Games of the Night: 1/18
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In this article:
There are Top 10 matchups littered across Georgia this Friday. Here’s a quick primer on each showdown. 3A No. 1 Sandy Creek at 6A No. 3 St. Pius X Heavy favorite to repeat as Class 3A state champs, Sandy Creek…
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Continue ReadingThere are Top 10 matchups littered across Georgia this Friday. Here’s a quick primer on each showdown.
3A No. 1 Sandy Creek at 6A No. 3 St. Pius X
Heavy favorite to repeat as Class 3A state champs, Sandy Creek rolls into one of the toughest environments in the state – Mark Kelly Gymnasium. There will be a packed house rooting on the Golden Lions who have quietly surged up the rankings. A talented sophomore class has a chance to hand Sandy Creek just their second in-state loss of the season, their lone defeat to a Georgia program coming in Game 3, a 64-63 loss to national powerhouse Grayson. The trio of
Harris Reynolds
Harris
Reynolds
6'4" | PG
St. Pius X | 2026
State
GA
,
Tobias Brinkley
Tobias
Brinkley
6'6" | CG
Wheeler | 2026
State
GA
and
D’Marley Elliott
D’Marley
Elliott
6'5" | PF
St. Pius X | 2026
State
GA
powers St. Pius X, but juniors
Aiden Portee
Aiden
Portee
6'0" | PG
St. Pius X | 2025
State
GA
and
Ryan Kim
Ryan
Kim
6'1"
Saint Pius X | 2025
GA
have had explosive game of their own, giving the Golden Lions great balance. All-State performers
Amari Brown
Amari
Brown
6'3" | PG
Sandy Creek | 2024
State
GA
and
Micah Smith
Micah
Smith
6'7" | SF
Sandy Creek | 2024
State
#144
Nation
GA
, a James Madison-signee, compose one of the winningest duos in the state. Jared White,
Jacobi Robinson
Jacobi
Robinson
6'1" | SG
Sandy Creek | 2025
State
GA
and
Kani Rashied-Henry
Kani
Rashied-Henry
6'7" | PF
Sandy Creek | 2024
State
GA
are emerging prospects. Missouri baseball-signee
PJ Green
PJ
Green
6'2" | SG
Sandy Creek | 2024
State
GA
is a veteran floor spacer that must be accounted for.
4A: No. 3 McDonough at No. 1 Pace Academy
The two front runners in Class 4A look to grab first-place in Region 5. The two split a season ago but never had a rubber match after Lovett upset McDonough in the region tournament. Pace Academy went on to romp their way to a state title. The Knights look very much the same this year while McDonough is quite different with familiar faces playing expanded roles.
Keenan Gray
Keenan
Gray
6'2" | SG
McDonough | 2024
State
GA
has broken out as one of the top players in the state, averaging 19.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals.
Nigel Thomas
Nigel
Thomas
6'7" | SF
North Atlanta | 2025
State
GA
holds D-I offers, chipping in 13.8 points per game as a 6-foot-7 shooter. Brothers Zion and
Zaiden Greene
Zaiden
Greene
6'1" | PG
McDonough | 2025
State
GA
bring tremendous energy on both ends of the floor and set the tone defensively. Pace Academy has great balance, four players averaging double-digits led by
Eric Chatfield
Eric
Chatfield
5'11" | PG
Pace Academy | 2025
State
GA
‘s 15.1 points per game.
Chandler Bing
Chandler
Bing
6'5" | SF
Pace Academy | 2025
State
GA
is one of the most improved players in the state, posting 13.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. Pace Academy often bullies opponents on the backboards.
LJ Moore
LJ
Moore
6'6" | SF
Pace Academy | 2024
State
GA
is averaging 10.8 points and 5.9 rebounds while
MJ Madison
MJ
Madison
6'8" | PF
Alexander | 2026
State
GA
adds in 8.3 points and 4.8 rebounds. UCF-signee
Kyle Greene
Kyle
Greene
6'3" | PG
Pace Academy | 2024
State
#155
Nation
GA
is among the state’s savviest guards, compiling 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.5 steals per game.
2A: No. 2 Columbia at No. 5 ELCA
Columbia looks to stay undefeated in Georgia and grab a stranglehold of Region 5. The Eagles beat ELCA 87-70 in their first meeting.
Trevian Callaway
Trevian
Callaway
6'1" | PG
Columbia | 2024
State
GA
is a speed merchant of a ball handler that makes Columbia go. Wings
Jaquavious Wallace
Jaquavious
Wallace
6'4" | SF
Columbia | 2024
State
GA
and
Tahmar Mann
Tahmar
Mann
6'7" | SF
Columbia | 2024
State
GA
have size, length and dynamic games. ELCA plays hard and has a deep stable of guards. They too have some nice length and athleticism on the perimeter between
Gavin Lamar
Gavin
Lamar
6'5" | SF
ELCA | 2025
State
GA
and
K-Cari Mercer
K-Cari
Mercer
6'5" | SF
ELCA | 2025
State
GA
. Kam Warford is a major hustler while Xavier Dotson, Joseph Raines and
Jayden Bone
Jayden
Bone
6'1" | CG
ELCA | 2025
State
GA
balance the offense.
Ese Aigbokhae
Ese
Aigbokhae
6'7" | C
ELCA | 2025
State
GA
is a big body that chews up real estate inside and scores on putbacks. If he can control the paint and force Columbia into taking jump shots instead of layups, ELCA could shake up the state.
A D-II: No. 1 Greenforest at No. 3 Christian Heritage
Christian Heritage fell to Greenforest twice last season but the trees are much shorter this year for the experienced Lions to try to navigate. While 7-footers don’t protect the rim any more,
Daniel Daramola
Daniel
Daramola
6'8" | PF
Greenforest | 2025
State
GA
is an explosive leaper at 6-foot-8 and
Caleb Kawela
Caleb
Kawela
6'5" | PF
Greenforest | 2024
State
GA
is a battering ram at 6-foot-5 that must be kept off the glass.
Cash Hare
Cash
Hare
6'4" | PF
Christian Heritage | 2024
State
GA
, Carter Triplett and
Dontae Crowder
Dontae
Crowder
6'4" | SF
Christian Heritage | 2025
State
GA
must eliminate second chance opportunities. Crowder’s perimeter defense will be important as well, a capable defender that has drawn the assignment of guarding scoring threats all season. It will be interesting to see if he draws
Elijah Lewis
Elijah
Lewis
6'0" | CG
Greenforest | 2024
State
GA
to try and stop. Lewis is wired to score, a bucket getter from all three levels. Christian Heritage will have to eliminate run out opportunities and try to make the Eagles beat them in the halfcourt. Kevin Harper and Michael Robinson are tough guards but maybe the most important is transfer
Russ White
Russ
White
6'2" | PG
Greenforest Christian | 2024
GA
, a versatile physical perimeter player that can play all over the floor. He rebounds, defends, facilitates and can stretch the floor with his outside shot. Speaking of outside shots, for the Lions to win,
Isaac Plavich
Isaac
Plavich
5'10" | PG
Christian Heritage | 2025
State
GA
must supply some offense, especially from beyond the arc.
Jax Abernathy
Jax
Abernathy
6'4" | SG
Christian Heritage | 2024
State
GA
will have all the focus on him, the roughly 27-point-per-game scorer. The Trevecca Nazarene-signee will get his, it just depends on how efficient he is and whether those around him will hit shots too.