If McEachern’s boys basketball team can get through the next seven days unscathed, a national title will be in play. But the four-game path couldn’t be much harder for a high school team.
McEachern, ranked No. 1 by Blue Star Media and No. 2 by four other national media outlets, will play in the 35th Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions, an eight-team event that starts Thursday in Springfield, Mo.
The Indians’ first-round game is against home-standing Springfield Catholic, which is 15-0 but not the scariest opponent on the docket. Shadow Mountain of Arizona, Memphis East of Tennessee, Belleville of Illinois, Bel Aire of Kansas and Rainier Beach of Seattle all have top-25 national rankings.
Then on Monday, McEachern travels to another Springfield, the one in Massachusetts, for a game against Rancho Christian of California. Rancho Christian is MaxPreps’ No. 2 team overall in California and No. 18 team in the country. That game will be televised on ESPNU.
McEachern is 14-0 and features senior Isaac Okoro, who has signed with Auburn, and junior point guard Sharife Cooper, a five-star recruit. (Watch those two might a Twitter-captured highlight below.)
Norcross boys also in Massachusetts
Norcross is ranked No. 8 despite seven losses. Schedule strength is the reason. The Blue Devils (12-7) are playing Roselle Catholic of New Jersey, MaxPreps’ No. 7 team nationally, on Saturday in the Spalding Hoophall Classic, two days ahead of McEachern’s arrival.
Westlake girls going to New York
Westlake’s girls team, ranked No. 1, will be playing in the Bronx on Friday against Woolbridge, a Virginia team that is 12-1. Westlake is Georgia’s defending champion in Class AAAAAAA. Westlake beat No. 7 Pebblebrook by 25 last week, which suggests that Region 3 is safe in the Lions’ hands again.
Newton boys coach gets 300th victory
Newton coach Rick Rasmussen got his 300th coaching victory on Saturday in a victory over count rival Eastside. His teams have made the quarterfinals four times and the semifinals twice in the last four years. Rasmussen is 300-90 in his 14 years at the Covington school. Rasmussen’s Rams have a big one on Tuesday night. They play No. 4 Grayson (16-2 overall, 5-0 in Region 8). Newton (14-3, 4-1) is ranked No. 7.
East Coweta faces No. 5, No. 6, No. 10 in one week
East Coweta’s boys had the biggest win in the high class last week when the Indians defeated Wheeler 81-78. It put them at No. 3 in the rankings with an 18-1 record. Now, East Coweta must play No. 5 Pebblebrook on Tuesday, No. 10 Westlake on Friday and No. 6 Wheeler on Saturday. East Coweta has been a great story this season. It’s a program that hasn’t won a playoff game since the 1970s. It’s a talented team, but not one filled with blue-chip recruits. Guard Bandon Stroud is a four-star prospect and a junior averaging 17.4 points and 7.4 rebounds. East Coweta and Pebblebrook have 4-1 records in Region 2 while Wheeler and Westlake have two region losses apiece.
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