Georgia natives could make a significant impact on March Madness.
As you watch your NCAA tournament brackets, keep in mind that there are 49 Georgians playing in this year’s big dance.
And five of those players hail from north Fulton County. Three of them went to Milton High School.
Here are the ballers from north of Atlanta who could make a big play or two in the tournament:
James Banks, Texas, sophomore - Mount Vernon Presbyterian
A 6-foot-10 forward, Banks grew up in Decatur and went to the school near Sandy Springs until after his junior season, where he averaged 23 points and 14 rebounds per game. For his senior year of high school, he attended La Lumiere School in Indianapolis. As a sophomore for Shaka Smart's Texas Longhorns, he's played in 14 games. His best game came in an overtime win over West Virginia, where he played 10 minutes, scored three points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked a shot.
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Nile Felton, Georgia State, sophomore – Milton
Felton attended Milton before transferring to Union High School in Oklahoma. The 6-foot-3 guard returned to metro Atlanta to attend Georgia State and has seen action in 12 games this year for Ron Hunter's Panthers.
Kyrin Galloway, UNC-Greensboro, sophomore – Milton
A solid contributor off the bench for the SoCon Champion Spartans, Galloway averaged 5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game this season, and shot 54 percent from the floor. At Milton, the 6-foot-8 Galloway helped lead the Eagles to the Georgia 6A Final Four. Both of his parents played college basketball at Hawaii. Galloway has scored in double-digits six times this season and pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds in a win over UNC-Wilmington.
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Kaiser Gates, Xavier, junior – St. Francis
A year ago, Gates helped the Musketeers reach the Elite 8 as a No. 11 seed. This year, he helped them storm through the Big East and claim a No. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament. At 6-foot-8, Gates contributes to Xavier in several ways: as a scorer, defender, rebounder and passer. He's posted per-game averages this season of 7.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists. He's also shooting 38 percent from three-point range this season and 83 percent from the free throw line. Gates' best game this season came against fellow tournament team Creighton, in which he tallied 16 points, eight rebounds and two steals in a win.
Alex O'Connell, Duke, freshman – Milton
A four-star prospect in high school, the 6-foot-5 O'Connell signed with the Blue Devils over offers from Louisville, Arizona State, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia and others. He averaged more than 20 points per game at Milton and was one of metro Atlanta's best players in 2017. O'Connell has played in 32 games this season for Duke, and scored a season-high 13 points in a win over Wake Forest. He also had six rebounds in a win over Texas.
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