The 2020-21 GHSA basketball season has already concluded its holiday tournament action and is now just a month away from diving head-first into the region and state playoff action. The classification’s 54 teams are entering the backend of their regular season slates and the latest rankings represent which teams have made statements through the first several weeks of the season. This blog will highlight the boys side of the classification and the girls will be posted on Wednesday.
In the latest poll, Spencer comes in as the No. 1 team. The Greenwave were one of the top teams in Class 2A last season—finishing 23-4 overall and posting a 13-0 record in Region 5. This year’s Spencer team is off to a 4-0 start and features senior guard and captain Jaquez Holt. The 6-foot-1 playmaker turned in a strong 26-point performance in Spencer’s 68-65 win over Meadowcreek in November to get his final varsity season off to a strong start.
No. 2 ranked Baldwin resides in Region 4 and is 4-0 on the year with a 2-0 start in region play. The Braves are led by preseason all-state senior Will Freeman—a 6-foot-4 small forward.
Westover is another top tier team that is currently ranked at No. 3 and the Patriots have a strong senior class that includes 6-foot-9 center Isaac Abidde and point guard Shamir Wingfield. The Patriots are off to a 4-1 start to the season with their lone loss coming to Class 7A Tift County (56-50).
Miller Grove is a team capable of capturing this year’s state crown and is currently ranked No. 4 with a 3-2 start. The Wolverines recently scored a huge 72-69 win over Class 7A powerhouse Norcross on Dec. 22.
No. 5 ranked Monroe fell short 46-44 to Tift County in its last contest and is about to get into Region 1 action starting this Saturday. A key matchup to watch for will come on Friday, Jan. 15 when the Golden Tornadoes take on No. 3 ranked Westover.
No. 6 ranked Stephenson has only played two games due to DeKalb County’s delayed start, but the Jags showed promising signs. After dropping a 54-48 game to Region 6 rival Mays, the Jags responded with a 62-48 victory over No. 7 ranked Luella.
Jenkins is the No. 8 ranked team in the polls and has spent the early part of the season taking on Savannah-based rivals. The Warriors’ nearly topped rival Johnson Savannah on Dec. 18, but fell short 52-50.
Region 8 opponents Cedar Shoals and North Oconee round out the top 10 at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively. Cedar Shoals won 62-52 when they hosted the Warriors on Dec. 18 and the two teams will faceoff again at North Oconee on Jan. 26.
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