The era of super teams in Georgia high school basketball didn’t just begin, but it has reached new heights this season. Norcross, Pebblebrook, Westlake and Wheeler have been in and out of national rankings, each possessing at least three of the most highly recruited players in the state.
A check of 247Sports’ list of the state’s top boys basketball prospects reveals just how talented the fab four of Class AAAAAAA is. The recruiting website has identified 45 Georgia boys players worthy to rank - 26 seniors, 11 juniors and eight sophomores.
Of those, 22 play in the highest classification, and 15 play for Norcross (four), Pebblebrook (four), Westlake (three) or Wheeler (four). Berkmar and McEachern have two apiece. Milton, Shiloh and Newton have one.
And those top teams have more strong players besides just those.
The congregation of talent is no coincidence. Seven of the 22 transferred this past off-season, and three others transferred the season before that. Top players these days want to play and practice together to further their development and get more exposure. Teams with several major-college prospects play in high-profile showcase tournaments, such as the one at Wheeler this week.
Here’s a look at the 22:
SENIORS
2. *Collin Sexton, Pebblebrook (Alabama)
5. Jordan Tucker, Wheeler [Transfer from Archbishop Stepinac, N.Y.]
7. Rayshaun Hammonds, Norcross (Georgia)
8. *Chuma Okeke, Westlake (Auburn)
9. Alex O’Connell, Milton (Duke)
10. Darius Perry, Wheeler (Louisville)
11. *Jay Estime, Berkmar
13. Lance Thomas, Norcross (Louisville)
14. Jordan Usher, Wheeler (Southern Cal) [Transfer from Sequoyah]
15. Elias Harden, Pebblebrook (Xavier) [Transfer from Sandy Creek]
16. T.J. Massenburg, Shiloh (Middle Tennessee)
20. Danny Lewis, Westlake (Central Florida)
21. Aljami Durham, Berkmar (Indiana)
JUNIORS
2. E.J. Montgomery, Wheeler (Auburn) [Transfer from Montverde Academy, Fla.]
4. Jamie Lewis, Westlake
5. JoJo Toppin, Norcross [Transfer from Meadowcreek]
7. Drue Drinnon, Pebblebrook [Transfer from East Jackson]
SOPHOMORES
2. Ashton Hagans, Newton
3. Isaac Okoro, McEachern
4. Jared Jones, Pebblebrook (Auburn) [Transfer from Potter's House, Fla.]
5. Babatunde Akingbola, McEachern
7. Kyle Sturdivant, Norcross
*Transferred before their junior seasons.
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