Here are the eight best high school basketball games in Georgia this week:
Tuesday
-Pope at River Ridge (girls): Region 6 has three of the top 10 girls teams in Class 5A – No. 2 River Ridge, No. 5 Pope and No. 7 Creekview. Pope plays both of these Cherokee County opponents this week, Tuesday at River Ridge and Thursday at home against Creekview. Pope and River Ridge are 5-0 in region play. River Ridge won Class 6A in 2023 and lost to eventual champion Marist in overtime in the 2024 semifinals. River Ridge all-state guard Sophia Peal is committed to Furman.
-Butler at Josey (girls): Region 4 has the top three girls teams in Class 2A – No. 1 Thomson, No. 2 Josey and No. 3 Butler. This game between Augusta rivals will tip off that region’s round-robin.
-Pace Academy at Jackson (boys): These city-of-Atlanta boys teams are ranked 1-2 in Class 4A, and both are 6-0 in Region 4. Pace, the No. 1 team, is 14-2 overall and unbeaten in Georgia. Pace also has won five state titles in the past nine seasons. Pace’s Eric Chatfield has signed with Georgia Tech. Jackson, led by 6-foot-7 all-state forward Cam Dover, is 10-2.
-Savannah at McIntosh County Academy (boys): Private schools were evicted from Class A Division II during reclassification, and these two public schools from the coast are prime contenders to claim historic titles. Savannah is ranked No. 2, and McIntosh County Academy is No. 3. MCA has never won a state title. Savannah last won in 1998. Calhoun County is ranked No. 1.
Friday
-Newton at Grayson (girls): Region 4 has three of the top 10 girls teams in Class 6A - No. 3 Grayson (defending champ in the highest class), No. 6 Newton and No. 8 Archer. Newton plays both this week, Tuesday at home against Archer and Friday at Grayson. Grayson and Newton are 3-0 in region play, and Archer is 3-1.
-Newton at Grayson (boys): Grayson, Class 6A’s No. 1 team, gets a test from No. 3 Newton. Grayson (13-1) is ranked in the top 10 of national polls, and its only loss came against a Florida team, but Grayson - led by Georgia signee Jacob Wilkins - struggled last week against Archer, winning 60-59. Grayson and Newton are 3-0 in region play.
Saturday
-Walton at Pickens (boys): In an unusual but intriguing matchup, Pickens (14-0) is traveling down from northwest Georgia into East Cobb to face a top-10 Class 6A team. Pickens, ranked No. 3 in Class 3A, is one of only three undefeated boys teams in the state. The others are No. 1 Putnam County of Class A Division I and No. 1 Calhoun County of Class A Division II. Walton (13-2) is No. 6 in 6A.
-Tri-Cities at Woodward Academy (boys): Tri-Cities is No. 3 in Class 5A. Woodward is No. 2. The winner would join Decatur (8-4, 4-0) as the only unbeaten in the Region 4 standings. Woodward’s Zac Foster has signed with Clemson. Tri-Cities’ Jalen Wingfield is a top-100 national junior recruit.
