The three-week basketball journey that whittles 510 teams to 16 begins this week with first-round games Tuesday and Wednesday.
Here is a look at how the tournament works, the teams to beat and stories to keep an eye on.
Format: It’s five rounds played over 19 days. There will be eight boys champions and eight girls champions, each coming through 32-team brackets. (One draw has two byes, making for 510 teams in all classes.) The first three rounds are played at the home court of the higher-seeded teams. It’s usually girls games on the first night each round, then boys games the second night. If same-seeded teams meet in the quarterfinals, a coin toss will determine home court. The semifinals are played at neutral sites, mostly college arenas. The finals are March 5-8 at the Macon Coliseum.
Girls teams to beat: Ranked No. 1 are North Forsyth (6A), River Ridge (5A), Creekside (4A), Pickens (3A), Josey (2A), Banks County (A Division I), Wilcox County (A Division II) and Hebron Christian (3A-A private). Hebron Christian is a reigning champion. North Forsyth, Creekside, Banks County and Wilcox County have never won state titles. River Ridge and Josey have won titles in the 2020s. Pickens last won in 1974.
Boys teams to beat: Ranked No. 1 are Grayson (Class 6A), Woodward Academy (5A), Pace Academy (4A), Cedar Grove (3A), Carver-Columbus (2A), Putnam County (A Division I), Savannah (A Division II) and Holy Innocents’ (3A-A private). Grayson is a reigning champion. Putnam County and Holy Innocents’ have never won state titles. Woodward Academy and Pace Academy have won titles this decade. Savannah and Carver-Columbus have won since 2000. Cedar Grove last won in 1997.
Newcomers: Teams making the state tournament for the first time are the Weber School’s boys, Drew Charter’s girls, Atlanta Classical’s girls and Mount Bethel Christian’s girls. all are relatively new to GHSA basketball. First-timers are becoming rare as the number of classes and playoff berths expands. There were half as many playoff teams and champions 25 years ago. Not many teams are breaking long tournament droughts, either. Those making their first appearances in 10 or more years are Gordon Central’s boys (2013) and the girls teams from Coosa (2009), Windsor Forest (2011), Atlanta International (2013), Paulding County (2014) and Whitefield Academy (2015).
*Girls storylines to watch: Private schools in Class 3A and below are in their own playoff division this season, as the GHSA made a change to curb private-school domination in all sports. That affects girls basketball more than perhaps any other sport as four reigning state champions — Hebron Christian, Mount Paran Christian, St. Francis and Greenforest Christian — are bidding for a single title this year. ... Cherokee Bluff, a Hall County school that opened in 2018, defeated two top-10 teams last week to win its first region title in history. A victory over North Clayton in the first round would be the school’s first state-playoff win. ... Alexander, a Douglas County school, is 0-11 all-time in the first round. Fresh off its first region title in 34 years, Alexander opens against Glynn Academy. ... The only first-round game between ranked girls teams is No. 9 Metter at No. 10 Telfair County in A Division II.
*Boys storylines to watch: Milton, the No. 2 team in Class 5A, slipped up in its region tournament, beaten by unranked Lanier, and was punished with a first-round road trip to Riverwood, the 2024 Class 6A champion. ... No. 5 Habersham Central of 5A and No. 7 Mount Zion of Carroll County in A Division II won their first region titles in history last week. Both programs are more than 50 years old. Now they’ll try to win their first state playoff games — Habersham Central against Northside of Warner Robins and Mount Zion against Central of Talbotton. Both are 0-5 in first-rounders, but they are the most promising among 13 boys teams bidding to advance for the first time. ... Salem of Class 2A was 9-16 a week ago. The Seminoles then beat two top-10 teams to win their region tournament, and now they’re playing Callaway in the first round. ... The only first-round game between ranked boys teams has No. 8 Maynard Jackson at No. 10 Jonesboro in Class 4A.
What’s next: The second round is Friday and Saturday.
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