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)
2. Calhoun County (24-0)
3. Dublin (26-1)
4. Social Circle (27-0)
5. Manchester (25-2)
6. Warren County (21-3)
7. Lanier County (20-3)
8. Turner County (20-4)
9. Towns County (18-7)
10. Chattahoochee County (15-6)
