Have you ever wondered what regions are the best regions in the state for boys high school basketball? Georgia Hoops has. We decided to rank the top 10 in the state. We'll countdown from 10 to one this week. Agree? Disagree? Just let us know in the comments section at the bottom of the story.
9. 5-AAAAA
Power teams: Marietta has all of the ingredients for post-season success. They have size, anchored by East Tennessee State bound J.C. Ward. They have experience with and a point guard that knows how to run his team in junior Chris Tanzy. The Blue Devils are a dangerous team this year and will challenge all comers in the post-season.
McEachern won the Kingdom of the Sun tournament in Florida in December and the only three losses have come against top level teams within Cobb County this year. But no one really knows just how good this team will be this year. Defensively, this team is better than it gets credit for. Guard Trae Golden is the toughest guard to stop in the state while Richmond bound big man Darrius Garrett is having a strong senior year.
Harrison have been a surprise this season to us. The Hoyas have great size, a proven leader in College of Charleston bound wing Matt Sundberg and good size from top to bottom. Harrison could potentially an Elite Eight team in AAAAA.
Sleepers: Every year there seems to be a surprise in this region, especially in the region tournament. Just ask McEachern. The Indians, a potential Elite Eight team last year, lost in the first round of the tournament and ended the season early.
Keep an eye out for Campbell. The Spartans have a team that could contend this year as the season rolls along. This team has good size, can defend and have proven themselves so far this season as a team that can handle the pressure of the big game.
South Cobb is a dangerous .500 level club. The team has good experience and will scrap with anyone. The rest of the schedule for the Eagles is favorable and this team is starting to hit it's stride at the right time.
Etowah boasts a team full of seniors and size. That always goes far in the post-season.
Random thoughts: Keep an eye on out on the region tournament. You just never know how this league shakes out. Circle Feb. 5 on the calendar. That is when Marietta travels to McEachern for a great Cobb County battle.
Playoff projection: Marietta, McEachern, Harrison, Etowah
Counting down the regions10.
6-AA
