The first round of the state basketball tournament will begin Tuesday and Wednesday with 256 boys and girls games. They tip off the journey to the March 8-11 finals in Macon, where 16 state champions will be decided.
Here’s a first-round primer.
– Boys teams to beat: The No. 1 teams, all from metro Atlanta, are Wheeler in Class 7A, Alexander in 6A, Eagle’s Landing in 5A, McDonough in 4A, Sandy Creek in 3A, Columbia in 2A, Mount Bethel Christian in A Division I and Greenforest Christian in A Division II. Alexander, McDonough, Sandy Creek and Mount Bethel have never won state titles. Greenforest is a defending champion. The last metro title sweep took place in 2010.
– Girls teams to beat: The No. 1 teams are Brookwood in 7A, River Ridge in 6A, Kell in 5A, Holy Innocents’ in 4A, Hebron Christian in 3A, Mount Paran Christian in 2A, St. Francis in A Division I and Lake Oconee Academy in A Division II. Brookwood, River Ridge and Kell have never won state titles. Mount Paran and Lake Oconee are defending champs. Lake Oconee, of Greensboro, is the only non-metro team atop the rankings.
– Newcomers: Seckinger’s boys, whose Gwinnett County school opened last summer, is the only first-timer among the 512 state qualifiers. Oglethorpe County’s boys are in for the first time since 1995. All others have made state since 2006.
– Taking roll: Greater Atlanta Christian has won five boys state titles since 2010. St. Francis has won four. Both failed to get out of their regions, breaking playoff streaks of 13 years or longer. Thomasville’s boys also are home, ending a streak of 20 state appearances. Among girls teams, the longest broken streak, dating to 2008, belonged to Washington County. Tift County’s boys (since 1994) and McEachern’s girls (since 1998) hold the longest active streaks.
– Best boys games: Milton plays at Wheeler in Class 7A. Milton has won three state titles this century, Wheeler seven, and both were champs in 2021. Drew Charter, the 2022 Class A Public champion, plays at No. 1 Columbia in Class 2A. King’s Ridge Christian, ranked No. 3 in Class A Division II, plays at No. 6 Social Circle, the 2021 Class A Public runner-up. Gilmer, playing at home, can win its first state-playoff game since 1959 against Hart County. Both are just outside the top 10 in Class 3A.
– Best girl games: Forest Park, which has reached the semifinals or better each of the past seven seasons, travels to Marist, the Class 4A champion in 2022. Both moved up to Class 6A this season. Hebron Christian, the only unbeaten boys or girls team at 27-0, drew No. 7 White County in 4A. No. 9 Hillgrove is playing at No. 6 Archer in Class 7A.
– Tidbits: White County’s boys (school opened in 1957) and Pebblebrook’s girls (school opened in 1966) won region titles for the first time last week. Thomson’s girls won their first region since 1950. Walton’s girls won their first since 1983. Irwin County’s girls are their region’s second seed despite winning only three games. They upset one-loss Bacon County in the region semifinals last week to earn their first home playoff game in history. Now bidding for its first state win in 45 years, Irwin plays East Laurens on Tuesday.
– Happy to be here: With eight classifications, twice what existed 25 years ago, the state tournament is not picky. More than 20% of teams (105 of 512) have losing records. The Carver-Atlanta boys, who are 0-25, automatically qualified out of four-team Region 5-3A and will travel to Adairsville, which hasn’t won a state playoff game since 1999. Bowdon’s girls, at 1-18, also made it.
– Next: The second round will be Friday and Saturday at the home court of the higher-seeded team.
Becky Taylor of the Georgia Basketball Project contributed to this report.
Boys First Round Feb 21-22
Class 7A
R5 #3 Osborne at R6 #2 Denmark
R8 #4 Collins Hill at R7 #1 Norcross
R3 #3 Harrison at R4 #2 Newton
R2 #4 Pebblebrook at R1 #1 Lowndes
R6 #3 West Forsyth at R5 #2 Cherokee
R7 #4 Berkmar at R8 #1 Buford
R4 #3 Parkview at R3 #2 Hillgrove
R1 #4 Colquitt County at R2 #1 Carrollton
R1 #3 Camden County at R2 #2 Westlake
R4 #4 South Gwinnett at R3 #1 McEachern
R7 #3 North Gwinnett at R8 #2 Mill Creek
R6 #4 Milton at R5 #1 Wheeler
R2 #3 Campbell at R1 #2 Valdosta
R3 #4 Marietta at R4 #1 Grayson
R8 #3 Mountain View at R7 #2 Peachtree Ridge
R5 #4 Walton at R6 #1 Lambert
Class 6A
R5 #3 Langston Hughes at R6 #2 River Ridge
R8 #4 North Forsyth at R7 #1 Blessed Trinity
R3 #3 Woodward Academy at R4 #2 Riverwood
R2 #4 Evans at R1 #1 Lee County
R6 #3 Sequoyah at R5 #2 South Paulding
R7 #4 Sprayberry at R8 #1 Lanier
R4 #3 Marist at R3 #2 Lovejoy
R1 #4 Houston County at R2 #1 Grovetown
R1 #3 Tift County at R2 #2 Brunswick
R4 #4 South Cobb at R3 #1 Jonesboro
R7 #3 Alpharetta at R8 #2 Shiloh
R6 #4 Rome at R5 #1 Alexander
R2 #3 Lakeside-Evans at R1 #2 Veterans
R3 #4 Rockdale County at R4 #1 St. Pius X
R8 #3 Habersham Central at R7 #2 Pope
R5 #4 Paulding County at R6 #1 Etowah
Class 5A
R5 #3 Tri-Cities at R6 #2 Cambridge
R8 #4 Heritage-Conyers at R7 #1 Hiram
R3 #3 Northgate at R4 #2 Tucker
R2 #4 Jones County at R1 #1 Bradwell Institute
R6 #3 North Springs at R5 #2 Mays
R7 #4 Cartersville at R8 #1 Winder-Barrow
R4 #3 Lithonia at R3 #2 Northside-Columbus
R1 #4 Greenbrier at R2 #1 Eagle’s Landing
R1 #3 Statesboro at R2 #2 Union Grove
R4 #4 Chamblee at R3 #1 McIntosh
R7 #3 Cass at R8 #2 Jefferson
R6 #4 Chattahoochee at R5 #1 Chapel Hill
R2 #3 Dutchtown at R1 #2 Coffee
R3 #4 Harris County at R4 #1 Decatur
R8 #3 Eastside at R7 #2 Calhoun
R5 #4 Jackson-Atlanta at R6 #1 Kell
Class 4A
R5 #3 McDonough at R6 #2 Holy Innocents’
R8 #4 Seckinger at R7 #1 Sonoraville
R3 #3 Southeast Bulloch at R4 #2 Whitewater
R2 #4 Spalding at R1 #1 Westover
R6 #3 Miller Grove at R5 #2 Pace Academy
R7 #4 Southeast Whitefield at R8 #1 Walnut Grove
R4 #3 LaGrange at R3 #2 Burke County
R1 #4 Cairo at R2 #1 Baldwin
R1 #3 Shaw at R2 #2 Perry
R4 #4 Trinity Christian at R3 #1 Benedictine
R7 #3 Northwest Whitfield at R8 #2 Madison County
R6 #4 Druid Hills at R5 #1 Lovett
R2 #3 Westside-Macon at R1 #2 Bainbridge
R3 #4 New Hampstead at R4 #1 Fayette County
R8 #3 North Oconee at R7 #2 Central-Carrollton
R5 #4 Woodland-Stockbridge at R6 #1 Southwest DeKalb
Class 3A
R5 #3 Douglass at R6 #2 Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe
R8 #4 Hebron Christian at R7 #1 White County
R3 #3 Beach at R4 #2 Harlem
R2 #4 Mary Persons at R1 #1 Dougherty
R6 #3 LaFayette at R5 #2 Cedar Grove
R7 #4 Pickens at R8 #1 Monroe Area
R4 #3 Salem at R3 #2 Long County
R1 #4 Carver-Columbus at R2 #1 Upson-Lee
R1 #3 Crisp County at R2 #2 Jackson
R4 #4 Hephzibah at R3 #1 Johnson-Savannah
R7 #3 Wesleyan at R8 #2 Stephens County
R6 #4 Ringgold at R5 #1 Sandy Creek
R2 #3 Peach County at R1 #2 Monroe
R3 #4 Groves at R4 #1 Cross Creek
R8 #3 Hart County at R7 #2 Gilmer
R5 #4 Carver-Atlanta at R6 #1 Adairsville
Class 2A
R5 #3 Callaway at R6 #2 Washington
R8 #4 Athens Academy at R7 #1 Model
R3 #3 Toombs County at R4 #2 Putnam County
R2 #4 Rutland at R1 #1 Dodge County
R6 #3 North Cobb Christian at R5 #2 Redan
R7 #4 Rockmart at R8 #1 Providence Christian
R4 #3 Butler at R3 #2 Tattnall County
R1 #4 Cook at R2 #1 Spencer
R1 #3 Fitzgerald at R2 #2 Central-Macon
R4 #4 Thomson at R3 #1 Windsor Forest
R7 #3 Murray County at R8 #2 Union County
R6 #4 Drew Charter at R5 #1 Columbia
R2 #3 Northeast-Macon at R1 #2 Sumter County
R3 #4 Vidalia at R4 #1 Westside-Augusta
R8 #3 Banks County at R7 #2 North Murray
R5 #4 Landmark Christian at R6 #1 South Atlanta
Class A Division I
R5 #3 Prince Avenue at R6 #2 Mt. Pisgah
R8 #4 Elbert County at R7 #1 Darlington
R3 #3 Bryan County at R4 #2 Heard County
R2 #4 Jefferson County at R1 #1 Irwin County
R6 #3 Mt. Bethel at R5 #2 Oglethorpe County
R7 #4 Dade County at R8 #1 Athens Christian
R4 #3 Crawford County at R3 #2 Savannah
R1 #4 Bacon County at R2 #1 Swainsboro
R1 #3 Pelham at R2 #2 East Laurens
R4 #4 Lamar County at R3 #1 Woodville-Tompkins
R7 #3 Trion at R8 #2 Rabun County
R6 #4 King’s Ridge at R5 #1 Social Circle
R2 #3 Dublin at R1 #2 Brooks County
R3 #4 Screven County at R4 #1 Temple
R8 #3 Tallulah Falls at R7 #2 Chattooga
R5 #4 Jasper County at R6 #1 Mt. Vernon
Class A Division II
R5 #3 GMC at R6 #2 Manchester
R8 #4 Towns County at R7 #1 Greenforest
R3 #3 McIntosh County Academy at R4 #2 Hawkinsville
R2 #4 Atkinson County at R1 #1 Calhoun County
R6 #3 Chattahoochee County at R5 #2 Hancock Central
R7 #4 SACA at R8 #1 Warren County
R4 #3 Telfair County at R3 #2 Jenkins County
R1 #4 Early County at R2 #1 Charlton County
R1 #3 Randolph-Clay at R2 #2 Turner County
R4 #4 Treutlen at R3 #1 Portal
R7 #3 Fulton Leadership Academy at R8 #2 Aquinas
R6 #4 Greenville at R5 #1 Wilkinson County
R2 #3 Clinch County at R1 #2 Mitchell County
R3 #4 Montgomery County at R4 #1 Dooly County
R8 #3 Lincoln County at R7 #2 Christian Heritage
R5 #4 Twiggs County at R6 #1 Macon County
Girls First Round Feb. 21-22
Class 7A
R5 #3 North Cobb at R6 #2 Lambert
R8 #4 Collins Hill at R7 #1 Norcross
R3 #3 Hillgrove at R4 #2 Archer
R2 #4 Westlake at R1 #1 Lowndes
R6 #3 West Forsyth at R5 #2 Cherokee
R7 #4 Duluth at R8 #1 Buford
R4 #3 Grayson at R3 #2 North Paulding
R1 #4 Richmond Hill at R2 #1 Pebblebrook
R1 #3 Colquitt County at R2 #2 Campbell
R4 #4 South Gwinnett at R3 #1 McEachern
R7 #3 North Gwinnett at R8 #2 Central Gwinnett
R6 #4 Denmark at R5 #1 Walton
R2 #3 Carrollton at R1 #2 Valdosta
R3 #4 Harrison at R4 #1 Brookwood
R8 #3 Mill Creek at R7 #2 Peachtree Ridge
R5 #4 Wheeler at R6 #1 South Forsyth
Class 6A
R5 #3 New Manchester at R6 #2 Woodstock
R8 #4 Gainesville at R7 #1 Sprayberry
R3 #3 Lovejoy at R4 #2 Riverwood
R2 #4 Glynn Academy at R1 #1 Veterans
R6 #3 Sequoyah at R5 #2 Douglas County
R7 #4 Pope at R8 #1 North Forsyth
R4 #3 St. Pius X at R3 #2 Woodward Academy
R1 #4 Thomas County Central at R2 #1 Brunswick
R1 #3 Lee County at R2 #2 South Effingham
R4 #4 Lakeside-DeKalb at R3 #1 Rockdale County
R7 #3 Lassiter at R8 #2 Habersham Central
R6 #4 Rome at R5 #1 Langston Hughes
R2 #3 Grovetown at R1 #2 Tift County
R3 #4 Forest Park at R4 #1 Marist
R8 #3 Shiloh at R7 #2 Blessed Trinity
R5 #4 Alexander at R6 #1 River Ridge
Class 5A
R5 #3 Banneker at R6 #2 Cambridge
R8 #4 Heritage-Conyers at R7 #1 Calhoun
R3 #3 McIntosh at R4 #2 Arabia Mountain
R2 #4 Jones County at R1 #1 Ware County
R6 #3 Centennial at R5 #2 Midtown
R7 #4 Cartersville at R8 #1 Jefferson
R4 #3 Chamblee at R3 #2 Harris County
R1 #4 Statesboro at R2 #1 Warner Robins
R1 #3 Greenbrier at R2 #2 Union Grove
R4 #4 Lithonia at R3 #1 Northside-Columbus
R7 #3 Dalton at R8 #2 Loganville
R6 #4 GAC at R5 #1 Maynard Jackson
R2 #3 Eagle’s Landing at R1 #2 Bradwell Institute
R3 #4 Northgate at R4 #1 Decatur
R8 #3 Flowery Branch at R7 #2 Hiram
R5 #4 Lithia Springs at R6 #1 Kell
Class 4A
R5 #3 Woodland-Stockbridge at R6 #2 Westminster
R8 #4 East Hall at R7 #1 Northwest Whitfield
R3 #3 Islands at R4 #2 Fayette County
R2 #4 West Laurens at R1 #1 Hardaway
R6 #3 Southwest DeKalb at R5 #2 Stockbridge
R7 #4 Central-Carrollton at R8 #1 Chestatee
R4 #3 Starr’s Mill at R3 #2 Wayne County
R1 #4 Bainbridge at R2 #1 Griffin
R1 #3 Shaw at R2 #2 Baldwin
R4 #4 Troup County at R3 #1 Burke County
R7 #3 Sonoraville at R8 #2 East Forsyth
R6 #4 Hapeville Charter at R5 #1 Luella
R2 #3 Howard at R1 #2 Westover
R3 #4 Southeast Bulloch at R4 #1 Trinity Christian
R8 #3 North Hall at R7 #2 Heritage-Catoosa
R5 #4 Pace Academy at R6 #1 Holy Innocents’
Class 3A
R5 #3 Douglass at R6 #2 Coahulla Creek
R8 #4 Franklin County at R7 #1 Wesleyan
R3 #3 Long County at R4 #2 Morgan County
R2 #4 Upson-Lee at R1 #1 Carver-Columbus
R6 #3 Bremen at R5 #2 Carver-Atlanta
R7 #4 White County at R8 #1 Hebron Christian
R4 #3 Hephzibah at R3 #2 Liberty County
R1 #4 Thomasville at R2 #1 Mary Persons
R1 #3 Dougherty at R2 #2 Peach County
R4 #4 Salem at R3 #1 Calvary Day
R7 #3 Dawson County at R8 #2 Hart County
R6 #4 Adairsville at R5 #1 Sandy Creek
R2 #3 Jackson at R1 #2 Monroe
R3 #4 Savannah Country Day at R4 #1 Cross creek
R8 #3 Oconee County at R7 #2 Lumpkin County
R5 #4 Cedar Grove at R6 #1 Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe
Class 2A
R5 #3 Callaway at R6 #2 KIPP Atlanta
R8 #4 Union County at R7 #1 Murray County
R3 #3 Vidalia at R4 #2 Josey
R2 #4 Academy for Classical Education at R1 #1 Dodge County
R6 #3 North Cobb Christian at R5 #2 Columbia
R7 #4 North Murray at R8 #1 Banks County
R4 #3 Laney at R3 #2 Brantley County
R1 #4 Worth County at R2 #1 Central-Macon
R1 #3 Berrien at R2 #2 Northeast-Macon
R4 #4 Butler at R3 #1 Tattnall County
R7 #3 Fannin County at R8 #2 Athens Academy
R6 #4 Washington at R5 #1 Landmark Christian
R2 #3 Spencer at R1 #2 Fitzgerald
R3 #4 Pierce County at R4 #1 Thomson
R8 #3 East Jackson at R7 #2 Model
R5 #4 ELCA at R6 #1 Mt. Paran
Class A Division I
R5 #3 Social Circle at R6 #2 Galloway
R8 #4 Tallulah Falls at R7 #1 Darlington
R3 #3 Screven County at R4 #2 Heard County
R2 #4 Bleckley County at R1 #1 Pelham
R6 #3 Mt. Pisgah at R5 #2 Prince Avenue
R7 #4 Trion at R8 #1 Elbert County
R4 #3 Temple at R3 #2 Bryan County
R1 #4 Brooks County at R2 #1 Swainsboro
R1 #3 Bacon County at R2 #2 Dublin
R4 #4 Crawford County at R3 #1 Woodville-Tompkins
R7 #3 Pepperell at R8 #2 Rabun County
R6 #4 Paideia at R5 #1 Oglethorpe County
R2 #3 East Laurens at R1 #2 Irwin County
R3 #4 Savannah at R4 #1 Lamar County
R8 #3 Athens Christian at R7 #2 Chattooga
R5 #4 Jasper County at R6 #1 St. Francis
Class A Division II
R5 #3 Georgia Military College at R6 #2 Macon County
R8 #4 Warren County at R7 #1 Mt. Zion-Carrollton
R3 #3 McIntosh County Academy at R4 #2 Wilcox County
R2 #4 Echols County at R1 #1 Early County
R6 #3 Schley County at R5 #2 Glascock County
R7 #4 Bowdon at R8 #1 Lake Oconee Academy
R4 #3 Telfair County at R3 #2 Jenkins County
R1 #4 Mitchell County at R2 #1 Turner County
R1 #3 Calhoun County at R2 #2 Clinch County
R4 #4 Treutlen at R3 #1 Montgomery County
R7 #3 Christian Heritage at R8 #2 Towns County
R6 #4 Chattahoochee County at R5 #1 Johnson County
R2 #3 Charlton County at R1 #2 Randolph-Clay
R3 #4 Emanuel County Institute at R4 #1 Hawkinsville
R8 #3 Greene County at R7 #2 Greenforest
R5 #4 Twiggs County at R6 #1 Taylor County
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