Georgia Boys Basketball Power 25: Week 9

Wheeler has retaken the No. 1 spot in this week’s Power 25 after Grayson suffered a loss to Newton. Eagle’s Landing is up to No. 4 after improving to 21-0 on the season. They are Georgia’s only remaining unbeaten team. 

McDonough has also cracked the Top 10 for the first time this season after picking up a great win against Pace Academy. 

Find the complete breakdown of the SBLive Sports Georgia Boys Basketball Power 25 below.

1. Wheeler (12-6): After a couple of weeks with Grayson holding down the No. 1 spot, the Wildcats are back in it. But it’s not because they’ve been playing stellar basketball. They beat Cherokee by nine points and still haven’t quite lived up to their potential so far this season. But after Grayson’s loss to Newton, they’re back at No. 1 for this week. 

2. Grayson (13-5): The Rams slide down one spot to No. 2 in this week’s rankings after suffering a road loss to Newton Tuesday night. The Rams played solid on the defensive end, holding Newton to just 54 points, but only managed to score 43 in what was their worst offensive performance of the season. Newton is a good team with a McDonalds All-American leading the way, so we’re not going to knock the Rams down all that far, especially with the resume they have accumulated. 

3. Kell (17-2): Ever since the Longhorns’ loss to No. 2 Grayson, they’ve been shellacking teams left and right. They’re 17-2 on the season with their only in-state loss coming against Grayson. That loss, however, is the only thing keeping them out of the No. 1 or No. 2 spot in the rankings. 

4. Eagle’s Landing (21-0): Georgia’s only undefeated boy’s basketball team is up to No. 4 in this week’s rankings after another impressive week. They crushed Warner Robins and followed that up with a nice win against Jones County Tuesday night. Can the Eagles run the table this season? 

5. Norcross (18-3): Four games in six days is a daunting task in high school basketball. That’s the schedule that they Blue Devils faced last week when they played four games in six days. Their final game was a loss to Pebblebrook to cap off a 3-1 week. They have since rebounded with a blowout win against Berkmar and sit at 18-3 on the season. 

6. Newton (12-7): The Rams have to be very happy with where they stand at this point in the season. They’ve played one of the toughest schedules in the state and are fresh off a win against then No. 1 Grayson at home. And they did it without Jakai Newton, who is still sidelined with a knee injury. The Rams should get Newton back within the next two weeks which could make them very dangerous come playoff time. 

7. Pebblebrook (13-7): The Falcons found themselves in the ultimate letdown spot Tuesday night. They were fresh off a great 12-point win against Norcross that would have certainly moved them up in the rankings. However, they laid an egg Tuesday night at home against Westlake and lost 75-72. Westlake entered the matchup with a losing record on the season. The Falcons have proven that they can hang with anyone in the state. But they have also proven that they can lose games they shouldn’t. 

8. Greenforest (11-7): The Eagles were off this past week and remain at No. 8 in this week’s rankings. All seven of their losses have aged very nicely. It’s impressive to see what Greenforest is doing as one of the smallest schools in the state. They’re the only Class A program ranked in the Top 10.

9. McEachern (14-6): The Indians stay at No. 9 in this week’s rankings after a great week. They picked up another out-of-state victory against Oak Ridge (Fl.) and are currently sitting at 14-6 on the season. They continue to trend in the right direction as we inch closer to the playoffs. 

10. McDonough (17-2): For the first time this season, the Warhawks are ranked inside the Top 10 after a great week. In a highly anticipated Region 5-4A matchup with Pace Academy, the Warhawks took them down 71-60. They’re 17-2 on the season and have established themselves as the team to beat in Class 4A. 

11. Alexander (16-4): The Cougars slip just one spot to No. 11 after a good week. They won two games they should have, defeating Pauling County and New Manchester in region contests. They’re 16-4 on the season and are the No. 1 team in Class 6A. 

12. Sandy Creek (16-4): The Patriots went 2-0 this past week and remain at No. 12 in this week’s rankings. They beat both Fayette County and Cedar Grove, which are both impressive wins at this point in the season. 

13. Milton (16-4): The Eagles will hold onto the No. 13 spot by the slimmest of margins this week. They picked up a great win against Pace Academy last Saturday but followed that up with a huge letdown against Denmark. They’re going to stay at No. 13 only due to some teams below them also suffering losses. 

14. Pace Academy (13-6): Despite losing back-to-back games to McDonough and Milton, the Knights remain at No. 14 in this week’s rankings. Both were relatively close games and they were against teams already ranked higher than them. Nobody behind them has done enough to jump them in this week’s rankings. 

15. Hiram (17-2): The Hornets aren’t beating anyone all that impressive, but they’re doing what they’re supposed to do. They beat Calhoun and Cartersville this past week to improve to 17-2 on the season. They’re up one spot to No. 15. 

16. Jonesboro (16-3): The Cardinals haven’t looked dominant this season, but they’re still winning games and moving in the right direction. Are they a team we can trust in the playoffs? We’ll have to wait and see, but they’re good enough to be ranked No. 16 in this week’s Power 25. 

17. Archer (15-4): The Tigers shouldn’t be happy at all after losing in overtime to South Gwinnett Tuesday night. The Comets are a sneaky good team and could be a team that spoils some brackets in the playoffs, but it’s a game the Tigers should have won. They’re down to No. 17 in this week’s rankings. 

18. Grovetown (11-8): Don’t look now, but here come the Warriors. They’re without a doubt playing their best basketball of the season. They only beat Evans by 10 points on Jan. 10, but just beat them 92-55 on Tuesday. That should tell you everything you need to know about how they’re playing right now. 

19. Cherokee (17-3): The Warriors were the latest team to nearly pull an upset for Wheeler. They lost by nine points, but put up a good effort against the state’s No. 1 team. They’re 17-3 on the season and are up to No. 19 in this week’s Power 25. 

20. Buford (15-5): The Wolves improved to 15-5 on the season after picking up a pair of region wins against Dacula and Mountain View. They’re one of the scrappier teams in the state. 

21. Westside-Augusta (15-5): The Patriots flirted with a loss to Thomson in their last game out, but found a way to win. They improved to 15-5 on the season. 

22. Columbia (20-1): The Eagles were dominant this past week. They beat ELCA 79-40 and then beat Towers 87-32. They’re up to 20 wins on the season. 

23. Johnson-Savannah (16-4): The Atomsmashers have gotten back on track with two more wins to improve to 16-4 on the season. They’re currently ranked as the No. 2 team in Class 3A.

24. North Cobb (16-3): The Warriors almost lost at home to Walton, but pulled it out 52-51 last Friday. They followed that up with a win against Kennesaw Mountain and will now get another crack at No. 1 Wheeler, who they almost upset a couple of weeks ago. 

25. Beach (16-2): It took overtime for the Bulldogs to beat Calvary Day last Friday night. They were able to win 63-56 and now stand at 16-2 on the season. They’re currently ranked No. 3 in Class 3A behind Sandy Creek and Johnson-Savannah.