GHSA State Championship Preview: Class 7A-6A

<h2><strong>Class 7A</strong></h2> <h4><strong>No. 1 Grayson (30-1) vs. No. 4 Wheeler (23-7)</strong></h4> <p>Grayson’s final hurdle in the state of Georgia will be one of the most prestigious programs in state history. Wheeler has captured six state titles, all in the GHSA’s largest classification with their last coming in 2015 led by Jaylen Brown. It will be Grayson’s first-ever title game appearance. The Rams will have a rematch of December 7^th‘s come from behind win over Wheeler 73-68 at the Tournament of Champions. Grayson trailed by 10 points in the fourth quarter but Winthrop-signee <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/toneari-lane/">Toneari Lane</a> hit timely threes to survive the Wildcats. Lane finished with 19 points on four threes while USF-signee <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/caleb-murphy/">Caleb Murphy</a> had 15 points and 4 steals and Mississippi State-signee <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/deivon-smith/">Deivon Smith</a> recorded 16 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists and 3 steals. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kaden-mcarthur/">Kaden McArthur</a> was an X-Factor with 11 points and 4 steals. For Wheeler, Ja’Hiem Hudson posted 18 points and 2 blocks. Denver-signee <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/sam-hines/">Sam Hines</a> had 16 points, 6 rebounds and 1 block. As they’ve done all season long, expect a heavy dose from both inside. Wheeler will be without <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/isaiah-collier/">Isaiah Collier</a> this time around however. He scored 11 points but broke his shoulder a month later. The play of <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ian-schieffelin/">Ian Schieffelin</a> against Hudson and Hines will go a long way in deciding this matchup. Also, will Wheeler’s guards be able to keep up with Grayson’s star-studded backcourt?</p> <h2><strong>Class 6A</strong></h2> <h4><strong>No. 3 Lanier (26-5) vs. No. 5 Chattahoochee (24-7)</strong></h4> <p>In a very deep Class 6A, two programs that have lacked postseason success finally busted down the door and now play for their first state title. Last year it was on the girls side where Lanier saw magic happen, upsetting heavy favorite Lovejoy. Now, it’s the boys turn. The Longhorns have had close call after close call. They have survived three consecutive overtime games, beating Stephenson 60-58, Langston Hughes 58-55 and most recently stunning South Cobb, erasing a 15-point deficit in the final quarter to claw out a 63-57 win. The trio of Tulane-signee <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/sion-james/">Sion James</a>, <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/andrew-mcconnell/">Andrew McConnell</a> and Iajah Phillips came up big with James leading the charge with 26 points and 11 rebounds. McConnell scored 19 and Phillips pitched in 10. Now they face Chattahoochee who dethroned Tri-Cities 78-72. The prolific scoring backcourt of <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/aj-white/">AJ White</a> and Rice-signee <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/cam-sheffield/">Cam Sheffield</a> have seen role players grow by leaps and bounds as the season has progressed. White scored 29 in the Final 4 while Sheffield was held to 11 – usually a bad recipe, but instead it was late blooming 6-foot-8 senior David McDaniel who picked up the slack with 18 points. The emergence of McDaniel has made the Cougars a well-rounded team with his ability to rebound, block shots and score up close when needed. Don’t forget that premium three-point shooter <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/franklin-bailey/">Franklin Bailey</a> is still a lethal option on the perimeter.  </p>