Basketball playoffs second round features 33 games between top-10 teams
Ten basketball teams ranked No. 1 or No. 2 are playing top-10 opponents Friday and Saturday in the second round of the state tournament.
The highest-rated matchup is a girls game — No. 3 Newton at No. 2 Buford — in Class 6A.
Buford has won 26 straight games since a November loss to a South Carolina team. The Wolves’ most recent loss to a Georgia team came against Newton in the 2025 second round at home. Newton went on to become the 6A runner-up to Grayson.
Two No. 1 girls teams are facing top-10 opponents Friday night. They are North Paulding of Class 6A and Luella of Class 3A, both chasing their first state titles.
North Paulding is at home against No. 6 Westlake, a four-time former champion, most recently in 2021. Luella is at home against No. 8 Stephenson, a three-time former champion, most recently in 2015.
Seven other No. 2 teams must beat top-10 opponents to advance.
They are North Oconee’s defending champion boys (vs. No. 10 Mays in 4A), Cross Creek’s boys (vs. No. 5 Westover in 3A), Carver of Columbus (vs. No. 6 Therrell in 2A), Greenforest Christian’s boys (vs. No. 8 Mount Bethel Christian in Private), Kell’s girls (vs. No. 7 Southwest DeKalb in 4A), Putnam County (vs. No. 3 Fannin County in A Division I) and Washington-Wilkes’ girls (vs. No. 10 Telfair County in A Division II).
There were only four games between top-10 teams in the first round, when 147 of the 160 ranked teams advanced.
There are 33 games overall between top-10 teams this weekend.
For the full list of second-round matchups, go here for BOYS and here for GIRLS.
GHSA second-round games matching ranked teams
Boys
- Class 6A
- No. 4 Hillgrove (21-7) at No. 8 Westlake (20-7)
- Class 5A
- No. 10 Woodstock (25-3) at No. 4 Hughes (19-6)
- Class 4A
- No. 7 Westminster (22-4) at No. 4 Jonesboro (21-7)
- No. 9 Eastside (21-8) at No. 3 Pace Academy (21-7)
- No. 10 Mays (21-8) at No. 2 North Oconee (25-3)
- Class 3A
- No. 5 Westover (24-2) at No. 2 Cross Creek (23-5)
- No. 6 Douglass (20-8) at No. 3 Cedar Grove (22-6)
- Class 2A
- No. 6 Therrell (16-12) at No. 2 Carver-Columbus (24-3)
- No. 7 Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (21-5) at No. 4 South Atlanta (22-6)
- Class A Division I
- No. 5 Commerce (22-6) at No. 9 Swainsboro (20-7)
- No. 10 Dodge County (18-7) at No. 7 Fitzgerald (23-4)
- Class A Division II
- No. 10 Taylor County (21-6) at No. 6 Portal (23-5)
- Class 3A-A Private
- No. 6 Walker (23-5) at No. 7 Hebron Christian (23-4)
- No. 8 Mount Bethel Christian (21-6) at No. 2 Greenforest Christian (24-5)
Girls
- Class 6A
- No. 2 Newton (22-5) at No. 3 Buford (27-1)
- No. 6 Westlake (25-3) at No. 1 North Paulding (26-2)
- No. 9 Hillgrove (22-6) at No. 4 Carrollton (25-3)
- Class 5A
- No. 9 Morrow (21-6) at No. 10 Coffee (26-2)
- Class 4A
- No. 6 Cartersville (22-5) at No. 9 Warner Robins (23-3)
- No. 7 Southwest DeKalb (23-6) at No. 2 Kell (22-5)
- No. 10 Starr’s Mill (25-3) at No. 8 Jones County (23-5)
- Class 3A
- No. 8 Stephenson (22-5) at No. 1 Luella (23-4)
- No. 9 Ridgeland (24-4) at No. 6 Cherokee Bluff (18-10)
- Class 2A
- No. 8 Hart County (19-9) at No. 5 Westside-Macon (23-5)
- No. 9 Union County (19-9) at No. 4 Thomson (22-4)
- No. 10 Laney (20-7) at No. 3 Murray County (23-4)
- Class A Division I
- No. 3 Fannin County (25-3) at No. 2 Putnam County (19-2)
- No. 9 Elbert County (19-8) at No. 6 Lamar County (24-5)
- Class A Division II
- No. 7 Bryan County (22-5) at No. 8 Brooks County (19-9)
- No. 9 Taylor County (18-5) at No. 4 Metter (19-3)
- No. 10 Telfair County (20-7) at No. 2 Washington-Wilkes (18-7)
- Class 3A-A Private
- No. 8 Mount Paran Christian (18-7) at No. 7 Greater Atlanta Christian (21-8)
- No. 10 Trinity Christian (17-11) at No. 4 Galloway (23-6)
About the Author
Todd Holcomb covers high school sports across the state. He rejoined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2025 and has worked with the AJC in varying capacities since 1985. He is a co-founder and editor of Georgia High School Football Daily.
