GHSA Top 25 (2/6 UPDATE)
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The regular season is winding down and teams are beginning to look forward to postseason play. The last couple of weeks have shaken up our Top 25, some programs making a late-season push while others have fallen off track. Here,…
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Continue ReadingThe regular season is winding down and teams are beginning to look forward to postseason play. The last couple of weeks have shaken up our Top 25, some programs making a late-season push while others have fallen off track. Here, we break down the latest movement and the biggest storylines.
McDonough jumps to #8 in the rankings, having put together a very impressive season. The Warhawks are 21-3 and split games with Pace Academy who’s currently ranked #5. Keenan Gray Keenan Gray 6'2" | SG McDonough | 2024 State GA has really emerged as a senior, averaging 19.1 PPG and leading the attack. McDonough will likely cross paths with Pace again at some point, only this time with major implications.
Tucker enters our top 10 for the first time this year. This is an experienced, senior-led team that came into the year with big expectations. I think it’s safe to say they’ve lived up to those so far. After a bit of a rocky start, Tucker has won 16 games in a row. Within that span, they took down numerous heavyweights incuding Shiloh, Osborne, Cedar Grove, and Langston Hughes. Tucker looks like a serious contender in 5A and they’re red hot entering postseason play.
Coach Wes Parker has done an outstanding job at Buford this season, leading the Wolves to a 21-3 record in his first year as head coach. Buford doesn’t necessarily have the star-power that some of these other schools do. Rather, it’s a plethora of shooters and blue-collar prospects that play with a chip on their shoulder. They’ve won 10 straight games and have one more tonight against Dacula before the region tournament begins.
Westside-Augusta jumps up 8 spots to #16. They’ve been ranked for most of the year but receive a considerable boost after handing Thomson their first loss of the season two weeks ago. Lavonta Ivery Lavonta Ivery 6'0" | PG Westside-Augusta | 2024 State GA and DeMarco Middleton have made for one of the state’s best backcourts this season, both guys bringing plenty of experience to the table as well. Westside looks to be the front-runner in 2A right now but Thomson and Columbia will contend as well.
Eagle’s Landing comes in at #19 after finding their stride late in the year. This year’s team was very young and featured some new faces so this was somewhat expected but the Eagles are now looking like a force to be reckoned with. They also made a huge splash last month with the midseason addition of 6’6 wing, John McQueen John McQueen 6'5" | SF Eagle's Landing | 2024 State GA , by way of McEachern. Some expected this to be a down year for Eagle’s Landing but they’ve proved otherwise.
Walton re-enters the top 25, this time at #20. Walton has been solid all year, posting a 19-4 record to this point, but they were missing that marquee win to prove that they were real-deal. Well they got that win two weeks ago against Wheeler. When Luke Flynn Luke Flynn 6'2" | PG Walton | 2024 State GA is healthy, he’s one of the most electric scorers in the state. Flynn’s backcourt accomplice, Caesar Burrows Caesar Burrows 6'4" | CG Walton | 2025 State GA , is a strong and steady scoring option as well. However, I think the emergence of Kaeden Gilstrap Kaeden Gilstrap 6'2" | CG Walton | 2025 State GA has been the key to their success. Walton is a team I certainly wouldn’t want to draw in the playoffs.
North Oconee and Etowah each make their first appearance in the top 25. North Oconee has been solid all year, 21 wins with only 3 losses. Etowah has surpassed expectations, tallying 18 wins in their first season of the post-Rechsteiner era. However, it was their upset win over #6 Sandy Creek on Saturday that landed them in the top 25.