GHSA State Playoffs: Most Dangerous Four-Seeds

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Class 7A<br></u>Archer – Region 4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The tandem of [player_tooltip player_id='1155729' first='Kahmare' last='Holmes'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1617612' first='Darrian' last='Joseph'] is extremely dangerous. Both are big guards that fill up the stat sheet. The Tigers are battle-tested and could regain their form at any time after spending the bulk of the season in the Top 10.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>North Gwinnett – Region 7</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1685280' first='Caleb' last='Jones-Dicks'] is a D-I signee and [player_tooltip player_id='2056122' first='Miles' last='Clanton'] is a physical double-double threat at combo-forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Class 6A<br></u>Riverwood – Region 4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The highest scoring duo in the GHSA somehow fell to the four-seed and now must go on the road to Lee County. [player_tooltip player_id='1145563' first='Karris' last='Bilal'] (25.6 ppg) and [player_tooltip player_id='1450676' first='Jalen' last='Leonard'] (24.4 ppg) are elite scorers. If they get hot, others step up and the group defends, the Raiders could march to the Final Four but their first round matchup is an enormous hurdle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Class 5A<br></u>Jones County – Region 2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Greyhounds are 2-5 in their last seven games but have had two nearly two weeks off to prepare for the state playoffs. McIntosh is just 14-12 overall. Jones County is battle-tested and could turn things around behind [player_tooltip player_id='2324416' first='Jaden' last='Stanley'] and Kaden Douglas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Class 4A<br></u>Westside-Macon – Region 2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>New Hampstead is a tough first round draw, but Westside has some interesting pieces. 6-foot-7 [player_tooltip player_id='1505105' first='Chauncey' last='Williams'] was the Region 2 Co-Defensive Player of the Year while Josh Harden earned First Team honors as a wired-to-score guard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Class 3A<br></u>Calvary Day – Region 3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cavaliers are the most talented 9-17 team in the state. [player_tooltip player_id='1956868' first='Chol' last='Kiir'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1956869' first='Kuol' last='Deng'] and have unmatchable size. CJ Gaines is a clutch scorer and [player_tooltip player_id='2046367' first='Marlon' last='Knight'] is a good-looking freshman. The Cavs are playing better, upsetting Liberty County to make state 41-39, then losing close games to one-seed Johnson-Savannah 54-51 and two-seed Long County 59-57 in the region tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Salem – Region 4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Salem swept Cross Creek in the regular season but lost heartbreakers in the region tournament to Richmond Academy (48-46) and Harlem (44-41). [player_tooltip player_id='1797539' first='Jakorri' last='Arnold'] and Elijah Smith are tough guards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Class 2A<br></u>Laney – Region 4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Laney has one big win this year – 62-59 over Butler, the number two ranked team in the state. The Wildcats also played No. 3 Thomson close in the region semifinals, losing 63-57. Mekhi Nelson paces Laney, a Second Team All-Region selection.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>North Murray – Region 7</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>North Murray plays fast and shoots threes.&nbsp; Judson Petty and Beau Ellis were First Team All-Region. The Mountaineers are usually sneaky athletic, relying on a handful of football players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Class A D-I<br></u>Mt. Pisgah – Region 6</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Injuries and a tough schedule tanked Mt. Pisgah's chance at the Top 10 until their most recent success, knocking off Mt. Bethel 68-63 to make state. The Patriots are much better than their 11-17 record. Coming out of the toughest region in the state, Mt. Pisgah relies on a balanced guard-oriented attack led by [player_tooltip player_id='2361742' first='Tyson' last='Pittman'], [player_tooltip player_id='1617627' first='Isaac' last='Bealer'], [player_tooltip player_id='1919207' first='Brameer' last='Long'] and high-energy swingman [player_tooltip player_id='2245774' first='Jackson' last='Williams'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><u>Class A D-II<br></u>Randolph-Clay – Region 1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Red Devils clawed their way out of Region 1 as the six-seed, upsetting three-seed Seminole County 52-43. Randolph-Clay has no seniors on the roster. Juniors Je'sus Daniels (15.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and Jaleen Giberson (13.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.2 spg) power the kids from Cuthbert.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->