The high school basketball season has turned a corner from holiday tournaments to the new year, which means the heart of region play. Here’s a look at the top five boys teams in the Class 7A rankings entering 2023:
1. Wheeler (8-4): The Wildcats have lost only to out-of-state teams. They’re playing in California on Saturday against Sierra Canyon, a top-50 team in national rankings from Chatsworth, Calif. Wheeler is led by point guard Isaiah Collier, a Southern Cal signee who is the nation’s consensus No. 1 recruit. Teammate Arrinten Page, also signed with USC, is a 6-9 center. Jelani Hamilton, a 6-6 guard, is signed with Iowa State. Wheeler is ranked No. 14 nationally this week in MaxPreps Xcellent 25.
2. Norcross (12-2): The defending champion Blue Devils also have lost only to out-of-state teams. That came in a tournament last month in Tennessee. Three regulars are back. Those are Samarion Bond, Mier Panoam and Michal Zhang. Bond is an uncommitted three-star prospect. Bilal Abdul-Rahman, an Alabama A&M commit. Mari Jordan, a Georgia signee, transferred in from Dacula. One of Norcross’ top players on the 2022 championship team, London Johnson, skipped his senior season to turn pro. He’s a member of the NBA G League Ignite team.
3. Grayson (7-3): Grayson made the quarterfinals last season, losing to eventual champion Berkmar. This team is young. Returning regulars are Amir Taylor, Chad Moodie and Gicarri Harris, all underclassmen. Harris, a 6-4 combo guard, is a top-150 national prospect among juniors. Moodie is committed to Alabama A&M. Taylor is a 6-7 power forward with Division I offers.
4. Milton (11-2): Milton was the 2021 Class 7A champion and a quarterfinalist last season. Its best player from those teams, Bruce Thornton, is with Ohio State. Milton has lost only to out-of-state teams. Milton is led by sophomore guards Avery White, the point, and Josh Dixon and senior wing Seth Fitzgerald. Milton’s losses are against national powers Neumann-Goretti and Montverde Academy.
5. McEachern (8-6): The Indians have half a dozen losses, but four are against out-of-state teams. Their best player is Airious “Ace” Bailey, a five-star junior. He’s a 6-10 power forward. Moses Hipps, a 6-3 guard, is another top-150 national junior recruit. Senior point guard Jamichael Davis committed last month to Rutgers.
Others: No. 6. Newton (9-5) was a semifinal team last season. Its best player is five-star guard Stephon Castle, a five-star recruit committed to Memphis. Guard Jakai Newton has signed with Indiana. ... No. 7 Archer (11-2) is playing exceptionally well for a team that returned no starters from its 2022 quarterfinal team. ... No. 8 Pebblebrook (8-6) has made the quarterfinals or better nine of the past 10 seasons. ... No. 9 Buford (8-4) and No. 10 Carrollton (11-2) are up from Class 6A.
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