Things continue to heat up around the state. There have been a number of highly contested games in parts of the state where basketball is on the upswing. There are a few events this weekend, but next weeked the events really crank up, and we will get to see a lot of basketball in multiple places with the holiday tournaments.
Let’s jump into this weeks Hillsman Heavy.
Last week’s games are considered games that were be played from Tuesday 11/28/2023 through Monday 12/4/2023. This week’s games will be considered games played from Tuesday 12/5/2023 through Monday 12/11/2023. The next Hillsman Heavy Top 10 Georgia will be on Tuesday 12/12/2023.
Last Week 11/28/2023; 1-Grayson, 2-Wheeler 3-McEachern, 4-Berkmar, 5-Alexander, 6-Sandy Creek, 7-Newton, 8-Westside-Augusta, 9-Dutchtown, 10-Kell
**PLEASE NOTE ALL RECORDS ARE AS OF TUESDAY 12/5/2023 PRIOR TO ANY GAMES PLAYED ON THAT DAY**
Here is the Hillsman Heavy Top 10 GA with last week’s ranking noted.
1- Grayson (1)- Head Coach: Geoffrey Pierce Current Record: 7-0; Last Week: defeated Osborne; This Week: vs Mt. Vernon Key Notes: It’s just hard to see everybody having an off night for Grayson. They are so versatile that they can overcome “off nights” with wins. That was on display again in a 75-58 win over Osborne. Gicarri Harris (19pts 5reb 2ast), Jacob Wilkins (17pts 6reb 2ast), Amir Taylor (12pts 11 reb 2ast 2 blk),
CJ Hyland (9pts 5ast 4 stl), Ahmad Clark (8p 2reb 2ast). The balance and options are on full display.
2- Alexander (5) Head Coach: Jason Slate Current Record: 6-0; Last Week: defeated Wheeler; This Week: vs South Paulding, vs Paulding County vs Norcross Key Notes: A week after sweeping a three-game OOS event against teams from three different states, Alexander defeated Wheeler at Wheeler. This could be classified as a signature win for Alexander and Alexander leaps to second because of it. Winning out of state against quality competition and then coming back and beating a serious in-state team is noted. Braedan Lue tallied another double-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. Allen Stoddard continues his sound play with 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocks, while Greg Dunston finished with 16 points and 4 assists. Alexander has won 14 games in a row dating back to last season.
3-Berkmar (4)- Head Coach: Greg Phillips Current Record: 6-0; Last Week: defeated Providence, defeated Peachtree Ridge, defeated Greenforest This Week: vs North Gwinnett, vs Norcross, vs Osborne Key Notes: Berkmar’s Mekhi Ragland, Eddie Cooke III and Mike White are beginning to hit a stride. A pair of region games plus a more than tested but weaker Osborne is up this week.
4- Wheeler (2)- Head Coach: Larry Thompson; Current Record: 6-1; Last Week: loss to Alexander This Week: vs Central Gwinnett, vs Kell Key Notes: Wheeler’s six-game winning streak was snapped at home against Alexander. This goes as a quality loss for Wheeler. Wheeler is still a quality team and boosted Alexander because of it.
5- McEachern (3)- Head Coach: Tremayne Anchrum Current Record: 2-2; Last Week: loss to Columbus (FL), defeated Dutchtown; This Week; vs TBD at Wheeler TOC Key Notes: Ace Bailey had a superb first half against the 7A Florida and nationally-loved Columbus. McEachern came up short yet jumped on Dutchtown early and won 63-47. They fall a few spots because that’s just how impressive Alexander’s win over Wheeler was. McEachern faces Alexander later in the season. The jury is still out on McEachern overall as a team, not on if Ace Bailey is the best player in the country. Usually the team with the best player wins however McEachern is still having to find their way and who is going to provide consistent help night in and night out for McEachern is the question.
6-Sandy Creek (6) Head Coach: Jon Nickerson Current Record: 4-1; Last Week: defeated McIntosh, defeated Fayette County; This Week: vs Creekside, vs East Coweta; Key Notes: Sandy Creek swept the week and defeated Fayette County soundly on the road. The schedule this week will require continued focus. Sandy Creek is setting up for a very good season. They have a balanced enough schedule where, with consistent play, they will stay and be talked about more in the basketball conversations. The nucleus of Smith, Brown, Green and Rashied-Henry-not to mention Mr. White is rounding into form nicely. Fayette County is known for offense, Sandy Creek held them to 35 points. Sandy Creek’s defense had a lot to do with that. Sandy Creek has only allowed one opponent this season to score over 54 points (Grayson) and have held their last two opponents to 35 and under. If Sandy Creek continues defense like that, they become even tougher overall.
7- Newton (7)- Head Coach: Barry Browner Current Record: 5-1; Last Week: defeated Buford; This Week: vs Mt. Pisgah; Key Notes: Newton has ripped off four in a row all while the schedule is laid out where practice time has been the focus with games spaced out. The four game win streak coincides with KJ White entering the starting lineup at the point guard spot. The tools are there for Newton, and this may be just the beginning of a very good December.
8- Westside-Augusta (8)– Head Coach: Jerry Hunter Current Record: 5-0; Last Week: defeated Cross Creek, defeated Midland Valley (SC);This Week: vs North Augusta (SC); Key Notes: Westside put up a pair of 90-plus point games in making short work of Augusta-area rival Cross Creek with a surprising wide margin 95-62 win. Westside busted the game open in the second quarter outscoring Cross Creek 29-13 and never looked back. They also hung 91 points on Midland Valley in a 91-31 rout. DaMarco Middleton, LaVonta Ivery , Dontrell Jackson (17.5ppg last week) and Jarious Adkinson (14ppg last week) are averaging in double figures for a Westside team that is averaging 88ppg so far this season.
9- Shiloh (NR) Head Coach: Kim Rivers Current Record: 6-0; Last Week: defeated Kimball (TX); This Week: vs Riverwood; Key Notes: Shiloh is out the gate with six straight wins over solid opponents. Tylis Jordan (23.8ppg 8.5rpg 1.5bpg) and Jullien Cole (20.5ppg 7rpg 3.3apg) have been the key to this start. Jordan posted a 26-point 10-rebound double-double while Cole tallied 32 points and 8 rebounds in the victory over Kimball (TX). A very good schedule is in front of the Generals as they go deeper into December.
10- Kell (10) Head Coach: Jermaine Sellers Current Record: 1-3; Last Week: Did Not Play ; This Week: vs Centenntial Key Notes: Kell has lost three straight all to teams in the Hillsman Heavy. The Longhorns are back from a week off this week with a region game.
OUT- Dutchtown (9) Head Coach: Wallace Corker Current Record: 3-3; Last Week: : loss to Langston Hughes, defeated Eagle’s Landing; This Week: Key Notes: Dutchtowh has suffered losses to two teams in the Hillsman Heavy. The schedule does not get any easier as this week also features the first region game of the season against the defending region 2-5A champion Eagle’s Landing.
KEEPING TABS ON (alphabetical order):
New additions for this week are in bold. So of these teams are off to really good starts and trending up for more attention. A few squads are under .500 by a game or so, but it’s still worth monitoring for now, and other teams just treading water and trying to get clicking. Overall, this crop has some solid basketball teams in it, and it will be no surprise if they get on a roll and get clicking
Baldwin, Brunswick, Camden County, Campbell, Calhoun County, Carver-Columbus, Carrollton, Cedar Grove, Cedar Shoals, Chapel Hill, Christian Heritage, Clarke Central, Collins Hill, Columbia, Creekside Christian, Cross Creek, Douglass-Atlanta, Decatur, Dougherty, Dutchtown, Eagle’s Landing, Etowah, Fayette County, Glynn Academy, Greenbrier, Greenforest, Grovetown, Hillgrove, Holy Innocents, Johnson-Savannah, Jones County Jonesboro, Langston Hughes, Lee County, Long County, Madison County, Marist, Maynard Jackson, Mays, McDonough, Milton, Mt. Vernon, Norcross, North Oconee, Oglethorpe County, Osborne, Pace Academy, Paideia, Peachtree Ridge, Pebblebrook, Portal, Riverwood, Savannah, Sequoyah, Southwest-Macon, Spencer, St. Pius X, Swainsboro, Thomson, Tri-Cities, The Walker School, Union Grove, Walton, Walnut Grove, Ware County, Warner Robins, Westlake, Wilson Academy, Winder-Barrow, Woodward Academy
NOTABLE EVENTS (notable games):
Hawks Naismith Holiday Classic at Norcross 12/9/2023; Pace Academy/Milton, Mt. Vernon/Grayson, Alexander/Norcross
Battle In The Peach at Wheeler 12/8; Greenforest/Milton, 12/9/2023; St. Francis/Knoxville Catholic, West Forsyth/Wesleyan Grovetown/Greenforest, Shiloh/Riverwood, Osborne/Berkmar, Wheeler/Kell, North Mecklenburg (NC)/Holy Innocents, Carrollton/Woodland-Stockbridge, Mt. Pisgah/Newton, Ware County/Heritage-Newnan
Wood Elite Sewer Classic at Etowah 12/9/2023; Darlington/Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy, Arlington Christian/Furtah Prep, St. Andrews/Kennesaw Mountain, Cherokee/Central Gwinnett, Sequoyah/Lanier, Etowah/Buford
NOTABLE DIME DROPS:
Columbia head coach Dr. Phil McCray picked up his 700th win earlier this season with a victory over over Oak Ridge (TN) in the Dale Burns Classic in the Bahamas. Columbia High School named the gym and court after Dr. Phil last week. McCrary, in his 32nd season at Columbia, over two stints, is the winningest coach in program history and has won 5 state titles (2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012). As of the date of this post, his overall record is 701-240.
Wheeler head coach Larry Thompson recently won his 200th career game with a victory over Corner Canyon (UT) in Utah. Thompson has won 5 state titles, 3 at Wheeler and 2 at Greenforest.
Thomson head coach Michael Thomas Sr. collected his 700th win recently with a victory over Lumpkin County.
Sharman White of Pace Academy, who recently won his 500th game, was named the 2023 NFHS Georgia Coach of the Year.
Riverwood’s Karis Bilal scored 34 points in a win over Sprayberry earlier this season to surpass the 2,000-point mark. Bilal, who is the all-time leading scorer in school history, is the first player in school history to record 2,000 points.
Mason Lewis of Woodland-Stockbridge scored 27 points in a loss to McDonough earlier this season. Lewis became only the third player in school history to reach 1,000 points scored. Woodland opened in 2007.
Ricky McKenzie surpassed 1,000 career points in Wheeler’s victory over Rock Creek Christian (MD) with 14 points.
As a reminder The Hillsman Heavy Top 10 Georgia considers all basketball playing schools in the state from the GHSA, GISA/GIAA and GICAA/GAPPS associations. The Hillsman Heavy Top 10 Georgia IS NOT ranked by association or classification within an association. It is one all-inclusive ranking.
The Hillsman Heavy Top 10 Georgia is in its sixth season, fourth of public publication, and ranks using the following criteria; OVERALL performance, Team Chemistry, Coaching, Schedule (quality In-State, Out-Of-State [OOS], Head-to-Head opponents, Common Opponents are all heavily considered) and Scheduling For Roster Talent (meaning is the team very talented but stacking up wins against lesser talented teams but struggling against teams equal or greater in roster talent and vice versa; yes a team with more losses can be better than a team with fewer losses because of scheduling and the other criteria previously mentioned.
While player recruiting status is not a heavy focus and determining factor, it is considered when looking at a team’s overall performance, especially against equal or greater competition.
When we load and unload the bus and plane with these 10 teams these are the teams that we can take anywhere as they are the best 10 in Georgia for the 2023-2024 season for each week of the Hillsman Heavy Top 10 Georgia.
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