Favorite 1st Round Matchups (7A-4A)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The brackets are now official and it's time for playoff basketball in Georgia. This will be the last year that teams will battle it out in predetermined playoff brackets before we transition into a new format next year where classes will be realigned and the bracket will be determined solely based on seeding. The current setup, however, provides us with some juicy matchups in the early rounds. Here, we break down our favorite Round 1 matchups.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brookwood vs. Valdosta (7A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wed 2/21 6:00 PM @ Valdosta</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brookwood will make the trip south to play Valdosta on Wednesday in what should be a good one. Both teams have some impressive wins on their resume. Brookwood beat Dacula, Norcross, and Archer twice. [player_tooltip player_id='1639113' first='Alex' last='Young'] has shown the ability to light up the scoreboard and when he's hot, Brookwood is dangerous. Valdosta, on the other hand, opened some eyes in November with an early win over Chapel Hill and have been running through teams in South Georgia ever since. 6'11 C [player_tooltip player_id='1715150' first='Israel' last='Jenrette'] is quite the interior presence and he could give Brookwood some trouble on the glass. Point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2337606' first='Jabarri' last='Williams'] is one of the most underrated playmakers in the state and his ability to create will be key in this one.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Dacula vs. Walton (7A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wed 2/21 7:30 PM @ Walton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dacula vs. Walton might just be the most intriguing game across all brackets. The bottom right corner of the 7A bracket is wide open and the winner of this game has a legitimate shot to make the final 4. Walton has one of the best guards in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='1131830' first='Luke' last='Flynn'] and they've proven that they can play with anyone. The Raiders ride and die with the three-ball and how they shoot it on Wednesday could very well decide the outcome. Walton's biggest weakness, however, is their lack of a true big man and Dacula's [player_tooltip player_id='2295941' first='Elahi' last='Akida'] could give them some real problems. Akida is a strong, 6'8 athlete that holds the single season rebounding record at Dacula. This has the feel of a coaching duel between two of the state's brightest minds, Bo Abney and Derrick Herbert.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sequoyah vs. Pope (6A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wed 2/21 7:30 PM @ Pope</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The region tournaments really shook up the 6A bracket as several contenders failed to secure 1 seeds. As a result, we see some of the top teams squaring off as early as Wednesday. We'll see two of the best juniors in the state go head to head in this one, [player_tooltip player_id='1773628' first='Zach' last='Bleshoy'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1444780' first='Brendan' last='Tousignaut']. Both guys have gone for 30+ on multiple occasions this year. Sequoyah's [player_tooltip player_id='2046356' first='Cade' last='Lomas'] can also be dangerous if he finds his rhythm from beyond the arc. Pope is well-coached, solid on the defensive end, and only lost 5 games this year. This one feels like it could go either way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mays vs. Winder-Barrow (5A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wed 2/21 7:00 PM @ Winder-Barrow</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mays and Winder-Barrow will face off on Wednesday night for a trip to the 2nd round and a favorable road to the final 4. Mays is led by one of the most prolific scorers in the state, [player_tooltip player_id='1967600' first='Derron' last='Lindsey']. He's a deadly shooter from all over the court and Winder-Barrow will need to find a way to slow him down if they want to have any chance at winning. That being said, Winder-Barrow is the more well-rounded team. They have several guards that can score the ball and a couple of 6'6 forwards that bring size and athleticism to the front court. This game may just come down to who wants it more.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Lovett vs. North Oconee (4A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wed 2/21 7:30 PM @ North Oconee</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>North Oconee has been one of the most dominant teams in 4A this year, 25 wins and only 3 losses. However, their first round opponent, Lovett, will be anything but a walk in the park. Despite being very young, Lovett has the potential to really stir things up. [player_tooltip player_id='1543489' first='Kingston' last='Whitty'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2102283' first='Cameron' last='Cannon'] are both talented creators and [player_tooltip player_id='1696254' first='Jack' last='Rees'] will find ways to impact the game. North Oconee, on the other hand, is more experienced and more consistent. Senior guards, [player_tooltip player_id='1861277' first='Justin' last='Payne'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1300680' first='Byrd' last='Carter'], are both reliable scorers and 6'7 forward, [player_tooltip player_id='1300715' first='Evan' last='Montgomery'], has come on strong as a senior. North Oconee is the clear favorite but I've got them on upset alert.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->