Here’s a look at the top 10 teams in the AJC girls basketball rankings.
Kell: This team is loaded and capable of competing in any classification. The Longhorns got off to an 8-0 start and are playing this week in the big-boy Platinum Division of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. Kell won two of its first three games against national competition.
The Longhorns are led by 7-foot, 300-pound Peyton Marshall, a junior who has already committed to Auburn, and 6-2 junior C.J. Brown, who has offers from Georgia Tech and Mississippi State. Cannon Richards is a 6-6 junior who doesn’t mind doing the grunt work. Aaron Smith is a 6-5 senior who has signed with Alabama A&M and Parris Johnson Jr. is a 6-4 senior who can fill it up.
The Longhorns were 19-11 last season and lost in third round of the playoffs. They already hold two wins over mighty Greenforest, the No. 1-ranked and defending Class A champion.
Eagle’s Landing: The Golden Eagle’s won it all in 2021 and lost to Tri-Cities in the championship game last season. Coach Elliott Montgomery’s team has the talent to get there again and got off to a 9-0 start this season.
Eagle’s Landing is led by senior point guard David Thomas, who has committed to play at Mercer, and who does not have a hole in his game. Other top returners are senior Khylan McKinnie and juniors Chris Morris and Clark Mastin.
Hiram: The Hornets are off to an 8-2 start, which includes a win over Marietta and losses to Class 3A No. 2 Johnson Savannah and St. Andrews, a GIAA Savannah team with a 23-game winning streak. Hiram is led by returning first-team all-region guard Jay Boyd and honorable mention Sekai Lockhart, a 6-1 combo guard. There’s plenty of beef with juniors Chase Tyler, a 6-4 forward who has a football offer from Boston College, and 6-7 power forward Walter Matthews, who has a football offer from Duke. Last year the Hornets went 18-10 and reached the third round of the playoffs.
Mays: The Raiders are off to a 6-3 start since moving down from Class 6A. They’re in a deep Region 5 that includes No. 9 Chapel Hill and No. 10 Tri-Cities. Jalen “Roc” Lee leads the team in scoring with 18.7 points and is second with 12 rebounds. Mykel Williams averages 17.8 points and 4.7 assists and Saulamon Evans averages 16 points and 4.4 assists. Jaqorian Wiggles leads the team with 12.4 rebounds. Coach Desmond Williams’ team went 16-11 last season and reached the second round of the playoffs.
Jones County: The Greyhounds are off to a 9-2 start, losing to Warner Robins and No. 2 Eagle’s Landing. The high-scoring team has a good balance, with Jaylen Sanford (19.6 points, 6.0 assists), 3-point ace Daethan Harris (17.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists) and Jaden Stanley (13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds) leading the way for coach Buck Harris. Jones County is trying to erase the memory of last year’s 15-10 season that ended with a loss in the region tournament.
Dutchtown: The Bulldogs have a new head coach in Wallace Corker, who built perennial contenders during his tenure at Lithonia. He will try to jolt the program back on the rails after last year’s 15-14 season that ended in second round of the playoffs. Dutchtown won the state championship in 2020 and finished second in 2021. Corker’s teams have historically played excellent defense and he appears to have brought the philosophy to his new school, which is off to a 10-4 start. Top players include 6-foot-9 junior Matthew Hinton and a pair of 6-4 senior guards – Jeremiah Edwards and Adrian Avery.
Lithonia: The Bulldogs are off to a 9-2 start as they pursue the Region 4 championship. They went 21-9 last year and lost to Tri-Cities on a shot at the buzzer in the second round of the state playoffs. Lithonia has had offensive issues and only average 38.2 points per game. Caleb Taylor leads the way with 12.6 points and Joshua Daniels averages 8.9.
Chapel Hill: The Panthers started 4-4, but are 3-0 in Region 5 competition. They went 26-5 last season and lost to eventual champion Tri-Cities in the semifinals. Khirus Doucet and Oray Towns are the heart of the team. Kyle White is a top-notch 3-point shooter and Kelvin Hunter is a skilled 6-7 wing.
Creekside: Another serious contender in Region 5, the Seminoles are off to a 7-3 start, 2-0 in the league. Coach Anthony McKissic’s team is loaded with balanced scoring. Seniors Ethan Walker (14.3 points, 14.2 rebounds) and Davion Brown (14.3 points) lead the attack, with Caleb Jackson adding 8.9 points and 3.9 rebounds. Sophomore Tim Gaulden averages 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds and junior Carter Hicks averages 8.0 points and 5.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists. Creekside was 18-8 last year and lost in the first round of the region tournament.
Tri-Cities: The defending state champions are coming off a 23-5 season and have a deceptive 4-4 record, with losses to Class 7A No. 3 Grayson and No. 7 Pebblebrook, Oak Ridge, Fla., and to Region 5 foe Chapel Hill. Coach Omari Forts lost some key players from last year’s title team, but returns Kory Mincy, a 6-foot-1 mid-major prospect who averages 19.2 points at point guard. Noricco Danner and Malique Johnson both average 13.2 points, with Danner adding 5.2 rebounds. Kyndon Wilburg averages 9.2 points and 5.0 rebounds.
(Click here to read: A look at the top 10 teams in the AJC girls basketball rankings.)
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