2015 #MarchToMacon: AAAAAA Preview
The Class AAAAAA bracket of the Georgia High School Association state tournament is loaded. That shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. There are several capable teams that could hoist the trophy up in Macon on March 7. We take a broad look at the entire bracket and preview what should be a wild, and fun, three weeks in the Peach State.
BEST FIRST ROUND GAMES
Langston Hughes at Hillgrove: If you like sophomores, this is your game. Langston Hughes has some of the best sophomores in the state (see below) while Hillgrove is paced by Collin Sexton, who was named Region 4-AAAAAA Player of the Year. Hughes is a budding program and one that will be a staple in the post-season for a couple more years to come. On the flip side, Hillgrove is no stranger to success in the GHSA state tournament. The Hawks are 7-2 over the last two brackets. That's an impressive feat. Hughes is coming out of Region 3 - the best region in the state this season in our opinion - as the No. 3 seed.
North Gwinnett at Dacula: Two well-balanced teams with star power. Both teams will compete until the final buzzer and this one could come down to the final couple of possessions. We wouldn't be surprised to see that storyline play out.
Milton at Alpharetta: The battle of North Fulton was a thriller last time these two met. Alex O'Connell drilled a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give Milton the win. Think Alpharetta remembers that? You better believe it. More on this match-up below.
TEAMS MOST LIKELY TO PLAY CINDERELLA
Only five No. 1 seeds lost in the entire first round of the GHSA state tournaments last year. Five of 40. Chew on that for a moment. That said, there aren't a lot of Cinderella possibilities in AAAAAA this year.
If you had to pick one, keep an eye on Westlake. The Lions could play the role of spoiler in a fantastic first round battle against McEachern. The Fulton County school wins the size battle against a lot of teams and McEachern is a guard-oriented squad.
Also, be sure to keep an eye on the Lambert vs. Cherokee game.
FIRST ROUND MUST-SEE MATCH-UPS
Big man battle - Devontae Cacok (Alpharetta) vs. Chris Lewis (Milton). Milton won on a last-second shot the last time these two played.
Long, athletic wing battle - Kam Calhoun (North Gwinnett) vs. Kevon Tucker (Dacula). Calhoun is one of the best defenders in the state while Tucker is a match-up problem, scoring in and out.
STAR POWER
Jaylen Brown, Wheeler: We are in the final hours of the best player in the state's high school career. He's chasing something he's never been able to pull off - a state championship. Can the McDonald's All-American pull off the prize?
Pebblebrook: The team boasts the state's top senior point guard in Clemson bound Ty Hudson and the state's top center Derek Ogbeide, who signed with Georgia. Junior guard Jared Harper is one of the best shooters in the state. Trhae Mitchell is playing as well as anyone on the defensive end in the state, too.
Chuma Okeke, Langston Hughes: The 6-foot-7 sophomore has had a major breakout year. He's the leading scorer in the AAAAAA bracket at 22.8 points a game and if Khalil Cuffee (19.1 ppg) can't go because of an injury he sustained in the region tournament, Okeke will be asked to shoulder more of the scoring load. Okeke is one of the toughest players to defend in the state because he can burn you inside and out. He's at his very best as a crafty post scorer.
Bryce Brown, Tucker: The future Auburn Tiger is having a monster senior season for the Tigers. He's one of the best shooters in the state and Tucker is taking care of business in their first year in the state's biggest classification. Brown is one of the state's most exciting offensive players.
STORYLINES OF NOTE
- Did you know there are three teams in the AAAAAA bracket that have not lost to a Georgia team this season? They are Tift County, Wheeler and Shiloh.
- Best record going into the tournament? Tift County at 26-1. The worst record going into the tournament? Lovejoy at 6-14.
- There are 16 teams in the bracket that have won over 20 games this season.
- There hasn't been a repeat state champ in Georgia's biggest class since 2008 when Norcross won its third straight title.
- Tift County's championship last season was the first non-Atlanta school to win the championship in the biggest class since 1998. Since there, the champ has come from either Cobb, Gwinnett or Fulton counties.
JUSTIN YOUNG'S PROJECTED FINAL FOUR: Tucker, Shiloh, Wheeler, Pebblebrook
JUSTIN YOUNG'S AAAAAA PROJECTED CHAMP: Wheeler
CARTER WILSON'S PROJECTED FINAL FOUR: Tucker, Shiloh, Wheeler, Pebblebrook