Class AAAAAA
Wheeler, the No. 1-ranked boys team in AAAAAA, plays Alabama’s reigning Class 5A champion Saturday in the 5:30 p.m. game of the Hilton Invitational at Norcross.
Wenona is led by point guard Justin Coleman, who averages 27.7 points per game and signed with Alabama. He scored 53 points in a game this season. Coleman plays for the Georgia Stars AAU team and is teammates with Isaiah Wilkins of Greater Atlanta Christian and Lorenzo Carter of Norcross, two other players who will play in the Hilton Invitational.
Here are other things to watch this weekend in AAAAAA and the other classifications:
- Shiloh's boys (11-6, 8-3) haven't been the same without Nate Mason and Trayvon Reed, all-state candidates who transferred out of state, but the Generals did beat first-place Berkmar (15-4, 9-1) in a Region 8 game Dec. 10. They play again Friday. Josh Okogie, a 6-foot-3 sophomore who has averaged 19 points per game, made a 3-pointer in the final seconds to win the first one.
- McEachern's girls (14-2, 9-0) rank No. 1. Hillgrove (17-2, 10-1) ranks No. 4. But they were much further apart Dec. 10, when McEachern won 71-34 in a Region 4 game. McEachern's Caliya Robinson had 15 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. The teams play again Friday at McEachern.
- Seventh-ranked Hillgrove's boys (16-4, 10-2) are the team to beat in Region 4 entering their game with McEachern (16-3, 8-2). Hillgrove beat McEachern 51-47 on Dec. 10. Hillgrove senior Kyle Castlin, a 6-3 forward who committed to play at Columbia, averages 21.9 points and 8.2 rebounds. McEachern (16-3, 8-2) was upset by surging Pebblebrook 64-61 on Tuesday.
- Roswell guard Andreona Keys, who signed with Purdue, is winding down a fine career, averaging 22.2 points and 6.5 rebounds. Roswell (12-7, 7-1) plays Etowah (9-9, 6-2) on Saturday and again Jan. 31 in games that should settle the No. 1 girls seed in Region 6.
Class AAAAA
- The seventh-ranked Stephenson boys conclude one of their more challenging weeks when they host top-ranked Miller Grove in a Region 6 game Saturday. The Jaguars (14-5) opened the week with a 41-39 loss to AAAAAA Marietta in the Hoops in Overdrive Classic at Centennial on Monday, but rebounded with a 55-47 victory against No. 3 Tucker on Tuesday. Montez Sweat had 16 points and 13 rebounds in the victory against the Tigers. Stephenson plays at Lakeside-DeKalb on Friday before meeting the Wolverines.
- Tucker's boys will look to break a three-game losing streak when they play Friday at North Atlanta. The Tigers (15-4) lost to Miller Grove 70-60 on Friday, to Hamilton (Tenn.) on Saturday on a half-court shot at the buzzer and to Stephenson on Tuesday.
- Northside-Columbus appears to be the most likely AAAAA school to have its boys and girls teams win region titles. Both Patriots teams are 5-0 in 1-AAAAA and hold a two-game lead with five games remaining in the regular season. Northside will play two region games this weekend, at Hardaway on Friday and at Thomas County Central on Saturday.
- The No. 7 Drew and No. 6 Forest Park girls teams are tied for first place in 4-AAAAA, Division A after Drew's 45-32 victory over the Panthers on Tuesday, and they'll try to keep pace with each other Friday when they face subregion opponents. Drew (15-3, 10-1) hosts a Union Grove team that it beat 58-43 on the road Jan. 7. Forest Park (14-7, 10-1) will play at Ola, which lost at Forest Park 43-20 on Jan. 9.
Class AAAA
- Heading into their toughest test of Region 6 play, Columbia's top-ranked boys team is playing its best basketball. No. 4 South Atlanta hosts Columbia on Friday night. The Hornets beat Columbia twice last season, but are coming off an upset loss to an up-and-down Marist squad Tuesday. South Atlanta is led by the senior backcourt of point guard Derrick Byrd and combo-guard Costa Anderson.
- The top-ranked Redan girls are making a run at an undefeated season. The Raiders completed a sweep against defending-champion and Region 6-rival Columbia last week. According to the Georgia Basketball Project, 36 girls teams have posted unbeaten seasons since 1970. Redan did it in AAAAA in 2009. The Raiders are at Grady on Friday night, before returning home to host Marist on Saturday.
- A wild ending led to a major upset in Region 1 on Tuesday. After a controversial foul call, Americus-Sumter's James Price made a free throw with seconds left to help the Panthers come from behind and upend No. 10 Westover 59-58. Americus-Sumter moved out of last place in the region. Westover fell out of first place. Worth County heads into Friday night's game at Americus-Sumter in first place.
Class AAA
- The outcome of Saturday's game between the No. 4 Morgan County and No. 5 Elbert County boys will have a big impact on the Region 8 standings. Morgan County will try to defend its home court and avenge its 78-73 loss Dec. 6. Morgan County (15-4, 8-1) is led by junior guard Tookie Brown, who averages 25.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Elbert County (16-2, 8-1) has won four consecutive since its loss to Hart County.
- Douglass takes a 13-4 overall record into Friday night's Region 4 showdown against Callaway. The Astros are 7-1 and tied with Callaway and B.E.S.T. Academy for first place in the league. Callaway is 12-3 overall and 7-1 in the region. The Cavaliers were also beaten by Chapel Hill in their last game when they made only 4-of-18 free throws in an eight-point loss.
- First place in Region 5, Division A will be at stake Friday when Adairsville visits Cartersville in a clash between the two old rivals. Cartersville is 16-3 and 9-0 in the league and riding a three-game winning streak. Adairsville is 10-7 and 8-1 in the region, with a five-game winning streak on the line. Cartersville scored a decisive 67-51 victory against Adairsville on Dec. 13.
Class AA
- Can the top-ranked Greater Atlanta Christian Spartans keep their winning streak alive through the weekend? They're 20-0 after rallying from 13 behind in the second half to edge Hillgrove 69-65 on Monday, extending their overall winning streak to 38 games. They travel to Hapeville Charter on Friday, hoping to extend another streak of consecutive region victories — 76 in a row.
- How good are the McIntosh County Academy Lady Buccaneers? They're 13-6 and 9-0 in Region 2 play heading into their biggest test of the season Friday, when they travel to Vidalia (14-5, 9-0) in a showdown for first place. The Lady Bucs are defending state champs and advanced to the second round of the state playoffs last season. Vidalia exited in the first round as a No. 3 seed.
- Saturday features a showdown of elite Lady Wolves when No. 1-ranked Wesleyan (16-2) hosts Buford (16-1), the top-ranked team in AAA. The two programs have won 13 state titles since 2002. Last season, the schools played each other twice, with Wesleyan winning both games by an average of five points.
Class A
- Eagle's Landing Christian Academy (14-4, 4-2) at Galloway (9-7, 4-4) girls: ELCA, at No. 7 in the Georgia High School Association/MaxPreps Class A power ratings, is smarting from a 20-point loss to No. 1 Holy Innocents' at home Tuesday. Now comes a trip to face a Galloway team that needs a victory to stay within striking distance of making it into the top 16 of the power ratings. ELCA is led by junior guard Sydney Spencer, who has averaged 16 points per game.
- No. 6 Calvary Day (11-1) at McIntosh County Institute (13-6) girls: Calvary Day ranks No. 4 in the Class A power rating, so Saturday's game, on the road against a very respectable AA team, could give the Cavaliers a big boost toward their goal of becoming the No. 1 seed in the private-school playoffs.
- No. 5 North Cobb Christian (15-4, 8-1) at No. 3 Whitefield Academy (13-5, 7-1) boys: The winner will take over the top spot in perhaps the state's most competitive subregion, 6-A, Division B, where three (North Cobb Christian, Whitefield Academy and St. Francis) of the league's eight teams are ranked in the top five of the AJC Top 10 and six of the eight are in the Top 16 of the private-school power ratings.
