The first round of the high school state basketball tournament saw only 19 of the 160 ranked teams lose, but that will pale compared to what’s in store this week.
Round two, to be played Wednesday and Thursday, features 17 boys games and 13 girls games between Top 10 teams as the playoffs move toward the quarterfinals.
Here is a look at the tournament as it hits the sweet 16. Also check out some lists below that include all 29 games between Top 10 teams, ranked teams that lost last week, teams that won their first-ever state-playoff games last week and teams that are trying to make the quarterfinals for the first time.
A first for girls: South Atlanta's boys are ranked No. 1, have made four final fours and won a state title with NBA player Derrick Favors (2009), but its girls team under second-year coach Candence Jackson notched playoff-victory No. 1 with a 68-62 upset of eighth-ranked Banks County in Class AA last week. Georgia Military College's boys played in the first state tournament in 1922, but the girls team - previously 0-8 in the tournament - advanced for the first time against Johnson County in Class A. Central-Macon, Hapeville Charter and Pinecrest Academy also won their first-ever state tournament games.
A first for boys: Colquitt County, Northside-Warner Robins and Eagle's Landing Christian are known for football. Each has won three state titles in that sport. But their boys basketball teams advanced in the state playoffs for the first time last week, Colquitt in AAAAAAA, Northside in AAAAAA and ELCA in A. They had been a combined 0-18 in the state basketball tournament. Northside had been 0-10. Also advancing for the first time were Mountain View, Coahulla Creek, Islands, Northwest Whitfield, Veterans, First Presbyterian Day and Quitman County.
Best of show, round 1 (girls): Northview senior Shannon Titus had an impressive stat line in the top-ranked Northview girls' 54-36 victory over South Paulding in AAAAAA. Titus finished with 17 points, 10 steals, 10 blocked shots, nine rebounds and seven assists. Titus is unsigned. Northview coach Chris Yarbrough put colleges on notice when he posted on Twitter, "You are missing out!"
Best of show, round 1 (boys): Crisp County's 108-106 victory over Savannah in the first round broke the state-tournament record for points in a game, which dates to Feb. 27, 1997 (Banneker 112 Shiloh 93). The game marked the first time in tournament history that two teams had scored more than 100 points. Also, Crisp's Quentavious Dean scored 57 points, which might be a tournament record. Becky Taylor of the Georgia Basketball Project couldn't pinpoint a better effort and pointed to James Forrest's 55 points for Southside in the 1991 semifinals and George Anderson's 56 for Carver-Atlanta against Murphy in 1970.
Upsets (boys): Ten ranked teams lost in the first round, all to unranked teams. Class AAA No. 7 Greater Atlanta Christian lost at home to Lovett 62-58, ending GAC's streak of nine seasons making the second round. In AAAAAA, Region 2 surprisingly swept Region 3, and the casualties included No. 7 Lakeside-Evans (to Valdosta) and No. 10 Heritage-Conyers (to Coffee). The highest-ranked team to fall was No. 5 Alpharetta (to Tri-Cities) in AAAAAA.
Upsets (girls): Greenbrier, with a record of 12-14, beat AAAAAA No. 10 Northside-Warner Robins 52-51 on Yasmine Avery's free throw with one second left. AAAA No. 7 Heritage-Ringgold, playing at home and primed for its first-ever state-playoff victory, was denied by Madison County, a 13-14 team. Only nine Top 10 teams lost, and two were against other ranked teams.
Best second-round matchup (boys): Fourth-ranked Westlake, the defending champion, travels to third-ranked Newton in a rematch of a 2016 semifinal won by Westlake 64-59. Each has been nationally ranked and possesses multiple blue-chip prospects including region players of the year Chuma Okeke (Westlake) and J.D. Notae (Newton). In AAAAAA, No. 3 Jonesboro travels to No. 9 Allatoona, a state runner-up the past two seasons. Fifth-ranked Columbia of AAAAA plays at No. 6 Fayette County. South Atlanta, the No. 1 team in AA, gets a visit from No. 3 Butler of Augusta.
Best second-round matchup (girls): There are 13 games between ranked girls teams. The best is probably No. 4. Harrison at No. 8 Tucker, a state runner-up last year. In AAAAAAA, Norcross is the only No. 1 boys or girls team that faces a ranked opponent (No. 10 Marietta). Darlington of Rome, the No. 9 team in Class A private, is looking at a 12-hour round-trip bus ride to No. 5 Calvary Day of Savannah.
What's next: The third round is Feb. 28-March 1, the semifinals March 4 at 16 neutral arenas and the finals March 8-11 at Georgia and Georgia Tech.
Second-round games between ranked opponents:
BOYS (17)
Class AAAAAAA
No. 4. Westlake at No. 3 Newton
No. 6. Wheeler at No. 9 Mountain View
No. 8. Berkmar at No. 7 Tift County
Class AAAAAA
No. 3. Jonesboro at No. 9 Allatoona
Class AAAAA
No. 2. Cedar Shoals at No. 10 Statesboro
No. 5. Columbia at No. 6 Fayette County
No. 8. Southwest DeKalb at No. 3 Warner Robins
Class AAAA
No. 9. Richmond Academy at No. 3 LaGrange
Class AAA
No. 9 Johnson-Savannah at No. 2 Pace Academy
No. 8. Cedar Grove at No. 5 Jenkins
No. 10 Islands at No. 6 East Hall
Class AA
No. 3. Butler at No. 1 South Atlanta
No. 7. Hapeville Charterat No. 2 Laney
No. 10. Josey at No. 9 Banks County
Class A (Private)
No. 7. Whitefield Academy at No. 3 SW Atlanta Christian
No. 10. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy at No. 2 North Cobb Christian
Class A (Public)
No. 6. Quitman County at No. 7 Macon County
GIRLS (13)
Class AAAAAAA
No. 9 Brookwood at No. 8 Colquitt County
No. 10 Marietta at No. 1 Norcross
Class AAAAAA
No. 4 Harrison at No. 8 Tucker
No. 7 Lovejoy at No. 5 Creekview
Class AAAAA
None
Class AAAA
No. 6 Columbus at No. 2 West Hall
No. 8 North Oconee at No. 10 Spalding
Class AAA
No. 7 Peach County at No. 4 Haralson County
Class AA
No. 3 Dodge County at No. 10 Heard County
No. 7 Vidalia at No. 5 Rabun County
Class A (Private)
No. 8 Pinecrest Academy at No. 6 Landmark Christian
No. 9 Darlington at No. 5 Calvary Day
Class A (Public)
No. 8 Macon County at No. 7 Treutlen
No. 10 Wilcox County at No. 4 Woodville-Tompkins
Ranked teams that lost in the first round:
BOYS (10)
Class AAAAAAA
10. Collins Hill to Grayson 52-50
Class AAAAAA
5. Alpharetta to Tri-Cities 60-57
7. Lakeside-Evans to Valdosta 56-55
10. Heritage-Conyers to Coffee 77-71
Class AAAAA
9. Union Grove to New Hampstead 65-62
Class AAAA
7. Americus-Sumter to Thomson 67-62
8. Baldwin to Westover 61-60
10. Cartersville to Marist 49-45
Class AAA
7. Greater Atlanta Christian to Lovett 62-58
Class AA
None
Class A (Private)
None
Class A (Public)
10. Randolph-Clay to Manchester 85-56
GIRLS
Class AAAAAAA
7. Newton to Duluth 66-54
Class AAAAAA
9. Gainesville to River Ridge 54-53
10. Northside-Warner Robins to Greenbrier 52-51
Class AAAAA
9. Bainbridge to Fayette County 45-36
10. Villa Rica to Arabia Mountain 52-45
Class AAAA
7. Heritage-Ringgold to Madison County 48-45
Class AAA
6. Franklin County to No. 5 Ringgold 53-52
10. Calhoun lost to No. 9 Hart County 72-63
Class AA
8. Banks County to South Atlanta 68-62
Class A (Private)
None
Class A (Public)
None
Teams that are trying to make the quarterfinals for the first time, according to the Georgia Basketball Project.
BOYS (17)
Colquitt County, Dutchtown, Eagle's Landing Christian, First Presbyterian Day, Hapeville Charter, Islands, Lambert, Hughes, Mount Paran Christian, Mountain View, New Hampstead, Northside-Warner Robins, Northwest Whitfield, Quitman County, Starr's Mill, Tallulah Falls, Tri-Cities
GIRLS (21)
Brookwood, Central-Macon, Creekview, Eagle's Landing, First Presbyterian Day, Fitzgerald, Georgia Military College, Grovetown, Hapeville Charter, Houston County, Lambert, Lovejoy, Marion County, North Oconee, Northview, Pierce County, Pinecrest Academy, Prince Avenue Christian, South Atlanta, Tattnall County, Woodville-Tompkins
Teams trying to make the quarterfinals for the first time since 1999 or longer:
GIRLS (11)
Bryan County (1961), Lanier County (1970), Aquinas (1972), Ringgold (1986), Cook (1988), Ware County (1990), Berrien (1991), Armuchee (1997), McIntosh (1997), Richmond Academy (1997), Jeff Davis (1999)
BOYS (16)
Heard County (1960), Mary Persons (1968), Rockmart (1969), Towns County (1974), Stephens County (1977), Monroe Area (1979), LaFayette (1980), Dacula (1984), Duluth (1985), Lee County (1985), Chattooga (1992), Pope (1993), Banks County (1995), Clinch County (1996), Perry (1998), Brookwood (1999)
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