Favorite 2nd Round Matchups

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 1st round of the playoffs was full of upsets and big time performances. 7A 1-seeds, Buford and Lambert, were both upset on Wednesday and I'd love to see a lot of the same chaos this weekend. These are the 5 games I'm most excited for in the 2nd round. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Parkview vs. Carrollton (7A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sat 2/25 6:00pm @ Carrollton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We get a great 2nd round matchup in what I think is the most exciting corner of the 7A bracket. Parkview, Carrollton, Cherokee and Berkmar all have a legitimate chance to make the Final 4 but they'll have to get through the Sweet 16 first. Carrollton is playing well right now, coming off a region championship. Parkview has had an up and down year but when they're clicking, they're really good. [player_tooltip player_id='1444779' first='Jacob' last='Wilkins'] has ultimately proven himself as the best 2025 prospect in Georgia and [player_tooltip player_id='1054800' first='Mike' last='Matthews'] adds a lot of toughness and athleticism to the perimeter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Carrollton (63-59)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Cherokee vs. Berkmar (7A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2/25 7:00pm @ Cherokee</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Led by a great group of experienced seniors, Cherokee has put together one of the best seasons in school history. They've been battle-tested in a tough region and look ready to make a real playoff run. Berkmar, on the other hand, didn't have the regular season success they hoped for but surprised a lot of people with a 1st round upset over Buford. Berkmar's core is primarily in their forwards, [player_tooltip player_id='1411622' first='Mekhi' last='Ragland'], [player_tooltip player_id='1042865' first='Tyson' last='Jones'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1559293' first='Eddie' last='Cooke'] while Cherokee is a guard-heavy squad so the style of game should be interesting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Cherokee (72-61)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Tri-Cities vs. Hiram (5A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sat 2/25 5:00pm @ Hiram</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tri-Cities will travel to Hiram for the 2nd round, looking to take down one of the top teams in 5A. Both teams feature great guard play. Tr-Cities is headlined by Presbyterian commit [player_tooltip player_id='948820' first='Kory' last='Mincy'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1382011' first='Malique' last='Johnson'] while Hiram features LMU commit [player_tooltip player_id='1444755' first='Jay' last='Boyd'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1501793' first='Chase' last='Tyler']. If Tri-Cities wants a shot, I think the key is going to be limiting [player_tooltip player_id='1442610' first='Walter' last='Matthews'] inside and preventing him from controlling the paint. Lagrange commit [player_tooltip player_id='820310' first='Dayton' last='Richardson'] is typically more of an offensive guy but he'll need to be physical and defend the rim on Saturday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Hiram (68-63)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Tucker vs. Jones County (5A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sat 2/25 4:00pm @ Tucker</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We get another great matchup in 5A between Tucker and Jones County. Tucker's a well-rounded group led by Region Player of the Year, [player_tooltip player_id='1131776' first='Josiah' last='Lawson']. [player_tooltip player_id='1458271' first='Khayri' last='Dunn'] gives them consistently solid point guard play and he'll be important on Saturday. Jones County's backcourt is their bread and butter, [player_tooltip player_id='820312' first='Jaylen' last='Sanford'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1131542' first='Daethan' last='Harris'] both having great senior seasons. Earlier in the year, they beat Grovetown and proved that their ceiling is a lot higher than most thought. This game could go a lot of different ways but I see Tucker winning with a big game from Lawson.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Tucker (66-58)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Cedar Grove vs. Monroe Area (3A)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sat 2/25 6:00pm @ Monroe Area</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In 3A, we see two of the tougher teams matchup in the 2nd round. Monroe Area has put together an excellent season, sitting at 24-4 on the year. Cedar Grove hasn't won as many games but played a tougher schedule, grabbing impressive wins over Dutchtown, Rabun Gap, and Creekside Christian. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1444763' first='Darius' last='Reynolds'] is great around the basket and freshman phenom [player_tooltip player_id='1696170' first='Manny' last='Green'] has been having a sensational year. For Monroe Area, senior forward Jere'my Anderson is the primary scoring threat while the Newell brother provide steady guard play. This game could really go either way but I'm betting on Monroe Area.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Monroe Area (69-67)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->