We’re opening the first full week of postseason play with some of the region tournaments to watch. We’ve turned our focus to 5A which has several of note. 

Here are three that we’ll be locked in on. 

5-5A: 5-5A presents several contenders. It’s one of the more interesting region tournaments overall because one could make a case for several teams to emerge as champs. 

At the top, Tri-Cities is always a contender for state championship gold. Not just region championship gold. They’re one of the best, most reliable programs in 5A, and they have a pair of guards built for tournaments like these. Malique Johnson and Tre Keith are two bucket getters that can take over games. 

Likewise, Maynard Jackson has Cassius Watkins and Yusef Bowyer who are two-way guards that can lead the Jaguars on a run if they get hot. 

Another contender to watch is Chapel Hill. The Panthers have wins over the previously mentioned schools and have the most intriguing post presence in the field in 6-foot-10 Ramon Soyoye. 

6-5A: The major storyline in this tournament is Kell. The Longhorns are on a mission to repeat as 5A champion, and so far, they look to be in a great position to do so. 

The next step on their journey will see them go after the 6-5A tournament crown for the second consecutive year. 

Kell has been a dominant force in 5A through their first two seasons back in the classification. A region championship trophy could help add to their budding dynasty. 

8-5A: This is a North Georgia tournament to keep an eye on. 

At the top, No. 1 seed Winder-Barrow has been a perennial stalwart in North Georgia. It’s a program that consistently has solid talent and the coaching to keep that talent on an upward trajectory. 

The No. 2 seeded Clarke Central is led by 2025 G Marcus Gillespie who still rates as one of the most underrated college prospects in the state. Gillespie is a do-everything player for Clarke Central. 

While Winder-Barrow holds a 2-0 advantage over the Gladiators, Gillespie is the kind of player that can lead an upset in this situation.

Regardless, this is a good opportunity to see some prospects outside of the immediate Atlanta Metro.