Favorite Elite 8 Matchups

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Only 8 teams remain in each classification and this round plays host to some killer matchups across the board. The team in the top part of the bracket will have home court advantage by way of the GHSA's universal coins flip conducted on Thursday. Winners of these games will advance to the Final 4 which will take place at Georgia State (7A) and West Georgia (6A) this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>McEachern vs. Wheeler (7A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wednesday 3/1 7:30pm @ McEachern</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Heading into the playoffs, Wheeler and McEachern were widely considered the top 2 teams in the state but by luck of the draw, they were put in the same corner of the bracket so we get this matchup early in the Elite 8. [player_tooltip player_id='820278' first='Isaiah' last='Collier'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1201530' first='Arrinten' last='Page'] would surely like to go out as state champs and they've certainly got the team to do so. McEachern is led by one of the top 2024s in the country in [player_tooltip player_id='1122508' first='Ace' last='Bailey'] while [player_tooltip player_id='991425' first='Moses' last='Hipps'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1123934' first='Jamichael' last='Davis'] share the backcourt, all high-major recruits. The winner of this game will become the likely favorite to win it all.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Wheeler (86-76)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Norcross vs Newton (7A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wednesday 3/1 7:30pm @ Norcross</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We get another great matchup in 7A between two elite programs, Norcross and Newton. While Wheeler and McEachern are a popular #1 and #2, Norcross and Newton are considered by most to be top 5 teams in the state and will certainly contend for the trophy. I really like this matchup because of the similarities in both teams. Neither usually plays with a traditional 5-man, their size coming from 6'7 perimeter players, [player_tooltip player_id='820274' first='Stephon' last='Castle'] and [player_tooltip player_id='948818' first='Lamariyon' last='Jordan']. Both squads feature their own deep, diverse group of guards. This one is a must-watch game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Newton (74-71)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>St. Pius vs. Etowah (6A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wednesday 3/1 7:00pm @ St. Pius</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6A looks like it could go a lot of different ways right now, Etowah and St. Pius both contenders. We see a slew of Atlanta All-Stars products square off in this one, [player_tooltip player_id='1042849' first='Brandon' last='Rechsteiner'] and [player_tooltip player_id='873083' first='Mason' last='Etter'] for Etowah and Spencer Elliot for St. Pius. Rechsteiner will be the best player on the court and stopping him will be key for St. Pius. Strategy, however, is a strongsuit for Pius. They're widely considered to be one of the most well-coached teams in the state and always impress me with their half court sets. The St. Pius gym is also one of the loudest basketball environments in the state so expect home court advantage to come in to play here too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Etowah (79-74)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Lanier vs. Grovetown (6A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wednesday 3/1 7:30pm @ Lanier</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lanier vs. Grovetown should make for a fantastic game in 6A. Grovetown looks to repeat and they're peaking at the right time, winners of 16 in a row. They've made several trips to Atlanta this year already and have a lot of playoff experience so I think they'll be well prepared for Wednesday's matchup. Lanier also happens to be playing well right now, led by the forward duo of 6'7 Osmar Garcia-Araujo and 6'8 [player_tooltip player_id='1131774' first='Jayce' last='Nathaniel']. They currently sit at 26-4 and have put together one of the best seasons in school history. However, the job's not finished.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Grovetown (87-74)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Alexander vs. Jonesboro (6A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wednesday 3/1 7:00pm @ Jonesboro</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alexander entered the tournaments as the slight favorites to win it all in 6A but if any team is built to pull off an upset in March, it's Jonesboro. Much like other southside programs, Jonesboro plays extremely tough and refuses to back down. Their defensive energy, often ignited by [player_tooltip player_id='1114453' first='Montez' last='Redding'], forces a lot of turnovers and can frustrate offenses. [player_tooltip player_id='1131531' first='Devon' last='Rainey'] and [player_tooltip player_id='957135' first='Jaquez' last='Akins'] can both create their own shot too. For Alexander, their starting five packs a punch. Braeden Lue and [player_tooltip player_id='820306' first='Noah' last='Melson'] are an excellent inside-out duo while [player_tooltip player_id='1492776' first='Marvin' last='McGhee'] and Jayquan Nelson excel in their role and can steal the show at times.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Alexander (71-69)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->