All-Class Final Rankings

People who know Georgia basketball know that the classification system, as far as roundball is concerned, doesn't mean all that much. Sure, the smallest schools in the state have around 100 kids total (while Mill Creek has close to 4,000) but it only takes a few players to make a team great. So I present to you the final All-Class Rankings for the 2007-2008 year. You might be surprised at the mix of classifications represented in the poll, or you might not...

Boys

1. Norcross - 5A champion

2. Wheeler - 5A runner-up

3. Columbia - 4A champion 

4. Savannah - 5A semifinals

5. Wesleyan - 2A champion

6. Fayette County - 4A runner-up

7. Glenn Hills - 3A champion

8. Miller Grove - 4A semifinals

9. Centennial - 5A sweet 16

10. McEachern - 5A sweet 16

11. Westlake - 4A semifinals

12. Carver-Columbus - 3A runner-up

13. Dunwoody - 3A semifinals

14. Northview - 5A quarterfinals

15. Lithia Springs - 4A quarterfinals

16. Hiram - 5A semifinals

17. Hancock Central - 1A champion

18. East Laurens - 2A runner-up

19. Turner County - 1A runner-up

20. Marietta - 5A sweet 16

21. Hart County - 3A semifinals

22. Berkmar - 5A quarterfinals

23. Turner County - 1A runner-up

24. East Hall - 3A quarterfinals

25. Lovett - 2A semifinals  

Just out, in no particular order: Portal (1A), Douglass (5A), South Atlanta (3A), Dublin (2A), Randolph-Clay (2A), Southwest Atlanta Christian (1A), Rome (4A), Jonesboro (4A), Pace Academy (2A), Liberty County (3A), Blessed Trinity (3A)

Of course, a list like this begs the question: Should our state consider instituting an all-class playoff, or at least an all-state championship mini-tourney after all the classification titles are determined? Yeah, it would be a long shot for a team like Hancock Central to get to a final game against a Norcross or Wheeler, but it wouldn't quite be a Milan-Muncie Central-type underdog situation, a la "Hoosiers". Let me know what you think; send your comments to aewalt@scoreatl.com. 

Class 2A Championship Game Review

Girls

Wesleyan's girls hoops program has become the most dominant program in the state, and might be the most dominant team in any sport right now. It was never a contest for the Lady Wolves against Paideia, which they had already beaten by double-figures earlier in the year, as Wesleyan dismantled the Pythons 79-40. 

This was never a game. Wolves star center/point guard/do-everything player Anne Marie Armstrong didn't hardly have to break a sweat the way her teammates were playing. Armstrong had 40 points in the semifinals win, but left it to guards Erin Hall and Aysia McKenzie to shoot Paideia right out of the gym. Judean Hanks and Chantel Kennedy also helped in executing the Wolves' run-and-gun style, while Hall just hung out around the NBA 3-point line and hit 6-7 treys on the afternoon.

Paideia has a lot to be proud of, upsetting Randolph-Clay to get to the final in the first place. Thing is they ran into one of the best all-around teams in Georgia in the championship. Like I mentioned in my live blog of this game, Wesleyan loses one senior (reserve Carter Johnson) and drops down to Single-A next year. Not fair.

Boys

Howard Thompkins won a mythical national championship at Oak Hill last year (team finished No. 1 in USA Today poll), but something tells me he values this title just a little bit more. The Georgia-bound senior, who wasn't able to play after hurting his back halfway through the second quarter, relished the performances of his teammates down the stretch, becoming the most animated and vocal supporter of the team from the bench. When the game was over and the Wolves had beaten East Laurens 68-51 for the school's first boys title, Thompkins just stood with his arms outstretched, later embracing fellow post-player Erik Strong, who was crying tears of joy. 

How'd they do it? Tanner Smith. The Clemson signeee scored 27 points and dominated the game from the time Thompkins went out. His performance may be the best of the entire playoff season.

2A Girls Championship Game - Paideia vs. Wesleyan

Final impressions

Paideia was a bit of a surprise to make it this far, but can take a lot away from this playoff season in which they defeated powerhouse Randolph-Clay to get to the finals. Wesleyan, in my eyes, cements a dynasty in girls basketball, and get this: they only lose ONE SENIOR, Carter Johnson (who, after her spill in the second quarter, was fine, by the way). Preseason No. 1, anybody?

Fourth quarter

79-40 is your final score. The Wolves win their fourth title in five years.

Aneesah Daniels hits two free throws for Paideia with 30 seconds left. She has been the star for the Pythons.

Credit to the Paideia fanbase, which was loudest at the end of the game. The Wolves fans were also really enthusiastic about seeing their reserves get into the game for the final minute and a half or so.

Maybe the prettiest play of the game: Judean Hanks of the Wolves lobs the ball for a stationary Hall, who jumps, catches the ball, and lofts up a nice eight-footer all before coming back down  

Paideia's star center Kaci Palmore, who we haven't heard much from in this game, gets a layup. With 2:43, she gets another one. Hopefully the senior can get a few more points before her career is over. Score is 71-34. 

Very quietly, Anne Marie Armstrong is having herself a heck of a championship game. But Erin Hall is showing me that she can carry a team with her long-range shooting. She just drained another deep, deep trey at the 4:30 mark. Next Wolves possession she hits another one. Unbelievable.

Third quarter

A pretty sizable crowd is already settled in to watch the Wesleyan boys take on East Laurens right after this one. On a completely unrelated note, what looks to be one of the girls team's managers is on the bench wearing an all-white suit. Looking good, man. Looking good.

Armstrong with another swat. The Wolves are slowing things down a little bit on offense, but the defense is as intense as ever. Abraham scores another two down low for Paideia, however, and Walker follows with a layup on the next possession for the Pythons. The deficit is still at 34

Alex Abraham, 5-10 sophomore for Paideia, gets the hoop and the foul. She hits the free throw for the old-fashioned three-point play. The Pythons turn on the pressure after the made free throw, but Wesleyan breaks the press and Baughn draws a foul. 59-24 with the free throws.

Timeout Wesleyan at the 3:39 mark. Jan Azar didn't like the offense, apparently, which was stagnating a little bit. Hard to complain with a 34-point lead, however.

Speaking of Erin Hall, she just hit a 3 from beyond the NBA arc. Impressive. It's 52-19 in the first few minutes of the third. A minute later, it's Hall again from deep.

Halftime impressions

Armstrong is the best player on the court, but it's Wesleyan's guard play and outside shooting that's dominated the game so far.

There is one girl (or several girls, it's hard to tell) in the Wesleyan crowd that scream their heads off during every Paideia free throw. The rest of the student section just covers their ears.

Asked a Wesleyan parent if Erin Hall is related to Chad Hall, former Wolves basketball and football standout who just finished his collegiate football career at Air Force. The two are cousins.

Second quarter

Paideia's Alana Pulliam hits one of two free throws to make it 43-17. At the VERY LAST, and I mean VERY LAST second of the half, Wesleyan's McKenzie hits a layup to make it 47-17. Paideia will absolutely have to find more offense than Aneesah Daniels if they want to put up more points in the second half. But you'll have to excuse me for a second; I can't hear myself think because of the ovation the Wesleyan boys just got as they ran on for a shootaround.

Wesleyan's Carter Johnson is down momentarily, shaken up after a run-in with Paideia's Daniels. With a little help, she makes it to the bench. It's not a leg injury; just looks like she took a shot.

Hall with another trey, score is now 41-13 with a minute and a half remaining in the second.

Paideia's Daniels gets a transition layup, but Wesleyan strikes right back with an easy bucket from Chantel Kennedy. They can really punish you for not getting back on defense. The score stands at 31-9 with 3:36 left in the half.

Armstrong with a HUGE block on a Paideia big on one end of the flooer, beginning a fast break that she ends off a rebound and put-back.

I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but I believe Armstrong is 0-2 from the floor. Wesleyan just has more weapons at their disposal than Paideia. As I type this, sophomore Judean Hanks hits a three to make it 26-7. After a steal on the inbounds, Armstrong gets the ball down low and gets fouled. She makes one free throw to push it to 27-7. 

This Wesleyan team is deadly from the outside. Sophomore Erin Hall is the latest Lady Wolf to show off a very effective jumper, making it 23-6 with a 15-footer.

Wesleyan gets the ball at the start of the second, and Grace Leah Baughn ends up getting free for an easy layup. Whether Armstrong is trying to post up or hanging around the perimeter, she draws attention.

First quarter

Paideia has made it very clear what their defensive strategy is: double team Armstrong. They're denying her the ball, alright, but are getting killed from the outside. Paideia center Aneesah Daniels takes a hard fall, but steps to the free throw line. She misses both, but after a scramble for the rebound, ends up taking the last shot of the quarter, an airball three. Paideia will try to regroup after a rough first period. 17-6 Wesleyan.

Another sweet jumper from McKenzie makes it 15-2, and a layup from Hayley Hughes makes it 17-2. 

FINALLY! Paideia gets on the board with a layup, but not after Wesleyan scored the game's first 13 points. 

Paideia better be careful; they're down 11-0 to start the game and just turned the ball over. Timeout Pythons.

McKenzie with another nice 3-pointer. She's got a great looking shot. Armstrong can run, pass and rebound. She's very versatile. 

Wesleyan's Aysia McKenzie hits a jumper for the first points of the game. 3-0 Wolves.

Anne Marie Armstrong easily won the tip. Both teams look a little too eager at the start of the game, as they are missing a lot of shots and playing a little sloppy. I think they'll settle down once they ease into things.

Girls Final Four Previews

CLASS AAAAA: SUPRISES AND FAVORITES ADVANCE

Duluth vs. Redan: Neither team was expected to advance this far. The Duluth Wildcats had never even reached the semifinal round before, while Redan was a No. 3 seed out of Region 2 and did not get to play a single state tournament game at home. Duluth’s not-so-secret weapon Mykala Walker exploded in the quarterfinal round, scoring a game-high 22 points – including 11 points in the fourth quarter – and the Wildcats’ defense shocked the state by holding top-seeded Parkview to just 37 points. For Redan, Alisha Andrews is lethal scorer and can score 20 points at will. So don’t let that “No. 3 seed” label fool you, Duluth: Redan beat their three state tournament opponents by an average of almost 16 points.

Mill Creek vs. Stephenson: Mill Creek went through the majority of the 2007-08 season as the top-ranked team in the Score Prep Top Ten poll. Porsha Porter eclipsed the 1,000-point mark as a junior last year, and she was selected to the North-South Senior All-Star Game as well. She is joined by stars Moneshia Simmons and Olivia Towers-Solis, among several other well-rounded players. Their opponents, the Stephenson Jaguars, have experienced much frustration in the past three seasons, falling to the Maya Moore-led Collins Hill Eagles twice and South Gwinnett once. With Score Prep DeKalb Player of the Year Jylisa Williams, the Jaguars know there is no better time than now to get over the hump and win a state title.

Tad Arapoglou can be reached at tarapoglou@scoreatl.com.

CLASS AAAA: PANTHERS HAVE ANOTHER SHOT AT STATE TITLE

Fayette County vs. Madison County: The Tigers made it 2-for-2 in reaching the state semifinals along with the boys team, but they won’t be sitting in the shadow. Sophomore Anma Onyeuku has led the team thus far and did again in the quarters with 14 points. Junior Tessa Holt can do a little bit of everything. The Tigers know how to win close games, and they proved it by beating Jonesboro by two points in the quarterfinal round. On the other side, head coach Dan Lampe’s Red Raiders rely on junior center/forward Courtney Freeman to lead the team. Freeman helped the Red Raiders score a bit of an upset as they shut down Mays 67-57 in the quarterfinals and advanced to the Final Four.

Southwest DeKalb vs. Westlake: Head coach Kathy Richey-Walton’s Southwest DeKalb team has never won a state title, but the Panthers could change that this season. Future South Carolina Gamecock Charenee Stephens has been unstoppable thus far and Kayla Lewis is more than pitching in during this run. Both scored 20 points in the quarterfinal round. The Panthers entered the tournament as the No. 1 team. Meanwhile, Westlake is led by junior Tamika Willis and sophomore Dalia Robinson, who both play beyond their years. Willis has averaged 20 points per game so far this tournament. Westlake, No. 3 entering the tournament, blew out Baldwin 66-40 to reach the semifinals.

Fletcher Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com.

CLASS AAA: SENIORS ARE THE STORY IN SEMIFINALS

Kendrick vs. Carrollton: The Kendrick Lady Cherokees have come so close to winning a state title over the past few years, and this year may be their best chance to do it. Seniors Jane McKinney and Mukia Merrick will be two of the best players on display this weekend. The team’s only weakness could stream from their dominance. Will they stay composed if someone finally plays them close? Carrollton was eliminated in the Elite Eight in the past three seasons, but under the leadership of point guard Velicia Bell, they finally got over the hump this season. The Trojans have been blowing away the competition, winning all of their tournament games by at least 12 points.

Monroe Area vs. Glenn Hills: Monroe Area rely heavily seniors Maya Brown and Brittany Kirkland. Both of them can fill up the stat sheet. Dee Gober is also a threat. A lack of size could provide a problem. Brown is the tallest of the bunch at 5-9. Glenn Hills’ Ciara Lyons is a pure scorer. She averaged 25 points per game in the regular season. Stopping her is out of the question. But Glenn Hills will need their supporting cast to step up to win a state title. The Spartans flew under the radar this season due to seven losses, but they have had tremendous success since winning the Region 3-AAA Tournament. They even opened the state tournament with a 74-29 victory over Crisp County.

Josh Bagriansky can be reached at jbagriansky@scoreatl.com.

CLASS AA: LADY WOLVES SEEK FOURTH TITLE IN FIVE YEARS

Randolph-Clay vs. Paideia: The Randolph-Clay Lady Red Devils, like the boys team, is headed to Macon. The girls lost in dramatic fashion in the semis against Wesleyan last year (and guess who is lurking on the other side of the bracket?). Paideia’s Cinderella story continues, as the private school will take on Randolph-Clay’s girls on Thursday. Paideia, coached by Paul Meire, Jr., enjoyed a 14-game winning streak up until the region semifinals loss against Greater Atlanta Christian. Meire’s Lady Pythons are certainly battle-tested, and will look to pull off the upset over Randolph-Clay, a powerhouse that comes into the contest with a 26-3 record.

Wesleyan vs. Savannah Christian: Wesleyan isn’t all about Anne Marie Armstrong (the Score Prep Gwinnett Player of the Year), but the versatile player was near the top of the Gwinnett statistics in points and rebounds. She’s helped out by Erin Hall, a 5-foot-8 sophomore shooting guard and the team’s second-leading scorer. Wesleyan’s girls are going for their fourth state AA title in five years, but have Savannah Christian to contend with first. The Lady Raiders will be underdogs coming into this matchup, but Adrienne Defillipis and Meredith Stephens can really fill it up from beyond the arc. They will have to continue their hot shooting if there is to be an upset on Thursday.

Alex Ewalt can be reached at aewalt@scoreatl.com.

CLASS A: HIGH-POWERED OFFENSES TO LIGHT UP SCOREBOARD

Calvary Day vs. Towns County: It seems opposites always attract, whether it be in relationships or sports, which is the case between these two teams. Calvary Day brings height and a little bit of an older roster, while Towns is led by their youth and excitement. Calvary Day’s Katie Covington and Anna Moody are excellent players on the interior for the Cavaliers. For Towns, however, junior Nikki Winn and sophomore Kerri Abernathy lead the Towns attack. Their youthful exuberance helps fuel their high-scoring offense and somewhat counteracts their inexperience. Towns County rarely has trouble putting up points, and before from squeaking away with a 45-40 win last round, the team scored 63 and 71 in the first two rounds, respectively.

Terrell County vs. SW Atlanta Christian: While this game will feature two teams who have won titles in the last three years, most eyes will be following Terrell County’s Monshay Thomas. This all-state player won Region Player of the Year last year and is averaging six assists and eight rebounds on the year. To balance out, Southwest Atlanta Christian will rely on their balanced offensive attack with Latanya Scott, Mariah Eades and Briana Brown. Eades led five double-digit scorers with 15 in their quarterfinal victory. Southwest Atlanta Christian’s offensive game has been on fire lately, as the team has averaged 66 points per game in the state tournament and has scored 70-plus points in its past two games.

Jason Boral can be reached at jboral@scoreatl.com.

2A semifinal preview

Dublin wasn't about to relinquish it's hold on Class 2A boys basketball, even though Randolph-Clay was ranked No. 1 and undefeated. The Fighting Irish can still defend last year's championship after knocking off the Red Devils 80-79 in a truly great high school basketball game. Dublin's Rashard Smith was huge in this one, scoring 20 points to lead his team to victory. Randolph-Clay's Dexter Ellington had 27 in the losing effort, and his team had a last second desperation shot to win. On that same side of the bracket, Wesleyan took care of business against Region 6 counterpart Pace Academy, even though the score was probably a little too close for comfort for the Wolves, who are seeking the first state title for the program. In the end, the inside game of Howard Thompkins, Tanner Smith and Erik Strong proved too much for Pace, and Wesleyan took a 59-52 win and a berth in the Final Four.

East Laurens will meet Lovett on the other side. East Laurens is really, really good. They obliterated a fine Long County team 79-53 to get to the semifinals, and Lovett handled Coosa 58-51 for the Final Four berth. Lovett came on strong after a potentially disastrous 2-5 start overall and a 1-5 start in the region, and now hopes to ride Andre Hicks and Alex Elam into the final game, as the football team did back in December. 

The Wesleyan girls are on pace to cement their dynasty in Class 2A, as they will go for their fourth title in the last five seasons. The team handled Buford by a double-digit margin in the quarters, which is something they did to the other Wolves three times during the regular season. Savannah Christian took down Josey on Friday, as Meredith Stevens, Adrienne DeFilippis and Alyson Faircloth shot the Lady Eagles out of the gym. If they can stay hot, they'll at least have a chance to knock off Wesleyan. 

Randolph-Clay advanced over Laney to face No. 4 seed Paideia, which is enjoying an unlikely run that unfortunately might be stopped in its tracks against the formidable Lady Red Devils. Randolph-Clay's girls hardly ever allow an opponent to get to 50 points.

5A sectionals at Marietta High School

Just got back from two excellent basketball games on this Elite 8 Friday. Let's start with the girls game, which began at 7 p.m. 

Parkview came in as a big favorite in this one, but Mykala Walker didn't care. She scored 22 points - including 11 in the fourth quarter - to put the Lady Wildcats in the Final Four with the 51-37 win.

She hit jumpers, she got to the rim, she rebounded the ball - this was one of the most impressive performances I've seen by a basketball player all year. If Walker gets the ball around the basket, she'll find a way to make it go in, or she'll get fouled. She took over the ballgame against No. 1 seed Parkview - and she's just a junior. A star has emerged.

It wasn't just a cakewalk for Duluth, as the score might suggest. They led by only three points after the third quarter - 29-26 - but blew it open from there, and even got to empty their bench with less than a minute remaining.

Mykala Walker... remember that name. She's got Duluth peaking at the right time.

Norcross vs. Northview 

It stayed close for a while, but Norcross slowly wore Northview down and cruised through the second half for a 75-60 victory. It was only a two-point lead for the Blue Devils after the first quarter, but Al-Farouq Aminu (29 points), A.J. Hawkins and Taariq Muhammad were too much for the Titans to handle.

Northview, however, has to get credit for hanging with one of the best teams in the nation. The Titans were talented enough to knock off Marietta, keeping them from playing the quarters in their own gym in a Blue Devil-on-Blue Devil matchup, but Ralph Sampson III's efforts couldn't overcome Norcross' efficient offensive play. 

An interesting sub-plot to this game: Norcross' Hawkins, a senior forward, transferred from Northview to join Eddie Martin's Blue Devil squad. 

Both fanbases were as spirited as I've seen, and Norcross supporters now have a lot to cheer about. Their Blue Devils will be at Gwinnett Arena for a shot at a three-peat.

Class 2A quarterfinals preview

This week will tell us all we need to know about Randolph-Clay basketball, as both teams are in the quarterfinals at Savannah State University tonight. Boys coach Joe Williams, in his 27th year with the program, eclipsed the 1,000-win milestone earlier in the season but wants to add a seventh state championship to his many accomplishments. Led by 6-foot-6 forward Jeremy Bennett, who was a nominee for the McDonald's All-American team, the Red Devils will meet defending champion Dublin for a Final Four berth. Dublin has only one senior on the roster, as Nick McRae, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound football commitment to Georgia Tech, provides the upperclassman leadership (he also has a football state title).

In the other matchups, Wesleyan meets 6-AA mate Pace Academy. These two teams met on Jan. 2, and the Wolves took home a 67-55 victory. Talented forwards Zuri James and Allen Mallory will try and pull off the upset over Wesleyan. Lovett makes the third team from that region to get to the Elite 8. 5-foot-9 guard Andre Hicks may be short in stature, but he plays as big on the basketball court as he does on the football field. He'll try and lead the Lions to the Final Four in two sports.

For the girls, Randolph-Clay wants to get back to the Final Four after a crushing defeat against Wesleyan in the waning seconds of the state semifinals last year. They'll face a Laney team that's currently riding a 15-game winning streak and fresh off an 83-66 blowout of Vidalia in the previous round. Glentrice Sapp's 26 led the Lady Wildcats in the contest. 

As in the boys bracket, three Region 6 teams remain for the girls, and it would have been four had Greater Atlanta Christian not been upset by Coosa. Wesleyan takes on rival Buford, and Paideia will face Coosa, which beat GAC 60-56 on Wednesday.  Paideia's Kaci Palmore had an amazing 20 rebounds in the 49-45 win over Manchester. Wesleyan and Anne Marie Armstrong will be the favorite to win their fourth title in five years, but they have to get past Buford first. 

Class 3A quarterfinals preview

From Score Atlanta reporter Josh Bagriansky:

If there's anything we know about the state tournament, it's that we don't really know anything. I have to admit, I was one of those Region 5-AAA snobs who was sure that at least two of those teams were destined for the Final Four. But after Hart County beat Blessed Trinity, only Dunwoody remains from the region.

The fall of 5-AAA has been the story for me. We always hear about the teams in the metro area, but there is great basketball being played all throughout the state. Big-time props go out to Flowery Branch, East Hall and Hart County; all three defeated 5-AAA teams at some point in the tournament and are headed to the Elite 8 this weekend.

One non-Atlanta team to watch is Glenn Hills, which hasn't lost a game since just before Christmas. The team has a great duo in Chris Reynolds and Jerel Stephenson, who were key in the win over defending champion Jordan last round.

I've still got to say that Dunwoody is my favorite to win it all. They're loaded with talent and impossible for most of these 3A teams to match up with. Delwan Graham and Chris Singleton are a ridiculous combination of size and athleticism, and the backcourt of Pierre Jordan and Issiah Grayson can get them the ball in scoring position all day long. But like I said, none of us know as much as we think, and that's what makes the tournament so great.

As for the girls, it looks like Kendrick just might get it done this year. They've come so close over the past several seasons; and if they don't get it done now, they might not get back for a while with all the talent that will graduate (four of five starters are seniors). The two most talented teams in the state are likely them and Hephzibah, which face off in the next round. Jasmine Judge is a do-it-all talent that will give them a shot against the Lady Cherokees. Look for Carrollton to make some noise as well, as they play Franklin County in the next round.

Bagriansky can be reached at JoshB914@gmail.com.

Class 4A quarterfinals preview

From Score Atlanta reporter Fletcher Proctor:

The second round is in the books and only 16 teams remain: eight on the guys' side and eight on the girls' side. Overall, NO. 1 Westlake, behind another strong showing from Oklahoma-bound Raymond Willis, is set to go against Rashad Hassan and Riverdale, the Region 4-AAAA champion. Willis netted 38 points in Westlake's 74-69 second-round win and he has 56 points for the playoffs in total. Elsewhere, No. 2 Columbia struggled from the free-throw line, hitting only 15 of 32, but still advanced to face Tony Woods and Rome in the quarters.

On the other side of the draw, Noel Johnson recorded 28 points, one game after hitting for 30, and Fayette County survived to face Jonesboro, who eked out a one-point win over Statesboro. The final quadrant finds No. 4 Lithia Springs's Jeremy Flagg going against Miller Grove's Mfon Udofia, who struggled to find his shot in the second round. Miller Grove was averaging 70 ppg before only tallying 59 in the win over Cherokee.

As for the girls, No. 1 Southwest DeKalb is looking stronger by the game. Their record now stands at 28-2 after taking down Norgthwest Whitfield 68-53 behind Charenee Stephens's 17 points and Eboni Mitchell's 16. Kayla Lewis will also look to pitch in when the team faces Region 8 champion Clarke Central in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, in the top of the bracket, No. 3 Westlake moved past Americus-Sumter behind the efforts of Sharnae Boykin (33 points) and Tamika Willis (22 points). Dalia robinson will be an excellent third spoke of Westlake's triumvirate when the Lions take on Baldwin. Tessah Holt is one Fayette County player that Northside-Warner Robins will want to try and contain. Holt scored 21 in the Bainbridge blowout and she gets help from Anma Onyeuku. But the Eagles can counter with Tai Brown, who can score in bunches. Finally, Mays senior Sade' Means hit for 24 points in the second round and is looking to take down No. 7 Madison County and Courtney Freeman in the quarters.

Proctor can be reached at fproctor@scoreatl.com.

Class A quarterfinals preview

From Score Atlanta reporter Jason Boral:

While there have yet to be any buzzer beaters in the boys Single-A tournament, the favorites have moved on, setting up some fantastic matches in the later rounds. The game between Southwest Atlanta Christian and Wilkinson County will feature the last two state champions. WilCo is a danger from outside, as seen by the 13 threes they knocked in as a team on Tuesday. Southwest Atlanta will rely on its big man Joel Lamb, making the game a contest of inside-outside play.

As for great matchups, both Whitefield Academy and Hancock Central won on the road on Tuesday, meaning one of their seasons will end when they play each other at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. We will have three No. 1 seeds one No. 2 seed in the Final Four for the boys.

On the other side of the bracket, all-state candidate David Buchannon led the Portal Panthers into the quarterfinals to face Terrell County. Buchannon reminded most of a reversible jacket, working well inside and out while scoring 25 points. His one-man show will have to be at its peak if the Panthers want to defeat Terrell.

Terrell County probably earned the sweetest victory on the girls side by beating Treutlen. Not only did they earn a spot in the Elite 8 against Savannah Country Day, they avenged last year's season-ending loss at the hands of Treutlen. The Greenwaves of Terrell boast two players who aren't strangers to the 20+ points-a-game category in Monshay Thomas and Shayla Jester. But against Savannah Country Day, the points will be tougher to come by because of their stellar defense.

We all know that while defense wins championships, it's offense that sells tickets. Meaning, the game between the Southwest Atlanta Christian and Gordon Lee girls should have a packed house. SWAC brings to the table the "Three Amigos" of offense with Latanya Scott, Briana Brown, and Mariah Eaves, who all scored in double digits in their second-round victory. On the other bench, don't take your eyes off Kori Penland. She might be more machine than girl, scoring over 38 points multiple times this season.

Boral can be reached at jboral@scoreatl.com.

Class 5A quarterfinals preview

From Score Atlanta reporter and Score Prep Fulton editor Erik Horne:

Ho-hum. Norcross just keeps rolling along towards a seemingly destined return to the state finals. The same can go for Wheeler, as it looks like the two are speeding towards each other like locomotives with 40-inch verticals. Don't think the Wildcats have forgotten their first-round loss to the Devils last season. The entire state has its fingers crossed for a Dequan Jones - Al-Farouq Aminu showdown on March 7.

After the two heavyweights, there are still some teams looking to shock the state. Northview has the tall task of playing the Blue Devils in the quarters, but if anyone can rise to the occasion, it's triple-double machine Ralph Sampson III. Also, if Berkmar superstar Wesley Witherspoon can out-dunk Jones and the Wildcats, then the Patriots will have a good shot at the crown. Three other teams have beaten their first two opponents by 18 points or more (Douglass, Stephenson and Savannah), so expect the unexpected. 

For the girls, it's strange not to see Collins Hill on your bracket, but Mill Creek and Porsha Porter have taken the torch of Gwinnett playoff success and are running with it. Porter was dominant against Berkmar and will need to be again against Marietta. The No. 1 Hawks and No. 2 Blue Devils will clash in the best matchup - boys or girls - of the 5A quarterfinals.

Don't sleep on the Parkview-Duluth game, because I don't think anyone has the guts to tell Duluth its dream run is over. The Wildcats fought off Chattahoochee's fab freshman Erika Ford (26.5 ppg in the state tournament) to advance to face the No. 6 Panthers. ... It would be a crime not to mention the beatdowns Stephenson has been administering thus far. Not many squads can stop Jylisa Williams from getting to the rack and Luella will be the next to bear witness. Williams and Co. have only conceded 36 points in their first two games.

Finally, keep an eye on the Douglass-Redan matchup, as the region rivals will meet for the fourth time this season. The Astros hold a 2-1 series advantage.

This weekend won't be short of action in Class 5A hoops.

Horne can be reached at ehorne@scoreatl.com.

First Weekend reflections...

Welcome hoops fans!

Alex Ewalt here ... as the prep beat writer for Score Atlanta and the editor of our Cherokee and DeKalb prep papers, I've had the chance to see a lot of great basketball this season.

Just one weekend in the books for the 2008 high school basketball tournament, and there's already so much to talk about. I'll start with two first round games that drew a lot of attention:

Call it what you want, but Dacula's win over Tucker in the first round of the Class 4A boys bracket was no upset. We at Score had the Falcons ranked highly for much of the regular season, and in fact, put them above Tucker for many of those weeks. Dacula's Trent Kammerer (6-foot-8) and Brian Cole (6-foot-9) are talented enough to put them in the "sleeper" category, but first, the Falcons will have to beat a fine Lithia Springs team on Tuesday to get to the quarterfinals.

Ok, you can call it an upset, but East Hall's victory over South Atlanta was not the shocker everyone is making it out to be; remember, East Hall is the defending state champion. This year, the Vikings are at it again, beating the Hornets 63-60 at home in the first round and holding the most talented player in the southeastern United States, Derrick Favors, to just 11 points. Anyone who saw South Atlanta's loss to Blessed Trinity in the 5-AAA region tournament can see what everyone's strategy against the highly touted big man will be going forward into next year. I was at that game, and saw that double and triple teams - as well as constantly and aggressively denying him the basketball - can cause him to lose focus, But I can't be too hard on the junior, who will undoubtedly mature between now and next season.

Changing gears ... is it Stephenson's year to win the 5A girls title? Former Collins Hill phenom Maya Moore is now tearing it up in Storrs, Conn., for the Lady Huskies, and Dennis Watkins's team has the senior leadership, in the form of Jylisa Williams and Taylor Turnbow, to win it all. There's a similar situation in Class 4A girls hoops, as Southwest DeKalb finds itself in pole position after playing third fiddle to St. Pius X and Marist the last two years. Current Tenessee Lady Vol Kelley Cain, so instrumental in Pius' consecutive championships, is gone, and SWD has the upperclasman experience (Charenee Stephens and Eboni Mitchell) to take home the title.

In Single-A boys hoops, there are some interesting matchups that could materialize in the next week. Look for powerhouses Whitefield Academy and Hancock Central to meet on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Georgia Highlands College in Rome, and for Southwest Atlanta Christian and Wilkinson County to follow at 8:30 p.m. at the same site. That, my friends, is good basketball no matter what classification you follow.

I'm planning on catching the Miller Grove-Cherokee second-round boys matchup on Tuesday in Lithonia, so check back here for a full report. Two top juniors - Cherokee's Shawn Kemp, Jr. and Miller Grove's Mfon Udofia - will battle it out in this one.

Any comments, questions or suggestions? Shoot me an email at aewalt@scoreatl.com.