Boys basketball rankings: Defeat of top-ranked private team boosts Therrell

Therrell’s boys basketball team was 9-11 and unranked three weeks ago. Two victories over top-10 teams — including No. 1 Holy Innocents’ last week — has boosted the Panthers to No. 6 in Class 2A a week ahead of the state tournament.

Therrell beat Holy Innocents’ 76-70 on Monday. Morion McWhorter a 6-foot-5 junior, scored 28 points and had 14 rebounds and four blocked shots in the Region 5-2A game.

The two teams will meet again Tuesday in their region tournament at Therrell.

The Atlanta teams will play in different state tournaments. Holy Innocents’ retained its position as the No. 1 team in Class 3A-A Private this week.

Region 5-2A has a second No. 1 team, KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, a 2A public school. KIPP is playing ninth-ranked Lovett in the other Region 5 semifinal Tuesday at Therrell.

Lovett was the other top-10 team that Therrell defeated this month to help it rise in the rankings. Therrell is now 14-11, with almost all of its losses to other top-10 teams or bigger schools.

A few region tournaments are complete.

In one of the better ones, No. 3 Woodward Academy of Class 5A beat No. 7 Decatur 78-73 in overtime Saturday night in Region 4. Bentley Lusakueno scored 28 points and had seven rebounds.

Most region tournaments will finish this week.

They include those in Region 5-6A at Etowah (No. 1 Wheeler, No. 5 Cherokee, No. 8 Walton); Region 7-5A at Chattahoochee (No. 1 Gainesville, No. 8 Johns Creek, No. 9 Milton); Region 5-4A at Southwest DeKalb (No. 1 St. Pius, No. 6 Southwest DeKalb, No. 7 Tucker); and Region 5-A Division I at Weber School (No. 4 Mount Vernon, No. 6 Mount Bethel Christian, No. 7 Walker).

The GHSA will set state-tournament draws Feb. 22 or 23.

Class 6A

1. Wheeler (21-5)
2. McEachern (20-4)
3. Grayson (22-2)
4. Hillgrove (19-6)
5. Cherokee (18-7)
6. Pebblebrook (17-7)
7. Westlake (19-7)
8. Walton (21-5)
9. Meadowcreek (19-6)
10. Peachtree Ridge (15-10)

Class 5A

1. Gainesville (25-0)
2. Alexander (23-2)
3. Woodward Academy (21-6)
4. Hughes (15-6)
5. Dutchtown (20-5)
6. Woodstock (23-2)
7. Decatur (23-5)
8. Johns Creek (20-5)
9. Milton (20-5)
10. Newnan (22-3)

Class 4A

1. St. Pius (26-0)
2. North Oconee (22-3)
3. Westminster (20-3)
4. Pace Academy (18-7)
5. Griffin (22-2)
6. Southwest DeKalb (20-5)
7. Tucker (19-7)
8. Eastside (18-7)
9. Cedar Shoals (17-8)
10. Mays (18-7)

Class 3A

1. Sandy Creek (23-2)
2. Cross Creek (20-5)
3. Baldwin (22-3)
4. Cedar Grove (19-6)
5. Westover (23-2)
6. Douglass (17-7)
7. Harlem (17-8)
8. Monroe (21-6)
9. Troup (19-6)
10. Long County (22-6)

Class 2A

1. KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (20-4)
2. Carver-Columbus (22-3)
3. Butler (21-4)
4. Columbia (19-5)
5. South Atlanta (19-6)
6. Therrell (14-11)
7. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (18-4)
8. Morgan County (19-6)
9. Redan (19-6)
10. Spencer (20-6)

Class A Division I

1. Rabun County (23-2)
2. Putnam County (20-6)
3. Vidalia (21-2)
4. Model (18-3)
5. Southwest (21-6)
6. Commerce (20-5)
7. Fitzgerald (20-4)
8. Dodge County (17-5)
9. Swainsboro (18-6)
10. Fannin County (22-3)