Metro Atlanta teams have dominated Class AAAAAA boys basketball this century, capturing all but three of the state titles since 2000.
That appears likely to continue this season, as the top six teams in this week’s rankings hail from DeKalb, Cobb, Fulton, Cherokee or Gwinnett County.
As one would expect, there’s plenty of individual talent in the area, as well. Here are seven Class AAAAAA boys players who could make a significant impact down the stretch:
*PJ Carter (Hughes): The 6-foot-4 senior guard is averaging 20.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.9 steals for third-ranked Hughes (14-6, 10-2), which is battling Tri-Cities for first place in Region 5. Carter was a member of the Panthers' state championship teams in 2017 and 2018. Carter, who signed with Campbell, averaged 19 points as a junior and was a first-team all-region selection.
*Peyton Daniels (Tri-Cities): The 6-foot-2 guard is a four-star recruit and the No. 8 junior in Georgia (247Sports Composite rankings). He was a key member of the Bulldogs' 2019 state title team – he had 12 points and five rebounds in the final – and is a leader on this year's team, which is 20-3 and ranked No. 4. Daniels has seven reported offers, including Georgia and Georgia Tech.
*Jacksen Greco (Sequoyah): Greco, a 6-foor-5 senior guard, is averaging 19.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists for fifth-ranked Sequoyah (18-4, 11-2), which is in second place in Region 6 behind No. 2 South Cobb. He was named the Region 6 player of the year and an honorable mention all-state player as a junior, when he averaged 19.1 points and 4.5 rebounds. He has signed with Mercer.
*Jermontae Hill (Tucker): Hill was named second-team all-state last season after leading the Tigers to a runner-up finish in Class AAAAAA. This year, he is averaging 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds, according to the latest statistics provided by the DeKalb County Schools. The 6-foot-6 senior forward, a three-star recruit, has a reported 12 offers, including Georgia Tech, Florida and Florida State.
*Sion James (Lanier): The 6-foot-5 senior guard and Tulane signee was the Region 8 co-player of the year and an honorable mention all-state selection last season. He surpassed 1,000 career points last week with 25 in an 83-52 victory against Winder-Barrow and had 18 points in Lanier's most recent game, a 75-41 win Tuesday over Habersham Central. Sixth-ranked Lanier is 17-5, 7-0 in Region 8.
*Emon Washington (South Cobb): The 6-foot-5 guard transferred to South Cobb after averaging 16.5 points and 9.4 rebounds at Yazoo County (Miss.) for a team that finished 30-1. Now he's averaging more than 23 points and eight rebounds for the second-ranked Eagles (20-2). The Illinois State signee was the only AAAAAA player nominated for the McDonald's All-American Game.
*AJ White (Chattahoochee): The 5-foot-11 junior guard was the only non-senior on the all-state first team last season. He has been particularly hot since the start of the new year, averaging 26.8 points over the past five games, a stretch that included games of 12 and 14 assists. He recently went over 1,600 points for his career. Ninth-ranked Chattahoochee is 15-7 and tied for first place in Region 7.
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