Boys basketball rankings: Defending champ Pace Academy retakes No. 1 ranking

Pace Academy is the team to beat in Class 2A boys basketball after all.

Pace, the defending champion, moved up one spot to No. 1 in the rankings this week after an 80-69 victory over previous No. 1 Columbia on Friday night in the Region 6 tournament final.

Pace beat Columbia in the 2021 state championship game, but Columbia beat Pace 71-69 on Dec. 7. Pace has won 17 games since.

The state tournament begins Tuesday and Wednesday.

Also heading to state as a No. 1 team is McDonough in Class 4A despite not winning its region.

McDonough fell to No. 2 last week after losing to Fayette County in the Region 5-4A championship game Feb. 12. McDonough has won two of three from Fayette County this season.

While McDonough was taking the week off, previous-No. 1 Monroe of Albany lost to No. 4 Westover in the Region 1 final.

McDonough is back to No. 1, and Monroe is No. 2, though neither is a region champion.

Other No. 1-ranked teams entering the state tournament are Pebblebrook in 7A, Wheeler in 6A, Eagle’s Landing in 5A, Sandy Creek in 3A, Greenforest Christian in A Private and Drew Charter in A Public.

Class 7A

1. Pebblebrook (25-2)

2. Berkmar (22-4)

3. Milton (20-7)

4. Newton (21-5)

5. North Gwinnett (24-3)

6. Grayson (18-8)

7. Norcross (21-6)

8. East Coweta (17-9)

9. McEachern (14-9)

10. Hillgrove (22-3)

Class 6A

1. Wheeler (23-4)

2. Westlake (19-5)

3. Shiloh (21-5)

4. Buford (21-6)

5. Tucker (21-4)

6. River Ridge (22-5)

7. Sequoyah (22-6)

8. Grovetown (24-3)

9. Alexander (23-4)

10. Statesboro (23-3)

Class 5A

1. Eagle’s Landing (23-3)

2. St. Pius (25-3)

3. Tri-Cities (18-5)

4. Chapel Hill (22-4)

5. Jonesboro (18-8)

6. Woodland-Stockbridge (22-5)

7. Lithonia (20-8)

8. Southwest DeKalb (20-7)

9. Walnut Grove (21-5)

10. Hiram (16-9)

Class 4A

1. McDonough (23-2)

2. Monroe (22-3)

3. Spencer (25-2)

4. Westover (21-3)

5. Baldwin (21-3)

6. Fayette County (20-8)

7. Jefferson (23-3)

8. Marist (18-9)

9. Druid Hills (23-4)

10. LaGrange (21-6)

Class 3A

1. Sandy Creek (25-3)

2. Thomson (20-3)

3. Sumter County (25-2)

4. Salem (22-5)

5. Cross Creek (21-6)

6. Windsor Forest (19-5)

7. LaFayette (25-0)

8. Greater Atlanta Christian (22-6)

9. Groves (16-5)

10. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe (22-3)

Class 2A

1. Pace Academy (24-4)

2. Columbia (24-4)

3. Butler (18-6)

4. Westside-Augusta (23-3)

5. Vidalia (25-1)

6. Thomasville (22-4)

7. Washington County (21-4)

8. Northeast-Macon (18-9)

9. Callaway (18-6)

10. Rabun County (22-5)

Class A Private

1. Greenforest Christian (23-4)

2. Galloway (18-7)

3. King’s Ridge Christian (24-4)

4. Mount Pisgah Christian (21-6)

5. North Cobb Christian (17-7)

6. Christian Heritage (19-6)

7. Providence Christian (17-8)

8. Darlington (20-7)

9. Mount Vernon (14-9)

10. First Presbyterian Day (19-3)

Class A Public

1. Drew Charter (26-1)