Skip to main content

Previewing Georgia's 3A State Tournament Bracket

Jamari Dean
14, Feb 2018

Previewing Georgia's 3A State Tournament Bracket

 Put on your dancing shoes, kids. The postseason is officially here and we are excited to see how the state tournament brackets all shake out. Today we dive into the AAA bracket.

STORYLINES 

• Is it Morgan County vs. the field?

• There are some favorites at the top but AAA has a host of teams with 10 losses or more that could make a run for the Final Four. Who will it be?

• How would the bracket play out if Westside Macon’s Khavon Moore wasn’t injured?

THREE BEST FIRST ROUND GAMES

Sonoraville (23-4) vs Pace Academy (16-11)
Pierce County (18-9) vs Cook County (18-9)
Ringgold (19-7) vs Cedar Grove (21-6) 

NOTABLES

Longest winning streak going into the bracket: 16, Greater Atlanta Christian, Johnson of Savannah

Leading scorer, according to MaxPreps, in the bracket: Columbus Kendrick’s Tyler Brooks 23.4 per game.

Biggest Cinderella in the bracket (team with the worst record): Crisp County at 8-20 was the No 4 seed out of Region 1. They will take on Tattnall County in the first round.

Best Player in the bracket: UGA signee Amanze Ngumezi from Johnson of Savannah. The 6-foot-9 forward can beat you inside and out. He’s made big strides in his game since he was a freshman and an anchor of Johnson’s best team since they won state in 2013. 

Junior to Watch: Tyrin Lawrence/Alec Woodward, Morgan County. When you are named Co-Players of the Year in your respective region, you know both are good enough players to stand alone. But they don’t. And that’s why Morgan County will be a tough out...or eventual champ. 

Underclassman to Watch: JaVen Flowers-Smith, a 5-foot-11 freshman guard from Redan High School, led Dekalb County in scoring this season. The rookie pumped in 19.7 points a game this year.  

RELATEDPreviewing Georgia's 7A state bracket's 1st round games | 6A Preview | 5A Preview | 4A Preview 

STORY STARTER POTENTIAL 

Junior Kanaris Cummings, Cedar Grove, JR: My first game watching Kanaris was when he was without his running mate Jamari Dean early in the year but he did not miss a step. The ability to score the basketball is the vocal point of his game and he let everyone know it. Kanaris was strategic when picking his spots and took whatever the defense gave him. Take notice of Kanaris when discussing guards that are capable of scoring in Georgia’s 2019 class.  

Cole Middleton Pace, FR: The 6’5 freshman is a player I’ve been impressed with all season as a guy that gets stuff done. Playing alongside Isaiah Kelly has helped him as the two of them seem to be in sync when connecting on Hi-lo passes and other type of actions. Cole has great instincts and has a motor that keeps him engaged on the floor. As he progresses forward look for him to get some attention from others based on upside alone. 

Brandon Harris, Beach, SOPH: The 6-foot-5 forward could be the next prospect to come out of the talent-rich Savannah area. Beach snuck into the tournament as a No. 4 seed out of Region 3 and now play Central Macon, a senior-laden squad. This could be the stage that pushes Harris into the narrative. 

NUMBER ONE SEEDS

Region 1: Cook County (18-9)
Region 2: Tattnall County (14-13)
Region 3: Savannah Johnson (24-2)
Region 4: Central Macon (20-5)
Region 5: Cedar Grove (21-6)
Region 6: Calhoun (13-13)
Region 7: Greater Atlanta Christian (23-3)
Region 8: Morgan County (26-1)

FINAL FOUR PICKS

Justin Young: Morgan County, Jenkins, Savannah Johnson, Calhoun
Tai Young: Morgan County, Cedar Grove, Savannah Johnson, Hart County

2018 PLAYERS IN OUR GEORGIA RANKINGS 

5. Amanze Ngumezi (Georgia)
16. Isaiah Kelly (Yale)

COLLEGE BOUND PLAYERS IN THE BRACKET

Amanze Ngumezi (University of Georgia)
Carlos Curry (Middle Tennessee State)
Isaiah Kelly (Yale)

TOP FIVE UNSIGNED SENIORS IN THE BRACKET

Tyler Brooks, Kendrick
Jamari Dean, Cedar Grove
Greg Holloway, Westside Macon
Tyrone Scott, Jenkins
Wil Walraven, Sonoraville

2019 PLAYERS IN OUR GEORGIA RANKINGS

Hunter McIntosh (Greater Atlanta Christian)
Alec Woodard(Morgan County)
Tyrin Lawrence(Morgan County)


Justin Young
Editor-in-Chief

Justin Young has been the editor-in-chief of HoopSeen.com since 2013. He manages the day-to-day operations on the site and in conjunction with our national and regional events. He was the national basketball editor for Rivals.com and a contributing editor at Yahoo! Sports. Young has been earned numerous awards for his work in sports journalism, including the Georgia Press Association Columnist of the Year. His Justin Young Basketball recruiting service has been in existence since 2002 and worked with over 300 schools from all levels. He is the director of HoopSeen Elite Preview camps and our national Preview camp series. 

Upcoming Events

Dates
March 29 – 31, 2024
Venue
Suwanee Sports Academy
Who
Girls 5th-11th grades
Event Stature
National
Entry Cost
$350
Dates
March 29 – 31, 2024
Venue
The Finley Center
Who
Boys 6th-12th grades
Event Stature
National
Entry Cost
$475
Dates
April 5 – 7, 2024
Venue
Suwanee Sports Academy
Who
Boys 8th-12th grades
Event Stature
National
Entry Cost
$475