Favorite Elite 8 Matchups

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're now down to 8 teams in each bracket and nearly all of the matchups are heavy-hitters at this point. Here, we break down some of the biggest Sweet 16 games and tell you who will make the difference. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Langston Hughes vs. Jonesboro (6A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wed 2/28 7:00 PM @ Jonesboro</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Langston Hughes and Jonesboro will meet on Wednesday night to battle it out for a spot in the Final 4. Langston Hughes has been solid all year but I don't think many expected them to contend for a title. They are led by [player_tooltip player_id='1617599' first='Brentis' last='Schaeffer'], one of the best unsigned seniors in the state, and he certainly won't go down with a fight. If they can beat Jonesboro and advance, it will be a true testament to the leadership of head coach Rory Welsh and his starting point guard, [player_tooltip player_id='1617599' first='Brentis' last='Schaeffer']. Jonesboro has some great athletes that love to play defense and they've come on strong late in the year. This one should be a dog fight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Dutchtown vs. Kell (5A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tue 2/27 7:30 PM @ Kell</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's hard to see anyone taking down Kell right now as they haven't lost a game since November but Dutchtown could give them a run for their money. [player_tooltip player_id='1793653' first='Austin' last='Mosby-Weems'] will be the x-factor for Dutchtown. Not only will he have to handle ball-pressure, he'll be largely responsible for slowing down [player_tooltip player_id='1201630' first='CJ' last='Brown'] who's been the most dominant player in 5A this year. However, Dutchtown does have a clear advantage inside and I expect them to get the Hinton-Chappelle duo going early. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Douglass vs. Dougherty (3A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wed 2/28 6:00 PM @ Dougherty</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Douglass will make the long trip south to play Dougherty on Wednesday night. Both of these teams are well-versed and full of weapons. There will be a collection of next-level guard prospects on the floor but [player_tooltip player_id='2284246' first='Javonte' last='Floyd'] could be the difference-maker. The 6'8 sophomore can change a game with his energy and light a fire amongst his teammates when he's playing well. Penn State offered Floyd after his Sweet 16 game. Dougherty, however, won't be phased by offers or rankings. They'll be on a mission to show the state what Albany basketball is all about.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Columbia vs. Southwest-Macon (2A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wed 2/28 6:00 PM @ Southwest-Macon</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Southwest-Macon is set to host Columbia on Wednesday night in a battle between two of 2A's best. Columbia is led by Region Player of the Year, [player_tooltip player_id='2046330' first='Trevian' last='Callaway'], and his backcourt accomplice, Quay Wallace. [player_tooltip player_id='1654136' first='Tahmar' last='Mann'] also provides some outside shooting and size at 6'7 but he'll have his hands full with [player_tooltip player_id='1464314' first='Tobias' last='Rice'] who could very well be the best player left in the 2A bracket. Rice is a 6'8, high-motor athlete that can knock down shots from the perimeter or bang inside. He'll have the spotlight on Wednesday as he leads Southwest into a high-stakes battle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Darlington vs. Savannah (1A-D1)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wed 2/28 6:30 PM @ Savannah</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Darlington and Savannah have both sat near the top of the 1A-D1 rankings for most of the season and they now square off for a birth in the Final 4. [player_tooltip player_id='1617653' first='Maki' last='Joyner'] will be the best player on the floor and Darlington will need a plan to slow him down. At some point, he will try to take over the game. For Darlington, D'Marion Floyd and [player_tooltip player_id='2132943' first='Grant' last='Hutton'] are the go-to guys but sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1543498' first='Brent' last='Bell'] put up 26 points in their last game and he should play a major role again. Home court advantage could play a big role in this one as Darlington will have to drive about 5 hours.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->