ACC Preview

ACC

1. North Carolina – Too much depth, too much speed, too much power, too much size, too much scoring to even think about stopping in the conference this year. Should contend for National Championship.
2. NC State – Sidney Lowe has a team with plenty of weapons (three NBA prospects to be exact in Grant, Costner and Hickson), good size and momentum from last season. The biggest question mark is the point guard spot. They need a leader there. And fast.
3. Duke – This is one of the deepest Blue Devil teams in years but also one of the smallest. It will be interesting to see how Coach K can get this team together in a hurry and how to overcome its height issues.
4. Clemson – Only one starter was lost from last year's team that won 25 games. There is balance and athleticism but the big question mark is at the point guard position.
5. Virginia – The Cavaliers lost 18.4 points a game and a battle-tested guard in JR Reynolds but reloaded with depth at the position and returns one of the best warriors in the nation in Sean Singletary.
6. Maryland – Nearly 40 points and three starters are missing from the starting lineup but the team boasts big bodies, a potential pro in Greivis Vasquez and one of the best coaches in the conference.
7. Georgia Tech – Perhaps the biggest x-factor in the conference. The Yellow Jackets have a number of players with starting experience and add Lewis Clinch back to the lineup and a motor man down low in Gani Lawal.
8. Florida State – Guard play will dictate this team's success and the offensive attack will be much more balanced. The key is rebounding. Who will step up on the glass?
9. Wake Forest – The Demon Deacons could very well be the biggest surprise in the conference. The players are young. The coaches are young. The attitude and motivation will all be dedicated to the late Skip Prosser. The year started on a sad note and could end on a high.
10. Virginia Tech – Gone are the senior leaders and enter a new brand of basketball. The Hokies have a huge recruiting class and one of the top athletes in the nation in Deron Washington.
11. Boston College – There is a good chance the Eagles finish way ahead of this slot because that is what they do. They are the best over-achievers in the nation. Who will be the next under the radar recruit that makes it big? Rakim Sanders.
12. Miami – The Hurricanes have the weapons but struggle against the big boys in the league. Frank Haith, once again, has an upward climb.

Preseason All-Conference

Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina, Jr., Forward

Brandon Costner, NC State, Soph., Forward

Sean Singletary, Virginia, Sr., Guard

DeMarcus Nelson, Duke, Sr., Guard

Gavin Grant, NC State, Sr., Forward

It is as tight of a race as it can get for elite status in the ACC this year. Hansbrough has all of the tools, the right team and motor to contend for deserved national first team honors. Singletary is the next logical choice for all-conference. After that, it's a crap shoot.

Player of the Year

Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina

No one plays with more heart, power and passion in the ACC than this big man. He anchors the middle for the best team in the conference and could very well be playing in the Final Four at the end of the year.

Freshman of the Year

Kyle Singler, Duke

The Oregon native will be asked to do a lot from the outset. He has the skill set to play both inside and out and expect him to log major minutes on the blocks for the size depleted Blue Devils this season.

Preseason All-Freshmen Team:

J.J. Hickson, NC State

Kyle Singler, Duke

Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech

Demontez Stitt, Clemson

Rakim Sanders, Boston College

Opportunity. That is what separates the productive rookies with those that have the potential word still attached to their names at this stage of the game. Each of the five players listed will have a chance to start and play major minutes this season.

NCAA tournament teams

North Carolina, NC State, Duke, Maryland, Clemson and Virginia

Top NBA prospect

Brandon Costner, NC State

He's an outstanding talent with great size, a great shot and inside-out capabilities.

Georgia connection

J.J. Hickson, NC State (Wheeler)

Jerome Burney, Maryland (Westlake)

Landon Milbourne, Maryland (St. Francis/Oak Hill)

Toney Dougals, Florida State (Jonesboro)

Jordan DeMercy, Florida State (Norcross)

Lewis Clinch, Georgia Tech (Crisp County)

Alade Aminu, Georgia Tech (Stephenson)

Matt Causey, Georgia Tech (Berkmar)

Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech (Norcross)

Lance Storrs, Georgia Tech (Columbia)

Ty Anderson, Georgia Tech (Oconee County)

Solomon Tat, Virginia (Community Christian)

Terrell Bell, Virginia Tech (Stone Mountain)

Terrence Vinson, Virginia Tech (Lowndes County)

Cliff Hammonds, Clemson (Cairo)

D1 Bound

The commitment list is at an all-time high, and higher than last year's class at this same time with 30 Division I pledges on the board going into the weekend.

Class of 2008 committed players

Chase Anderson, SG, Mill Creek (Air Force)
Al-Farouq Aminu, PF/SF, Norcross (Wake Forest)
Elhanan Bone, PF, Washington County (UNC Greensboro)
Shane Burrell, PF, Sound Doctrine (Alabama A&M)
James Fields, PG, Beach (Georgia State)
Jarmon Fortson, SG, Carver (Auburn - football)
Steven Fowlkes, PF, Banneker (Tennessee – football)
Gideon Gamble, SG, Westlake (Winthrop)
Darius Garrett, PF, McEachern (Richmond)
Delwan Graham, PF, Dunwoody (LSU)
Yaw Gyawu, SF, Parkview (Colgate)
Dennis Harris, PF/SF, Mundy’s Mill (LSU)
Dequan Jones, SF, Wheeler (Miami)
Tyler McDaniel, PF/SF, Meadowcreek (Tennessee Tech)
P.J. Meyers, PG, T.W. Josey (Campbell)
Reggie Middleton, PG, Glenn Hills (Winthrop)
Tony Mitchell, SF, Swainsboro (Alabama)
Darius Morrow, C, Columbia (South Carolina)
Chris Reynolds, SG, Glenn Hills (Campbell)
Tanner Smith, SG, Wesleyan (Clemson)
Jerel Stephenson, SG, Glenn Hills (UNC Wilmington)
Matt Sundberg, SG, Harrison (College of Charleston)
Howard Thompkins, PF, Wesleyan (Georgia)
Toby Veal, PF, Savannah Johnson (Colorado)
J.C. Ward, Marietta (East Tennessee State)
Dustin Ware, PG, North Cobb Christian (Georgia)
Ray Willis, SG, Westlake (Oklahoma)
Tony Woods, C, Rome (Wake Forest)
Cashmere Wright, PG, Urban Christian (Cincinnati)
Andre Young, PG, Deerfield-Windsor (Clemson)

Class of 2009 committed players

Robert Chubb, PF, McIntosh (Auburn)

Class of 2011 committed players

Marc Brown, SG, Westlake (Florida State)

Delwan Graham sets the tone

No one, and we mean no one, plays with more heart and passion in the state than LSU bound Delwan Graham. The Dunwoody senior is one of the most exciting players in the state and will have his Wildcats ready for the battles this season. For a closer look at Graham, check out this GBOAHoops.com special video.

Derrick Favors in action

South Atlanta's Derrick Favors is arguably the best player in the state and the expectations for the 6-foot-8 junior are off the charts this season. To see what all of the fuss is about, check him out in our video of the day.

Around the 'Net: Dekalb County

Dekalb County is one of the deepest counties in the state for pure athletes, quick guards and college rich programs. Georgia Hoops spends many of hours in gyms around Dekalb. We'd like to spend more time online, checking out each team via the web. However, we only uncovered three team websites within the county.

http://www.chambleebasketball.com/ - Chamble

http://dunwoodybasketball.com/ - Dunwoody

http://www.tuckertigersbasketball.com/ - Tucker

Great grid schedule for DeKalb County season

If you know of a team link that we missed, email us at jyoung@rivals.com.

Around the 'Net: Gwinnett County

As the season draws closer, we will help you prepare for the year. Looking for information on the teams like rosters, schedules and other information, you can generally find them on the team websites. Here are the links for the Gwinnett County teams:

http://www.berkmarhoops.net/ - Berkmar

http://www.brookwoodhoops.com/ - Brookwood

http://www.chhsbasketball.com/ - Collins Hill

http://www.daculahighbasketball.com/ - Dacula

http://www.duluthhoops.com/ - Duluth

http://www.graysonhoops.com/ - Grayson

http://www.millcreekbasketball.com/ - Mill Creek

http://www.norcrossbasketball.com/ - Norcross

http://www.northgwinnettbasketball.com/ - North Gwinnett

http://parkviewpantherbasketball.com/ - Parkview

http://www.ridgehoops.net/ - Peachtree Ridge

http://www.shilohbasketball.com/ - Shiloh

http://www.southgwinnettbasketball.com/ - South Gwinnett

Great grid schedule for Gwinnnett County season

For updates, email Justin Young at jyoung@rivals.com.

Wesley Witherspoon in action

Berkmar High wing forward Wesley Witherspoon will be one of the most recruited players in the state this season. The 6-foot-8 senior has opted to sign in the spring and a long line of high-major schools will be in tow, trying to get his signature.

Are you a bookworm or a ballworm?

Okay, so you are a pretty good basketball player. I'm sure I've probably written about you on the blog or on Rivals.com. Congratulations. Your name is in print. That's what you play for, right?

Think again.

Think long and hard about that.

You want to know what matters? Scholarships. You earn those. And more times than not, you earn those by getting it done in the classroom and by what you do on the court.

And when you get to college, the books still matter.

Think long and hard about that, too.

If you are lucky enough to earn a scholarship from Georgia or Georgia Tech and go there, don't think you can slack off. Just ask Mike Mercer or Albert Jackson or Takias Brown at Georgia. Or Lewis Clinch or Ra'Sean Dickey at Georgia Tech.

All five have missed or will miss a significant number of games in their college careers. They are lucky to still have their scholarships.

Clinch missed the second semester of his sophomore year. His loss certainly hurt Georgia Tech's chances of a big year. He was a major scoring option for the team and the best perimeter threat on the floor.

Dickey will miss the first semester of his senior season because he is academically ineligible. He is a senior folks. A senior!

Georgia announced that three key players from the team will miss a good part of the year. Mercer, a junior, will miss 15 games this season because he basically skipped classes. Brown, a senior, is suspended for nine games and Jackson is out for six.

Georgia has it's best roster since Dennis Felton took over the SEC school. Mercer, the team's most versatile player, and Brown, the top scorer and rebounder from last year, were both looked as the top options in a team that could make a run for the NCAA tournament.

No one is asking you to be a genius. That isn't the case. But be accountable to yourself, your teammates and your potential as a college student athlete.

Think long and hard about that.

Top five performers from Stars of Georgia camp

Adrien Coleman, SG, Stephenson High School, Jr. – He scored whenever he wanted and did it all around the basket. Don't be surprised to see him lead Dekalb County in scoring this year. He's wired to put the ball in the hole.

Khalid Mutakabbir, SG/PG, Peachtree Ridge High School, Jr. – Very impressive as a defender both inside and out, he rebounded well and scored when the opportunity presented itself. Smart player.

Glen Rice, Jr., SG, Walton High School, Jr. – One of the most versatile players in the metro area. He's long, can handle the ball, play a number of positions and should have a big year this season.

Kymmon Woods, PG/SG, East Hall High School, Fr. – East Hall has another one. Woods was speedy to the basket, crafty with the ball and showed off a nice touch as a passer.

Derek Zittrauer, PF, South Forsyth High School, Jr. – The big man was the most polished big man in the camp. He scored with both hands around the cup, played well with his back to the basket and rebounded nicely.

Tony Woods throwing it down

Rome High School is home to one of the top centers in the nation, Tony Woods. He's long, lean and headed to Wake Forest.

Georgia's top Pangos prospects

The Pangos camp was a great success over the weekend at Norcross High School and a number of the top young players from the state showed their talent. The depth was great and picking the top five top prospects was a difficult task as 15 players were considered for the top five.

Trae Golden, McEachern, SG, Soph. - Without question, he was the top offensive threat in the camp. Was outstanding with the ball in his hands. He'll lead Cobb County in scoring this year.

Jordan McRae, Liberty County, SG, Soph. - No one was a bigger surprise in the camp than this bouncy wing from the 3A school. McRae might have been the most athletic player in the camp.

Jalen Kendrick, Southwest Atlanta Christian, SF, Soph. - The long, lean and athletic wing is the next smooth operator from the state. He's versatile and crafty and full of high-major potential.

Marcus Thornton, Westlake, PF, Soph. - Surprised that Westlake has another good-looking player on its roster? You shouldn't be. Thornton mixed wing skills with power under the basket.

Jaquez Motley, Urban Christian, PG, Fr. - Paired with one of the elite scorers in the state (Cashmere Wright), Motley says he wants to average 12 assists a game. That's very possible.

Talk about the camp on our new forums.

Delwan Graham in action

We've always been big believers that one of the best classifications in the state is the 3A division. The depth is great and a number of sleepers can be found in 3A. Dunwoody has been the biggest powerhouse in the classification. One of the reasons why is the play of manchild forward Delwan Graham. Have you seen him in action? You can, by clicking on this link - GBOA Hoops: Delwan Graham.

Be sure to vote on the 3A poll to the right.

Savannah Johnson's Toby Veal in action

Savannah Johnson forward Toby Veal is one of the top players in Georgia. He's headed to Colorado after his senior season. If you haven't seen him in action, here is your chance.

It's Madness time

At 12:01 Friday night, the college basketball officially gets under way as college teams tip off the season with full practices. The weekend also means several recruiting opportunities for some of the top players in Georgia.

Here is a run down of who is going where.

Kentucky has had success in Georgia in the past (Jodie Meeks, Randolph Morris, Jeff Sheppard) and since taking over the program, Billy Gillispie has been down to Georgia a number of times.

This weekend, the Wildcats are hosting Dunwoody's Chris Singleton and Northview's Ralph Sampson, III. Both are in the home stretch of their recruitment.

Making the short drive over to UAB are top juniors Lorenzo Brown of Centennial and Ari Stewart of Wheeler. The two will see plenty of each other over the next couple of years as they both anchor two of the top teams in the state.

Westlake, one of the top teams in the state, have boosted its lineup this year with Florida move-in Ray Willis, a skilled and long guard. He's taking an official visit to Oklahoma this weekend. He has already visited Central Florida.

Michigan State was the first school to send a head coach to see Richard Howell, a teammate of Stewart's at Wheeler, and that is paying off. Howell, a 6-7 forward is unofficially visiting the Spartans this weekend.

You probably don't know the name but you will by the time class of 2010 prospect Jason Morris graduates high school. The Augusta native is going to school in Connecticut (Hotchkiss School) and looking to be a national prospect. He'll be at Georgetown this weekend for an unofficial visit.

He's yet to play in a game in high school but Milton freshman Julian Royal is getting a leg up with the best of the best. Sources tell Georgia Hoops, he is headed to North Carolina for the weekend to support family friend and former UNC Tar Heel Charlie Scott. We haven't seen Royal yet but reports are very strong about the youngster.

Talk about it on the new GeorgiaHoops message board.

If you know of any visitors that we are missing, please let us know. Email us at jyoung@rivals.com.

ralph sampson III Highlights

Ralph Sampson, III, a 6-11 center from Northview High School, is one of the fastest rising players in the nation. This weekend he is headed to Kentucky for an unonfficial visit and will see the Big Blue Madness.

Here are some highlights of the big man in action.

Attention all coaches!

Believe it or not but the high school basketball season is about to begin. And we are chomping at the bit for it to get rolling. GeorgiaHoops is the leader in Georgia high school basketball and cover the state like no one else. Our travels sent us to all corners of the state last year and this year should be no different. Hopefully, we will spend some time with you in your gym.

If you have your roster and/or schedule, please send it our way. Email Justin Young at jyoung@rivals.com with your up-to-date information. If you have a team website, even better. Please send a link along and we'll put it on the blog for all to reference.

If you don't have a roster, please let us know the following:

Projected starters

Underclassmen to watch on your team

Who is your best college prospect (at any level)

Your contact information (office phone, cell phone, etc.)

This information is vital as we try to connect the hundreds of college coaches that we interact with to you, your players and your program.

We'll be previewing the state here at GeorgiaHoops over the next month and want to make sure we know of all of the top talent in our loaded state.

Feel free to post your comments here on the blog or shoot me an email any time.

HoopTV Dunk Of The Day, September 29th, 2007

Miami came to Georgia and stole a good one in Wheeler's Dequan Jones. The 6-5 wing is one of the most explosive athletes in the nation and he proves it in this HoopTV Dunk of the Day clip.

Kingwood clips: Georgia Stars

The Georgia Stars had a successful run this spring and summer on the AAU circuit. See them in action against one of the top teams in the nation, Pump 'N Run from California. We'll update as much as possible with video. Enjoy this clip from Ballislife.com.

And the list keeps on growing...

Class of 2008 committed players

Chase Anderson, SG, Mill Creek (Air Force)
Al-Farouq Aminu, PF/SF, Norcross (Wake Forest)
Elhanan Bone, PF, Washington County (UNC Greensboro)
Justin Brownlee, SF, Covenant Christian (City College of San Francisco JC for 2007 class)
Shane Burrell, PF, Sound Doctrine (Alabama A&M)
James Fields, PG, Beach (Georgia State)
Jarmon Fortson, SG, Carver (Auburn - football)
Steven Fowlkes, PF, Banneker (Tennessee – football)
Gideon Gamble, SG, Westlake (Winthrop)
Darius Garrett, PF, McEachern (Richmond)
Delwan Graham, PF, Dunwoody (LSU)
Yaw Gyawu, SF, Parkview (Colgate)
Dennis Harris, PF/SF, Mundy’s Mill (LSU)
Dequan Jones, SF, Wheeler (Miami)
P.J. Meyers, PG, T.W. Josey (Campbell)
Reggie Middleton, PG, Glenn Hills (Winthrop)
Tony Mitchell, SF, Swainsboro (Alabama)
Darius Morrow, C, Columbia (South Carolina)
Chris Reynolds, SG, Glenn Hills (Campbell)
Tanner Smith, SG, Wesleyan (Clemson)
Jerel Stephenson, SG, Glenn Hills (UNC Wilmington)
Matt Sundberg, SG, Harrison (College of Charleston)
Howard Thompkins, PF, Wesleyan (Georgia)
Toby Veal, PF, Savannah Johnson (Colorado)
J.C. Ward, PF, Marietta (East Tennessee State)
Dustin Ware, PG, North Cobb Christian (Georgia)
Tony Woods, C, Rome (Wake Forest)
Cashmere Wright, PG, Urban Christian (Cincinnati)
Andre Young, PG, Deerfield-Windsor (Clemson)

Class of 2009 committed players

Robert Chubb, PF, McIntosh (Auburn)

If you know of any omissions, please let us know at jyoung@rivals.com.

Updating the commitment list

Class of 2008 committed players

Chase Anderson, SG, Mill Creek (Air Force)
Al-Farouq Aminu, PF/SF, Norcross (Wake Forest)
Justin Brownlee, SF, Covenant Christian (City College of San Francisco JC for 2007 class)
James Fields, PG, Beach (Georgia State)
Jarmon Fortson, SG, Carver (Auburn - football)
Steven Fowlkes, PF, Banneker (Tennessee – football)
Gideon Gamble, SG, Westlake (Winthrop)
Darius Garrett, PF, McEachern (Richmond)
Delwan Graham, PF, Dunwoody (LSU)
Yaw Gyawu, SF, Parkview (Colgate)
Dennis Harris, PF/SF, Mundy’s Mill (LSU)
Dequan Jones, SF, Wheeler (Miami)
P.J. Meyers, PG, T.W. Josey (Campbell)
Reggie Middleton, PG, Glenn Hills (Winthrop)
Tony Mitchell, SF, Swainsboro (Alabama)
Darius Morrow, C, Columbia (South Carolina)
Chris Reynolds, SG, Glenn Hills (Campbell)
Tanner Smith, SG, Wesleyan (Clemson)
Jerel Stephenson, SG, Glenn Hills (UNC Wilmington)
Matt Sundberg, SG, Harrison (College of Charleston)
Howard Thompkins, PF, Wesleyan (Georgia)
Dustin Ware, PG, North Cobb Christian (Georgia)
Tony Woods, C, Rome (Wake Forest)
Cashmere Wright, PG, Urban Christian (Cincinnati)
Andre Young, PG, Deerfield-Windsor (Clemson)

Class of 2009 committed players
Robert Chubb, PF, McIntosh (Auburn)

Short list of weekend visitors

The Dunwoody duo of Delwan Graham and Pierre Jordan is on the road. The two will make a trip to LSU this weekend. Graham, a 6-5 forward, verbally committed to John Brady and the SEC school in mid-week. Jordan, a 6-1 combo guard, remains undecided on his college home.

Auburn is trying to make some in-roads in the Peach State in the class of 2009. After landing McIntosh forward Robert Chubb, a 6-8 forward, earlier in the week, Jeff Lebo and his staff are hoping to impress Miller Grove point guard Mfon Udofia and Wheeler forward Ari Stewart this weekend.

North Gwinnett guard Ebuka Anayora is making a visit to Fairfield this weekend. Fairfield raided Georgia last year for Winder-Barrow guard Lyndon Jordan.

Central Florida continues its attempt of building an Interstate 75 connection from Atlanta to Orlando as Westlake guard Gideon Gamble makes a visit. New high school teammate Ray Willis visited last week.

Marietta forward J.C. Ward is visiting Western Carolina this weekend. WCU landed a Georgia player last year in Druid Hills forward Richie Gordon.If you know of an omission, please let us know. Email us at ygsports@yahoo.com.

Top 5 prospects from SPSU camp

The Southern Poly Tech Camp provided us with a look at a number of prospects in and out of the state. Here are our Top five performers from the event.

Wendell Lewis, 6-8/200, PF, Selma (Ala.) High School, Class of 2009

Without question, he was the biggest surprise and the best looking prospect in the event. Lewis is bouncy, aggressive and athletic around the rim. He shined in the up and down style of the camp and had little problem when he get inside the paint. Lewis showed a nice ability on the boards and passed the ball well from the high post. The mid-major programs should take a good look at him now and it wouldn't come as a surprise if high-major schools locked on later in the process.

Marquise Glaze, 6-0/175, PG, Lanier (Ala.) High School, Class of 2009

This is the third time we've seen Glaze in action and each time he's been impressive. In short, Glaze is an outstanding athlete, has great speed, good but not great shooter and aggressive to the basket. There is a lot to like about him. He'll need to fine tune his overall point guard skills and show an ability to run a team. Camp settings are hard venues to do that. Overall, Glaze could very well catch on with a high-major in 2009.

Lucas Troutman, 6-7/200, PF, Belton-Honea Path (S.C.) High School, Class of 2009

Perhaps the best moment of the camp was when Troutman matched up with Lewis in the post. Troutman went to work on the blocks with an array of post moves and out played the Alabama big man. Troutman understands his position and is good with both hands around the basket. He's an average athlete that compensates with good energy and simplistic play on the block. He'll need to improve his quickness and lift in order to be an effective rebounder down low.

DeAndre Cannon, 6-5/195, SF, Marietta (Ga.) High School, Class of 2008

No one used the glass better than Cannon did. He was the best wing prospect in the event and showed off an array of moves in the midrange. Expect a big year from him this season for the Blue Devils. Offensively, he was hard to stop because of his natural strength and size. There is potential there to be a great defender as well. He's a sleeper for sure and could even be a nice mid-major player at the end of the day.

Terrence Turner, 6-5/205, PF, Fayette County (Ga.) High School, Class of 2008

Simplicity and aggressiveness were the staples of his game. Turner attacked the glass with ease, owned the boards and passed the ball out of the post. He embodied the junk yard dog mentality. There wasn't a lot of flash but there was plenty of production. You can tell that Turner is a well taught prospect.

Atlanta Prep Classic tips off this weekend

Atlanta Prep Classic

Saturday Sept. 22, 2007 & Sunday Sept. 23, 2007

At Morris Brown College John Lewis Gymnasium

643 Martin Luther King Drive Atlanta, GA 30314

Saturday Schedule

11:00 am World Changers Academy (GA) vs. Ware Prep Purple (GA)

12:15 pm Sound Doctrine (GA) vs. Carolina Prep (NC)

1:30 pm Progressive Academy HS (GA) vs. Patterson School Blue (NC)

2:45 pm Covenant Christian (GA) vs. New Creations Prep (IN)

4:00 pm Harmony School HS (OH) vs. Patterson School Blue (NC)

5:15 pm Harmony School PG (OH) vs. Laurinburg Prep (NC)

6:30 pm Summer Hill Prep (GA) vs. Progressive Academy PG (MD)

7:15 pm Stevens Prep (NC) vs. Ware Prep Gold (GA)

Sunday Schedule

9:00 am Progressive Academy PG (NC) vs. Laurinburg Prep (NC)

10:15 am New Creation Prep (IN) vs. Harmony School PG (OH)

11:30 am Progressive Academy HS (MD) vs. Harmony School HS (OH)

12:45 pm Patterson School Gold (NC) vs. Ware Prep Purple (GA)

2:00 pm Summer Hill Prep (GA) vs. Carolina Prep (NC)

3:15 pm Stevens Prep (NC) vs. Sound Doctrine (GA)

4:30 pm Patterson School Gold (NC) vs. Covenant Christian (GA)

5:45 pm World Changers Academy (GA) vs. Ware Prep Gold (GA)

Committed list continues to grow

Class of 2008 committed players

Chase Anderson, SG, Mill Creek (Air Force)

Al-Farouq Aminu, PF/SF, Norcross (Wake Forest)

Justin Brownlee, SF, Covenant Christian (City College of San Francisco JC for 2007 class)

James Fields, PG, Beach (Georgia State)

Steven Fowlkes, PF, Banneker (Tennessee – football)

Yaw Gyawu, SF, Parkview (Colgate)

Delwan Graham, PF, Dunwoody (LSU)

Dennis Harris, PF/SF, Mundy’s Mill (LSU)

Dequan Jones, SF, Wheeler (Miami)

P.J. Meyers, PG, T.W. Josey (Campbell)

Reggie Middleton, PG, Glenn Hills (Winthrop)

Tony Mitchell, SF, Swainsboro (Alabama)

Chris Reynolds, SG, Glenn Hills (Campbell)

Tanner Smith, SG, Wesleyan (Clemson)

Jerel Stephenson, SG, Glenn Hills (UNC Wilmington)

Matt Sundberg, SG, Harrison (College of Charleston)

Howard Thompkins, PF, Wesleyan (Georgia)

Dustin Ware, PG, North Cobb Christian (Georgia)

Tony Woods, C, Rome (Wake Forest)

Cashmere Wright, PG, Urban Christian (Cincinnati)

Andre Young, PG, Deerfield-Windsor (Clemson)

Class of 2009 committed players

Robert Chubb, PF, McIntosh (Auburn)

Mondays suck...kind of

Okay, so this is a basketball blog. I get that. You want to read about hoops. But if you know me, and you probably do since you are reading this, you know that I'm also a big fan of laughing. And eating peanut butter and chocolate. I'm straying fast.

Back to the point. I hate Mondays. I really do. Until I surf the web. I love people. I love the stupid ones even more.

Hopefully your Monday can brighten up. Mine would be even better if Clinton Portis scores 51 points in tonight's game against the Eagles. My fantasy team needs him to step up in a bad way. Or if I can score some Reese's.

Game over

The cure for death? Try a social life. A 30-year-old man died in China after a three day binge of video games in an Internet café. Tell the Pac-Man in the sky hello for us all.

Father of the Year

An Atlanta area man has a warrant out for his arrest after he flew into a rage at his youth league football game two weeks ago.

"He basically was pointing his finger at the coach and screaming with the worst kind of vulgarities that his son was the best running back in the league and he should be starting," Kurt Brown, president of the Peachtree City Youth Football Association, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Thanks for being a role model for your son, dad. And thanks for your email asking why your 10-year-old wasn't nationally ranked on Rivals.com. These people do exist. I've interacted (translation: tried to inject them with knowledge of the recruiting process, explain that their child wasn't as good as they think, etc.) with them. I hope they find you.

Sure, I'll sign it

Ten-year-old Griffin Whitman hates the Yankees. And I love Shelley Duncan, a rookie for the New York Yankees. Duncan, a young budding prospect for the Yankees, signed an autograph for a 10-year-old with oversensitive parents and left an encouraging note for the superfan.

Blown save

Too bad Shelley Duncan didn't get in a cab in Boston and find Jonathan Papelbon's cell phone. Now that would be a great story. Unlike this one. What a gold mine you turned down Mr. Writer from the NY Daily News. You live for those moments. And what did you do? The right thing.

Give me free stuff

Josh Ritter is a great musician. I doubt he reads the Georgia Hoops blog. In fact, I doubt many do anyways. If he does, he'd love this. The best album I've heard all year (and I've heard plenty) is The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter. Those wishing to compensate me for the endorsement can reach me at jyoung@rivals.com.

The power is in your vote



Now onto Tuesday.

Back on the road

It is camp time. Georgia Hoops is hitting the road this weekend for a couple of exposure camps around Atlanta. We will split time at Oglethorpe University for the SEBA Shootout and Southern Poly Tech for the SPSU Profile Camp. Both camps have talented players in the field.

The SPSU camp will tip off games at 9:05 a.m. The SEBA event will tip off its games at 11 a.m. Click on the links above for directions to both venues.

Several people have asked about the Georgia Hoops Fall Showcase, which we have conducted for the last two years. We will not be holding that event this year. Our Georgia Hoops staff will attend a number of other events this fall but are associated with any events.

Another busy weekend of visitors

Another weekend, another long list of visitors. Georgia prospects are well represented across the country. Here is a quick rundown on who is going where.

• The state's top class of 2009 prospect Derrick Favors (South Atlanta) is making an unofficial visit to Georgia Tech.
  

• Dennis Harris (Mundy's Mill) is visiting LSU for the first time. He committed to the SEC school earlier in the week.

• Ray Willis (Westlake) and Pierre Jordan (Dunwoody) are visiting Central Florida as the Golden Knights host Texas on the gridiron.
  

• Colorado is hosting Toby Veal (Savannah Johnson) for his official visit. He visited Colorado State last weekend.

• Delwan Graham (Dunwoody) is making the quick trip over to South Carolina for an officail visit with the Gamecocks.
  

• James Fields (Beach) is coming to Atlanta to see Georgia State. He's already unofficially visited the CAA program this summer.
  

• Class of 2009 forward Jeremy Olsen (Collins Hill) is making a trip West to see Utah and BYU. Both programs have offered him a scholarship.
  

• Richmond will host forward Darrius Garrett (McEachern) for his second official visit of the fall.
  

Updated list of committed players

Class of 2008 committed players

Al-Farouq Aminu, PF/SF, Norcross (Wake Forest)

Justin Brownlee, SF, Covenant Christian (City College of San Francisco JC for 2007 class)

Steven Fowlkes, PF, Banneker (Tennessee – football)

Dennis Harris, PF/SF, Mundy’s Mill (LSU)

Dequan Jones, SF, Wheeler (Miami)

P.J. Meyers, PG, T.W. Josey (Campbell)

Reggie Middleton, PG, Glenn Hills (Winthrop)

Tony Mitchell, SF, Swainsboro (Alabama)

Chris Reynolds, SG, Glenn Hills (Campbell)

Tanner Smith, SG, Wesleyan (Clemson)

Jerel Stephenson, SG, Glenn Hills (UNC Wilmington)

Matt Sundberg, SG, Harrison (College of Charleston)

Howard Thompkins, PF, Wesleyan (Georgia)

Dustin Ware, PG, North Cobb Christian (Georgia)

Tony Woods, C, Rome (Wake Forest)

Cashmere Wright, PG, Urban Christian (Cincinnati)

Andre Young, PG, Deerfield-Windsor (Clemson)

Prime Time Shootout is coming back to Atlanta

Atlanta, Saturday 1/19/08 , Norcross High School

11:30 pm – East Hall (GA) vs. Whitefield (GA)
1:00 pm –Westlake(GA) vs. Dillard (FLA)
2:30 pm – Columbia (GA) vs. Arlington Country Day (FLA)

5:30 pm - Wheeler (GA) vs. Johnson (Savannah, GA)
7:00 pm - Dunwoody (GA) vs. American Christian (PA)
8:30 pm - Norcross (GA) vs. Our Savior (NY)

*All Games Subject to Change

Peach State well represented last weekend on the road

Here is a look at what prospects from Georgia made weekend visits:

Tanner Smith - Vanderbilt
Toby Veal - Colorado State
Ralph Sampson - Minnesota
Delwan Graham - Ole Miss
James Fields - Marshall
Darius Morrow - Fordham
Pierre Jordan, Chris Singleton - Florida State
Darrius Garrett - East Carolina
Al-Farouq Aminu, Tony Woods - Wake Forest
Wesley Witherspoon - LSU
Lorenzo Brown - Florida
Kammeon Hosley - Georgia

Coaching Clinic at Truett-McConnell

Mock Schedule for Saturday, October 6, 2007

9am - Jeff Pourchier (Head Coach of Reinhardt College) Speaking on 'Half Court Zone Defenses or Offenses'

9:45am - Tony Ingle (Head Coach of Kennesaw State University) Speaking on 'Kennesaw State Basketball'

10:30am - Mike Leeder (Head Coach of Georgia Southwestern State University) Speaking on 'Half Court Man-to-Man defense'

11:15-12:30pm - See Truett-McConnell College men go through Individual workouts / Offensive skill work with Cory Baldwin (Head Coach at Truett McConnell College) and eat your Lunch (which is provided by TMC)

12:45pm - Gordon Gibbons (Head Coach of Clayton State University) Speaking on 'Full Court Man-to-Man Defense'

1:30pm - T-shirt pick-up and dismissal

$40 if you mail in your payment / pre-register

$50 if you pay at the door

All checks should be made out to Truett-McConnell Basketball Booster Club

Directions to TMC Campus

From I-85

• Take I-85 north through Gwinnett County; merge left onto I-985 toward Gainesville
• Drive 24 miles and leave I-985 at Exit 24
• Turn left onto US 23/Jesse Jewell Parkway, and go to second traffic light
• Turn right onto Limestone Parkway, and continue until it dead-ends into US 129
• Turn right onto US 129, and travel approximately 20 miles to town of Cleveland
• At traffic light on the square in Cleveland, turn right onto GA 115 East (East Kytle Street)
• Continue one mile, and see the college on the left of the highway.

From GA 400

• Take GA 400 north to traffic light near Dahlonega
• GA 400 will become Long Branch Road/GA 115 at the traffic light
• Continue on Long Branch Road/GA 115 several miles to intersection at traffic light
• Turn right and continue on GA 115 East to the town of Cleveland
• At traffic light on the square in Cleveland, go straight ahead for one mile
• See the college on the left of the highway

Class of 2008 commitments

Al-Farouq Aminu, PF/SF, Norcross (Wake Forest)

Justin Brownlee, SF, Covenant Christian (City College of San Francisco JC for 2007 class)

Steven Fowlkes, PF, Banneker (Tennessee – football)
P.J. Meyers, PG, T.W. Josey (Campbell)

Reggie Middleton, PG, Glenn Hills (Winthrop)

Tony Mitchell, SF, Swainsboro (Alabama)

Chris Reynolds, SG, Glenn Hills (Campbell)

Matt Sundberg, SG, Harrison (College of Charleston)

Howard Thompkins, PF, Wesleyan (Georgia)

Dustin Ware, PG, North Cobb Christian (Georgia)

Tony Woods, C, Rome (Wake Forest)

Cashmere Wright, PG, Urban Christian (Cincinnati)

Andre Young, PG, Deerfield-Windsor (Clemson)

And they are off

Let the games begin! The college football season kicks off this weekend and odds are, the majority of the Peach State will be planted on the couch or at stadiums to see the games.

So are the prospects. Here is a rundown of this weekend's visitors:

Tanner Smith, a 2008 prospect from Norcross's Wesleyan High School, and Toby Veal, of Savannah Johnson High School, are both officially visiting Auburn. Both are ranked amongst the top 11 players in the senior class in the Peach State by Georgia Hoops.

The University of Georgia is pulling out all of the stops this weekend. Class of 2008 commitments Howard "Trey" Thompkins of Wesleyan and Dustin Ware of North Cobb Christian are making their official visits to Athens for the Oklahoma State game. The commits will be joined by Serbian big man Drazen Zlovaric.

Thompkins is the third rated player in the state by Georgia Hoops and Ware is the second best point guard in the Peach State, according to Georgia Hoops.

Miami is hosting Wheeler's Dequan Jones. The trip marks the first official visit for one of the most explosive athletes. Jones is a top 10 prospect in the state's loaded senior class.

And if you are any kind of football fan, here is the greatest gift of the weekend: Rivals.com's Viewer's Guide to College Football

If you know of any unofficial visitors that we forgot, please email Justin Young with your questions or comments, at jyoung@rivals.com.

Georgia Hoops Supports Online Radio

From Savenetradio.org: "Congress and SoundExchange have heard loud and clear the amazing outpouring of support for Internet radio from webcasters, listeners and the thousands of artists they support. A commitment has been made to negotiate reasonable royalties, recognizing the industry’s long-term value and its still-developing revenue potential.

During negotiations SoundExchange committed temporarily not to enforce the new royalty rates so webcasters can stay online as new rates are agreed upon.

This development is due in great part to the millions of people who have let their Congressional representatives know about their support of Internet radio. Over 125 representatives have cosponsored the bill to this point.

We urge listeners to continue calling their Senators and Representative to ask them to co-sponsor the Internet Radio Equality Act. Thank you."

Georgia Hoops supports our favorite radio station, Radio Paradise.

Peach State reaches 40 committments in 2007

Need proof that Georgia is a hot bed for college talent? Take a look at the up-to-date list of committed players in the state. The number sits at 40 and quite a few players are still undecided.

Off the board

Martavius Adams, Wilkinson County – Oklahoma State
Chris Allen, Meadowcreek – Michigan State
Kevin Anderson, Peachtree Ridge – Richmond
Bryson Barnes, Westlake – Furman
Chris Barnes, Riverdale – Georgia
Terrell Bell, Stone Mountain – Virginia Tech
Terrance Birdette, Buford – Elon
Phillip Brown, Eagle’s Landing Christian – Air Force
Isaac Butts, Georgia Military – Appalachian State
Matt Clark, Evans – The Citadel
Jordan DeMercy, Norcross – Florida State
Adam Demuyakor, North Gwinnett – Harvard
B.J. Frazier, Stepheson – Western Kentucky
Trevor Gaskins, Chattahoochee – Ole Miss
Richie Gordon, Lakeside-Dekalb – Western Carolina
Andrew Goudelock, Stone Mountain – College of Charleston
Zach Graham, Peachtree Ridge – Ole Miss
Ladaris Hall, Thomasville – South Alabama
Dante Harvey, Columbia – Toledo
Taylor Harps – Lander College
Cameron Heyward – Ohio State (football)
J.J. Hickson, Wheeler - NC State
Senario Hillman, Wilkinson County – Alabama
Bassy Inameti, Peachtree Ridge – Tennessee Tech
Lyndon Jordan, Winder-Barrow – Fairfield
Trey Lang, Wheeler - UMass
Gani Lawal, Norcross – Georgia Tech
Brian Mills, Chapel Hill – Mercer
Jamar Moore, Thomasville – South Alabama
Tony Neysmith, Norcross – Oklahoma
Connor Nolte, Milton – Furman
Jon Pack, East Paulding – College of Charleston
Jeremy Price, Columbia – Georgia
Steven Sargent, Whitewater – VMI
Lance Storrs, Columbia – Georgia Tech
Zac Swansey, Dunwoody – Georgia
Dontrell Taylor, Wilkinson County – Tennessee State
Mark Veazy, Meadowcreek – Navy
Trevor Welcher, Richmond Academy – Delaware State

If we have missed a committment, please let us know at jyoung@rivals.com.

See the Norcross-Wheeler instant classic

If you were one of the rare people that did not see the classic Norcross-Wheeler game, here is your chance to get inside and witness one of the best games in Georgia state playoff history.

Georgia Hoops is proud to present DigitalHoops.com's coverage from the game. Witnessss history inside this link:

DigitalHoops.com

Click on link below for my Rivals.com story on the game:

Instant Classic

Our picks in 3A

Our entire 3A bracket prediction

Winners of the first round: Dougherty, Jordan, Central Macon, Northside-Columbus, Druid Hills, Gainesville, Hart County, Carrollton, Glen Hills, Monroe, Carver-Columbus, Perry, East Hall, South Atlanta, Carterville, Dunwoody

Winners of the second round: Dougherty, Central Macon, Gainesville, Hart County, Glen Hills, Carver-Columbus, East Hall, Dunwoody

Winners of the third round: Central Macon, Hart County, Carver-Columbus, East Hall

Winners of the fourth round: Central Macon, East Hall

3A champion: East Hall

Breaking down the bracket: 4A

Move over 5A, there might be a new big dog classification in Georgia this year. The 4A state championship bracket is filled with potential champions and they are all racing to knock off Columbia, the defending state champs and pre-tournament favorite this season.

Getting to Gwinnett

Columbia’s path to the Gwinnett Arena isn’t easy as potential match-ups include pairings against Cherokee, featuring one of the top juniors in the nation Chris Singleton, and then Rome in the third round. Rome boasts Tony Woods, a potentially fantastic high-major center prospect.

But no one in the state can boast a line-up of players quite like Columbia does. Led by Georgia-bound big man Jeremy Price and Georgia Tech-bound Lance Storrs, both seniors, Columbia has a pair of bookends that played a big role in the team’s state championship run last year back for more this year. Juniors Travis Leslie, one of the rising stars in the state, and Darius Morrow, the next good Columbia big man, are tremendous options to have.

Senior forward Dante Harvey, who signed with Toledo, will have his moments as will senior guard Jordan Lemons and senior Anthony Isoms.

Of all of the divisions in Georgia, however, 4A has more weapons in the brackets to knock out the big dog. Will it be region foes Stone Mountain or Tucker? Or can Cedar Shoals and Lithia Springs continue the hot streak? Will Cherokee get over the hump? Or will Griffin continue to roll forward? Can a sophomore-led Fayette County team do it? So many questions, so few rounds to play. The answers will soon be uncovered.

First round games of note

The real treats don’t start until the second round where the potential of several big time match-ups could happen but in order to get there, the first round games must be played. Here are a few of the best games in round one.

The best game of the first round has to be Wayne County at Westlake. Both teams are coming off of big region tournaments and both teams have balance and depth. Wayne County (21-7) will look to the dynamic scoring of senior guard Daviel Clements and versatility of senior forward Rory Miller. Westlake will certainly rely on Furman bound Bryson Barnes, junior wing Gideon Gamble and junior guard Khamori Watts. Both teams have playoff experience and winning at Westlake isn’t easy but don’t be surprised to see Wayne County walk away with the victory.

Mays may be playing teeter-totter with a .500 record but don’t sell the former back-to-back state champs short. Floyd Mack has his team playing good basketball and more importantly, good defensive basketball. Mays has a tall order against Rome and 6-10 junior center Tony Woods. Keep an eye on Mays’s freshman point guard Aloys Cabel. Rome is young and Mays has seen the best (facing Westlake, Tucker, Columbia, Tri-Cities, Stone Mountain and Riverdale). Don’t be surprised to see Mays win this game. Woods needs to be the difference.

Lithia Springs won the Region 5 tournament with great play on the defensive end and with balance in the backcourt. The team has only lost two games all year, with one coming by one point, but they haven’t faced a team that has a true power big man like Dacula does inside in sophomore Brian Cole. If Dacula can slow the pace down and make the game move at their speed, then they could very well move on and knock out a No. 1 seed.

Looking at the No. 1 seeds

Lee County (13-13)
Region 1 tournament champs
Key wins: Bainbridge, Thomas County Central
Key losses: Numerous
Notes: Senior DeVauhgn Thomas is one of the most difficult players in the state to defend because of his size, strength and sheer hustle. He’s amongst the state’s leaders in scoring and rebounding even as a 6-3 post player. Lee Co. is 11-4 since Jan. 2.

Fayette County (23-5)
Region 2 tournament champs
Key wins: Westlake, Statesboro, Southside, Whitewater
Key losses: North Clayton, Westlake, Parkview, Creekside
Notes: Sophomore Noel Johnson is quickly emerging as one of the top players in the state. At 6-7, he brings a skill set to the table that can be infused at all five positions. Even thought he is amongst the top 10 players in the 2009 class, he’s still under the radar within the Georgia high school ranks. This is his platform to open some eyes.

Richmond Academy (19-9)
Region 3 tournament champs
Key wins: Centennial, Statesboro
Key losses: Statesboro, Glenn Hills, Druid Hills
Notes: One of the top teams from the Augusta area can get out and run and relies on future Delaware State guard Trevor Welcher. They could surprise people in a wide open quadrant of the 4A bracket.

Griffin (15-10)
Region 4 tournament champs
Key wins: Jonesboro, Riverdale, North Clayton
Key losses: Savannah, Riverdale, Statesboro
Notes: The Bears are a completely different team with senior forward Charles Corbin in the lineup. The 6-7 post has helped Griffin overcome a 1-9 start without him and has put the team on his back en route to a 14-1 record with him in the starting lineup.

Lithia Springs (26-2)
Region 5 tournament champs:
Key wins: Cherokee, Pebblebrook, Villa Rica, Redan, Newnan
Key losses: Carrollton, Parkview
Notes: Six wins have come by a matter of two points and one of the defeats (Carrollton by one) was also a nail-biter. These guys are used to tight, intense situation. Head coach Jason Slate has his team playing great defense and un-intimidated against teams.

Columbia (27-1)
Region 6 tournament champs
Key wins: Wheeler, LeFlore (Ala.), Tucker, Stone Mountain, Miller Grove
Key losses: LaSalle (Ohio)
Notes: Clearly the best team in the state, Columbia has weapons inside, out and on the sidelines. Columbia boasts the biggest frontline in the state and their potential games at Marietta could see a pair of teams with key players that stand over 6-9. The frontline will be tested early. Moreover, Columbia won the toughest region in the state both in standings in the tournament.

Rome (21-6)
Region 7 tournament champs
Key wins: Cartersville, Ridgeland, Dalton
Key losses: Dunwoody, Coosa, Cartersville, Ridgeland
Notes: There isn’t a better time for junior center Tony Woods to put his mark on his standing in the state as one of the to players in Georgia than now in the playoffs. In previous big stage games, he struggled. This is redemption time for the 6-10 center.

Cedar Shoals (24-1)
Region 8 tournament champs
Key wins: Loganville, Shiloh, Newnan, Winder-Barrow, Alcovy
Key losses: Clarke Central
Notes: Senior guard Chris Kupets is one of the best scorers in the state and his improvement as an all-around player has helped Cedar Shoals to a terrific record and a number one seed in the tournament.

Don’t forget about us

While the eight number one teams positioned themselves to play a more favorable schedule in the first round, there are a handful of teams that aren’t region tournaments winners that can advance to Gwinnett Arena on March 9.

Tucker is no stranger to the Final Four. For two straight years, the Tigers have made it there and this year could make it three. James Hartry has a team certainly talented enough to get there. Led by seniors Marshon Brooks and Jeremy Simmons and sophomore Manny Atkins, Tucker has the players in line to win big games. Brooks is one of the best scorers in 4A and will be looked to early and often.

The same can be said for Stone Mountain. The Pirates have star power in Andrew Goudeolock and Terrell Bell. The two Division I bound seniors are as good as you get for 1-2 punches in the state. Senior Raylin Brown is an important third option. Stone Mountain could very easily be playing in the state championship game.

Cherokee didn’t close the season out quite like they wanted but anytime you have a team that executes, shoots it very well and has an athletic and versatile 6-9 junior that can play inside and out, you can’t count them out. Chris Singleton, an all-state 4A performer, will need to rebound from a so-so region tournament.

Don’t sleep on Jonesboro either. With a backcourt that can take on a lot of teams, the Cardinals will be a fun, and balanced, team to play in the tournament.

Our entire 5A bracket prediction

Winners of the first round: North Clayton, Wayne County, Griffin, Whitewater, Lithia Springs, Tucker, Cedar Shoals, Stone Mountain, Richmond Academy, Jonesboro, Fayette County, Riverdale, Rome, Pebblebrook, Columbia, Cherokee
Winners of the second round: Wayne County, Griffin, Tucker, Stone Mountain, Jonesboro, Fayette County, Rome, Columbia
Winners of the third round: Griffin, Tucker, Fayette County, Columbia
Winners of the fourth round: Tucker, Columbia
4A champion: Columbia

Breaking down the bracket: 5A

It is do or do time in Georgia as the high school basketball playoffs tip off on Saturday and everyone is gunning for the crown in the 5A bracket. Can Norcross win it? Or will Wheeler pick up a needed win and advance to the Gwinnett Center? Or will someone else step up? It’s time to dance.

Getting to Gwinnett

It is a question that has been asked since Eddie Martin and his Norcross Blue Devils won the 2006 5A state championship – can anyone knock them out in tournament play?

Starting on Saturday, the question will tried to be answered by a number of teams. And it begs the question, can some one else step up in 2007 to claim the coveted state championship?

There are plenty of candidates in 5A this season and several potential champs are all on the same side of one quadrant of the bracket. Norcross and Wheeler play the biggest first round game in recent memory. Meadowcreek could very well surprise teams with a big win over the winner of the prime time match-up. Marietta and Chattahoochee have coaches that know how to get the most out of their respective teams.

Peachtree Ridge, winners of region 7, and Centennial have the talent to get to the Gwinnett Center on March 8.

On the other side of the bracket is Savannah power Beach High School, last year’s surprise team of the tournament. They have a tough test right out of the gate. M.L. King and Tri-Cities aren’t easy wins.

Camden County has knocked out the Savannah powers this season and could be this year’s surprise team from the coastal region. Mundy’s Mill is tapping into its potential. Stephenson is peaking at the right time.

Anything can happen in 5A. Buckle up. It’s time to get on the road.

Must see game

With 16 games being played in each bracket on Saturday, picking just one game to see will be difficult, right? Only if you’ve lived under a rock for the last two years.

The dream match-up of Norcross and Wheeler will finally happen, pairing last year’s 5A state champions and Wheeler, winners of three state titles since 2000. However, no one saw this game happening on Feb. 24 and in the first round.

The game features in Norcross’s Gani Lawal and Wheeler’s J.J. Hickson, the top two players in the state and the only McDonald’s All-Americans in Georgia.

Norcross boasts a lineup of Lawal, who is headed to Georgia Tech, Tony Neysmith, who is headed to Oklahoma, Jordan DeMercy, who is headed to Florida State, Al-Farouq Aminu, one of the top 10 juniors in the nation, and Taariq Muhammad, one of the top point guards in the class of 2009.

Wheeler boasts a line up of Hickson, who is headed to NC State, Trey Lang, a recent UMass pledge, Adrian Williams, a Brown commitment, Dequan Jones, one of the top 150 juniors in the nation, Ari Stewart, one of the most impressive sophomore prospects in the state, and Phil Taylor, one of the best freshmen in the state.

Star power? You have it in this game. It doesn’t get any richer than this for college basketball prospects.

Our prediction? Norcross 79, Wheeler 72

Other first round games of note

Peacthree Ridge knocked off Norcross for the Region 7 championship and as huge of a win that was for the Lions, the team will need to re-focus quickly for Milton, a team that beat them in the Deep South Classic by a point.

Milton has not closed the season out quite the way they have probably wanted but there is a confidence that has to hold over from the early season win. Don’t be surprised to see Milton, especially Furman bound forward Connor Nolte, match Peachtree Ridge for three quarters.

Expect a close in the Chattahoochee-North Gwinnett match-up and a good back and forth battle between Tift County and Mundy’s Mill.

Looking at the No. 1 seeds

Warner-Robins (16-7)
Region 1 tournament champs
Quality wins: Perry, Tift County, Houston County
Key losses: Perry, Colquitt County

M.L. King (18-7)
Region 2 tournament champs
Quality wins: Stephenson, Newton, Lithonia
Key losses: North Clayton, Lithonia, Meadowcreek, Stephenson
Key players: Senior shooting guard Jihad Ali, junior wing Demetrius Bates
Notes: Only one loss to a non-playoff team (Redan). Very balanced team with good athletes and a favorable bracket to advance to Elite 8.

Beach (22-2)
Region 3 tournament champs
Quality wins: Meadowcreek, Camden County, Savannah Johnson, Statesboro
Key losses: Meadowcreek, Camden County
Key players: Senior post Ladaris Green, senior forward Markeith Cummings, junior guard James Fields
Notes: Last year’s state runner-up returns nearly everyone from the team that lost to Norcross. This year’s team might actually be better. Just how good are they away from Savannah? That is the question that will be answered in the post season.

Mundy’s Mill (18-8)
Region 4 tournament champs
Quality wins: Tri-Cities, Miller Grove, Morrow
Key losses: Peachtree Ridge, Jonesboro, Riverdale, Newnan, Tucker
Key players: Senior guard Daniel Brown, senior wing David Brown, senior forward Rod Williams, junior forward Dennis Harris, junior point guard Todd Salter
Notes: All eight of Mundy’s Mill’s losses have come against good tournament teams. They won’t be star struck this time of year. The starting five has size and skill at each position.

Marietta (21-4)
Region 5 tournament champs
Quality wins: Wheeler, McEachern, North Cobb
Key losses: North Cobb, Harrison, South Cobb
Key players: Sophomore point guard Chris Tanzy, junior forward J.C. Ward, senior forward Stephon Woods, junior wing Deandre Cannon, senior forward Tyrese Mumford
Notes: It took a while for metro Atlanta to fully realize just how good the Blue Devils are but when they beat Wheeler, everyone noticed. Charlie Hood has his best team since Ezra Williams wore a MHS jersey.

Meadowcreek (25-2)
Region 6 tournament champs
Quality wins: Beach, Archbishop Mitty (Calif.), M.L. King, Whitewater, Shiloh, Central Gwinnett (three times), Parkview
Key losses: Beach, Dunwoody
Key players: Senior guard Chris Allen (Michigan State), junior guard Teondre Williams, senior center Mark Veazy (Navy), senior Antoine Bolden
Notes: There isn’t a more dynamic scoring guard in the state than Allen and when the lights are shining bright, he’s even better. Getting the rest of the team to play well is the key. On the national stage, they did for two games before bowing out to Dunwoody at the Chick-Fil-A Classic. They could potentially knock out either Norcross or Wheeler just because Allen can expose both programs and he’s dying to do just that.

Peachtree Ridge (23-3)
Region 7 tournament champs
Quality wins: Norcross, Mundy’s Mill, North Gwinnett, Whitewater
Key losses: Norcross, Milton
Key players: Senior wing Zach Graham (Ole Miss), senior point guard Kevin Anderson (Richmond), senior forward Cameron Heyward (Ohio State-football), senior forward Bassy Inameti (Tennessee Tech), senior wing Sidney Haynes (UCF-football)
Notes: Riding high off of the emotion of beating Norcross, Peachtree Ridge put itself into position to have an easier road to Gwinnett County. Maintaining focus and staying in team mode will be the answer for the Lions in the post-season. Can they pull off a Florida and win both football (sort of) and basketball? We’ll know in five games. Ties don’t exist in basketball like they do on Georgia’s gridiron.

Centennial (22-4)
Region 8 tournament champs
Quality wins: Chattahoochee (three times), Milton, Druid Hills
Key losses: Wheeler, Richmond Academy, Milton (all three tournament teams)
Key players: Sophomore guard Lorenzo Brown, senior guard Alex Richey, senior post Leonard Carr
Notes: The Knights are riding a 15-game winning streak and are 13-0 since Lorenzo Brown returned to the lineup after missing the first semester because he was academically ineligible. When Richey gets his shot working, watch out. He’s deadly.

Marching to Macon

Every year there are a handful of teams that surprise the state with big wins and deep runs through the bracket. Who will those teams be this year? Two teams, in fact, are not only poised to surprise but could very well finish the season in the Final Four or even the championship.

Don’t sleep on Stephenson (22-6). Led by the dynamic 1-2 punch of B.J. Frazier, a Western Kentucky signee, and Adrien Coleman, one of the bright rising stars in the state’s loaded sophomore class, the Jaguars have a team and a favorable bracket to advance to Gwinnett.

Same goes for Tri-Cities. Omari Forts, one of the best young coaches in the state, has his club playing good basketball despite a tough loss to Mundy’s Mill in the Region 4 championship. Justin Inman, Rashard Wise and Chris Cromartie make for a very good backcourt and can challenge Beach’s size and athleticism in a potential second round game. Defensively, Tri-Cities can lock down a lot of teams on the perimeter as well.

North Cobb may not have a star on its roster like so many other 5A teams but they play as a well-oiled machine and don’t let a lot get to them. They are well-coached and could simply X and O you to a defeat.

Our entire 5A bracket prediction

Winners of the first round: Warner-Robins, Stephenson, Mundy’s Mill, Camden County, Marietta, Chattahoochee, Meadowcreek, Norcross, Beach, Tri-Cities, M.L. King, Newnan, Peachtree Ridge, Parkview, Centennial, North Cobb
Winners of the second round: Stephenson, Mundy’s Mill, Marietta, Norcross, Tri-Cities, M.L. King, Peachtree Ridge, Centennial
Winners of the third round: Stephenson, Norcross, Tri-Cities, Centennial
Winners of the fourth round: Norcross, Tri-Cities
5A champion: Norcross