Jonesboro (29-2) vs. Carrollton (27-5)

Jonesboro marched through the AAAA bracket last season with a small core of believers. The Cardinals won the championship, to the surprise of many of the state's most hardcore hoopheads.

This season? Well, that won't be the case. In fact, the Clayton County program is one of the top teams in the country according to the pollsters. There will be no surprising this season. Jonesboro has rolled through the competition in 2014-2015 and playing a suffocating style of defense.

Carrollton will certainly prove to be a worthy opponent. The Trojans don't mind a methodical, grind-it-out slugfest either. The west Georgia group is thick-skinned and battle-tested.

Try this on for size - Jonesboro's average margin of victory this season is 32 points a game. That's an insane number. The Cardinals have offensive balance and defensive confidence. The pressure defense opens the floor for transition buckets and as a whole, Jonesboro is good on the perimeter.

Carrollton will start from the post and work their way out. Georgia Southern bound center Montae Glenn is a load, all 6-foot-8, 255-pounds of him, in the middle. He's been one of the most consistent post players in Georgia all season long.

Match-ups to watch

Jerel Rowe of Carrollton vs. Tracy Hector, Jr. - both are atheltic and rangy. Neither is afraid of a physical match-up.
Montae Glenn of CHS vs. everyone on Jonesboro - it will be interesting to see how JHS match-ups up with the big man in the middle.
Carollton's Cooper Criswell is a perimeter threat. Jonesboro doesn't give up much on the wing. Look for the Cardinals to throw several defenders at the head coach's son.

How Jonesboro got here: Beat Thomson 81-54, St. Pius 67-57, Johnson 50-35, Liberty County 71-43
Jonesboro's 2014-2015 signature wins: Milton 56-37, Westlake 64-43, Miller Grove 73-52, Bartow (FL) 61-59, Dorman (SC) 69-47, Griffin 80-45//62-49//82-62, Spain Park (AL) 64-58

How Carrollton got here: Beat Columbia 51-43, Burke Co. 84-61, Upson Lee 77-60, Cairo 48-45
Carrollton's 2014-2015 signature wins: New Manchester 72-66, Oxford (AL) 74-54, Paulding County 57-38, North Cobb 57-28, Harrison 54-47//61-52, Pleasure Ridge Park (KY) 61-48, Archer 67-61, Sandy Creek 52-44//53-35, North Cobb Christian 58-39

Justin Young's prediction: Jonesboro wins 62-51