from Eamonn Kenah. Even with the loss, the Titans move up two spots with their strong showing. They started the week with nice wins over River Ridge (62-49) and Class A-Private No. 6 Trinity Christian (55-52). No. 3 Veterans completed an improbable comeback against Northside-Warner Robins, erasing a 23-point deficit after three quarters, outscoring the Eagles 40-13 in the final frame to capture a 79-75 win. DeAngelo Hines (26), TJ Grant (21) and Khalil Johnson (20) were paramount in the victory combining for 67 points. No. 5 Eagle’s Landing picked up a pair of Top 10 wins, beating No. 9 Woodland-Stockbridge (79-62) and Class 4A No. 8 Luella (82-63). No. 8 Forest Park is coming of age. The talented young group is up two places after outlasting Class A-Private No. 8 Holy Innocents’ in overtime 55-51 and beating Mundy’s Mill 78-73. Cass (3-2) falls from the poll after a 60-46 win over Lassiter and a 64-49 loss to newly minted Class 4A No. 1 Spencer at the CTC Classic. They are replaced by defending state champs No. 10 Dutchtown. The Bulldogs have won three-straight including romping Ola 73-36 and Locust Grove 82-59.
A new number one emerges in Class 4A as No. 1 Spencer passed the eye test at the CTC Classic, beating last week’s Class 5A No. 8 Cass on their home floor 64-49. With No. 2 Miller Grove set to play their first game this Friday vs. Hapeville, the Greenwave take the mantle for now. Missing two starters, Spencer had no issue controlling tempo and pressing the entire game against the Colonels. 6-foot-1 senior point guard Jaquez Holt was masterful in the mid-range stopping and popping at will as he finished with 23 points. 6-foot-6 sophomore Tycen McDaniels showed great promise with 13 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks while senior Quran Hoskins added 10 points and 4 assists from the backcourt. Spencer’s constant pressure will melt teams that don’t have strong guard play. A team that does have strong guards however is No. 4 Baldwin. They pounded Westside-Macon (1-2) out of the rankings with a 77-59 win in Macon. 6-foot senior Jermyus Simmons had his way with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals against the Seminoles as the Braves led by 34 points heading into the fourth quarter. Up four spots is No. 5 Monroe due to inactivity and a few losses in the middle of the poll. The Tornadoes won at Lee County 56-44. No. 6 Fayette County continued their challenging schedule and slipped another spot. They earned their first win over McDonough 83-80 but fell to rival Class 3A No. 1 Sandy Creek 74-59. No. 8 Luella is up two positions after beating Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 60-54 and losing to Class 5A No. 5 Eagle’s Landing 82-63. No. 10 Jenkins clings onto the final spot after suffering a 58-57 loss at Calvary Day. Debuting in the rankings is No. 9 Hardaway. With football season now over, the Hawks are a dangerous team to keep an eye on, loaded with athletic upperclassmen. Hardaway scored a win over Central, AL 59-56 as they welcomed 6-foot-2 senior Aaron Pitts back to the hardwood. He scored 16 points in his debut. “Peze” is joined by 6-foot-2 senior Marquese Brundidge, who leads the team in scoring at 19 points per game. 6-foot-5 senior Tremaine Kynard (13.5 ppg, 7 rpg, 2.5 spg) and 6-foot-3 junior Matthew Carter-Adams (11.5 ppg) round out a core that sees four players average double figures.
Class 3A No. 1 Sandy Creek nearly completed the trifecta, beating Class 7A No. 1 Milton 76-73 and Class 4A No. 6 Fayette County 74-59 before falling in the waning seconds to Class 6A No. 1 Wheeler 62-61. Savannah is up for grabs this Friday and yours truly will be in the building as No. 3 Johnson-Savannah hosts No. 2 Windsor Forest in Round 1 of their potential three-round bout. Emmanuel-commit Shone Webb continued to shine for No. 4 Hart County, scoring 23 points in a gritty 48-45 win over Class A-Private No. 3 Providence Christian. No. 5 Salem fell 68-55 to Class 6A No. 5 Heritage-Conyers on the road in their rematch. No. 6 LaFayette drilled Trion 67-41 to open the year. No. 7 Cross Creek is up three spots following routs of Josey (71-34) and North Augusta (72-44). No. 8 GAC holds tight after a 65-52 loss to Class 2A No. 3 Lovett. Out of the poll is Upson-Lee (2-2). The Knights’ football players stepped foot on the court for the first time the day after a 61-7 loss to Appling County in the Sweet 16. The Knights were overmatched at the CTC Classic against Class 6A No. 7 Richmond Hill losing 74-39. It will take some time for the Knights to get their key football players back into basketball shape. Check back on Upson-Lee in a few weeks to determine just how good they really are. Replacing Upson-Lee is No. 10 Murray County. The senior-laden group scored a key win over Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 58-57 before blasting Southeast Whitfield 61-34. The Indians will get to see what they are made of in a measuring stick game against new region foe No. 6 LaFayette. The Ramblers will have to travel to Chatsworth to play reigning Region Player of the Year Haden Newport and Athan Hicks.
Defending Class 2A State Champion No. 5 Swainsboro tumbles three spots after a 57-50 loss to Effingham County. No. 3 Lovett rises two places following wins over South Atlanta (70-36) and Class 3A No. 8 GAC (65-52), Georgetown-signee Ryan Mutombo collecting 20 points and 5 blocks against the Spartans. Banks County (3-2) wasn’t long for the poll, beating Commerce 68-56 but losing to Madison County 66-59. They are replaced by No. 10 Westside-Augusta. The Patriots could be a disrupter in the classification and a candidate to shoot up the rankings if they can piece together another clean week . They picked up wins over Richmond Academy 76-53 and Aquinas 78-69 this week and already hold wins over 3-1 Effingham County (67-48), 3-1 Lakeside-Evans (77-59) and Greenbrier (63-60). The Patriots have used a balanced scoring attack thus far led by sophomores Amauri Tillman and Khalon Hudson along with senior Felix Booker and freshman Demarco Middleton.
No. 2 Greenforest represented Class A-Private nicely with a 60-56 win over Class 7A No. 10 Norcross. No. 3 Providence Christian, No. 4 Mt. Pisgah and No. 7 St. Anne-Pacelli were all in action at the CTC Classic. Providence Christian is up a spot, rebounding from a tough 48-45 loss at Class 3A No. 4 Hart County to defeat St. Anne-Pacelli at the CTC Classic 52-40 behind Chance Thacker’s 22 points – 16 coming in the third quarter. Mt. Pisgah fell to Allatoona at the CTC Classic 59-55 to slip one position. Elsewhere, No. 6 Trinity Christian climbs two spots after finishing the week with a 55-52 loss at Class 5A No. 7 Blessed Trinity and a 56-53 overtime win over Etowah at the Tournament of Champions. No. 8 Holy Innocents’ dropped to Class 5A No. 8 Forest Park 55-51 in overtime. Mt. Vernon Presbyterian (1-2) exits the Top 10 after losing to debutant No. 10 Walker 68-50. The Wolverines held High Major sophomore Chase Clemmons to 0-12 shooting and 7 turnovers. Walker got 13 points and 12 rebounds from 6-foot junior Omari Daniel who is averaging 15 points and 9.3 rebounds on the season. 6-foot-5 senior Matt Brown is chipping in 12 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest.
Class A-Public is slowly getting underway. Defending state champ No. 1 Hancock Central is yet to tip. The same goes for No. 3 Terrell County, but the Greenwave sees No. 2 Drew Charter jump ahead of them. The Eagles can’t be denied much longer. They haven’t played much competition but they are leaving zero doubts as to who the new sheriff in town is in Region 6. They destroyed BEST Academy 112-54 and Fulton Leadership Academy 93-57. The Eagles are 5-0 and have an average margin of victory of 44.8 points. The junior tandem of JaKobe Strozier and Ja’Quez Thornton has devastated opponents, Thornton pouring in 41 points in the win over BEST. No. 4 Dublin climbs six spots after wins over East Laurens (76-43) and Twiggs County (68-53) and losses and inactivity in the middle of the rankings. No. 5 Manchester is down a spot after a 47-40 loss at 5A Harris County. No. 9 Turner County lost 63-55 to 7A Tift County. Taylor County (0-1) is bounced from the rankings following a 58-57 loss at Crawford County. Entering the Top 10 is 3-0 No. 10 Towns County. Led by Preseason All-State guard Kolby Moss, the Indians were expected to make some noise behind the core of Moss, Aidan Berrong and Collin Crowder, but things have gotten louder with the shutdown of North Carolina basketball as 6-foot-8 junior Jake McTaggart and 6-foot-1 senior Hayden McClure transfer in from Hayesville, NC while point guard Kabe Ellis moves in from Andrews, NC where he averaged 18.7 points and 4 assists as a sophomore to give the Indians a formidable top six. So far this season Towns County has drilled Union County twice (63-37, 58-28) and has a nice win over Tallulah Falls 88-71, who beat preseason Class A-Private Top 10 Wesleyan 56-38.