The quarterfinals kick off tonight as the final eight teams look to make the final four down in Atlanta and make it to the big stage. Let’s take a look and break down some of the matchups in 5A.
Winder-Barrow vs Woodward Academy- Winder-Barrow used its tough defense to hold a high-scoring Chapel Hill to just 47 points in their victory in the Sweet 16. Winder-Barrow held prolific scorer Ty Jones to five points in the game after he had a 44-point outing the game before. The Bulldogs have held four of their last five opponents under 60 points.
Jerrin Samuel will be one to watch in this game. In his last game, he finished with 25 points and seven rebounds. Samuel is a go-to scoring option for Winder-Barrow and once he gets going it is tough to slow down. Jordan Samuel is a great two-way player for the Bulldogs that is excellent on both ends. Samuel finished with eight points, seven rebounds, and six blocks in the win over Chapel Hill.
Woodward Academy won off a Jarvis Haynes Jr buzzer-beater as time expired. The standout 2027 prospect finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, and three steals. They were down 56-49 with less than a minute to go in the game and went on a 9-0 run to come out on top and defeat.
The War Eagles are probably one of the deepest teams left in the 5A bracket with other standout players in Deke Cooper and Clemson commit Zac Foster. Foster finished with 12 points and seven rebounds and Cooper chipped in 15 points in the winning effort on Saturday.
Alexander vs Hughes- Alexander is on a current 11-game winning streak playing some of their best basketball at the right time. The Cougars survived a tough, feisty Houston County bunch in a 61-58 victory in overtime. Greg “Pops” Dunson led the way with 31 points, eight assists, and five rebounds to lead the Cougars. He’s been a standout player for Alexander throughout his entire career and surpassed 1,000 points a few weeks ago.
Alexander won a state championship in 2023 and made it back to the state title game in 2024 before losing to Riverwood. They have another talented group more than capable of getting back and winning it all in 5A.
Hughes is a high-scoring basketball team that is playing at a high level right now. They have scored 81 points in each of their last two games against Shiloh and Lanier. They are led by three all-region selections Ethan Carter, Jaraon Lamelle, and Addison Dyer. Despite their coach leaving for Decatur this past offseason, the Panthers are right back in contention for a state championship. They have great guard play and some of the best big men in the peach state. The Panthers are currently on a 12-game winning streak.
Dutchtown vs Lee County- Dutchtown outscored its previous opponent Sequoyah 23-12 in the fourth quarter to pull away after leading only 62-60 at the end of the third quarter. Freshman phenom AJ Williams finished with 24 points in the victory. Williams has put together a special season for Dutchtown and won Co-Region Player of the Year along with his teammate Maddox Melancon.
Dutchtown is a team that can beat you in a variety of ways and it starts with their ability to pressure you defensively and get out in transition for easy buckets. They also can shoot the three ball and get into the lane with their big men. They have a good balance of size and speed on the floor. Other players to watch are Austin Mosby and Bobby Buggs who were all-region selections this year.
Lee County is led by senior point guard Braden Moore who leads the team with 14.7 points per game and four assists and was named Co-Region 2-5A Player of the Year. Moore is a scoring guard for the Trojans but also is really good at running the offense. Trojans guard Kameron Sanders was named Region Newcomer of the Year after averaging 12.4 points per game. You also have to watch out for Matthew Hardwick who is averaging 14.0 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game. Mr. Georgia Ousmane Kromah was named Region 2-5A defensive player of the year for his performance on the defensive side of the ball.
Two elite teams are set to do battle in the Elite 8 in a toss-up game that can go either way.
Tri-Cities vs Habersham Central- Habersham Central is a very good three-point shooting team that can stretch the floor and catch fire from beyond the arc. Brunswick felt some of that wrath in the Sweet 16 after the Raiders knocked down nine three-pointers in their victory over the Pirates. Habersham Central is a battle-tested group who has beaten notable teams still in the tournament including Winder-Barrow and defending state champion North Oconee.
The Raiders are led by the Region 8-5A Player of the Year in Enzo Combs, an elite combo guard who scored 28 points in a 72-60 over Brunswick. Once Combs gets it going, he is tough to defend. Judge Willbanks is a 6-7 forward who can bang down low and rebound the basketball at a high level. Willbanks is an underrated shooter who can also stretch the defense and was an all-region selection this year for the Raiders.
Tri-Cities is a team that has gotten better as the season has gone on. They scheduled very hard early in the season going against Maynard Jackson, Grayson, Lee County, Jonesboro, Greenforest, Holy Innocents, and Newton. All formidable opponents who made the postseason this year.
The Bulldogs are led by Tre Keith who was freshman of the year last season for the Bulldogs. Keith is averaging 17.3 points per game, 4.2 assists, and 4.0 rebounds. He has continued to improve his craft and be a difference-maker for Tri-Cities. Keith already holds a plethora of major offers from top-end D1 programs. Senior Sean Vandorn is the second-leading scorer on the team averaging 17 points per game to go along with 6.2 rebounds.
Four-star F Jalan Wingfield is another heavily coveted prospect in the peach state in the 2026 class who announced his top schools on January 15th. So far this season, he is averaging 16.2 points per game and 8.8 rebounds (leads the team). He is an elite three-level scorer who can take over any game and can defend at a high level. He’s been a coveted prospect since his sophomore season with notable programs like Auburn, Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida State, and Georgia Tech with keen interest.
Around the Class Boys- In a wide-open 5A classification, several teams can win their first-ever state championship in program history, including Winder-Barrow and Habersham Central. Hughes last won a state championship in 2028, Dutchtown last won a state championship in 2020, Woodward Academy in 2020, Tri-Cities in 2022, and Alexander in 2023. The longest standing of the teams left is Lee County who last won a state championship in 1985.
Around the Class Girls- After Tuesday night action, here is who is in the final four. Bradwell Institute hit a shot as time expired to outlast Woodward Academy 60-58. They will play Hughes at Georgia State on Friday. Hughes defeated Veterans 66-34 on Tuesday night in another double-digit victory. River Ridge added another dominant double-digit victory in an 80-44 win over New Manchester. Milton defeated a good Brunswick team 69-56 on Tuesday. Three teams are vying for their first-ever title in program history in Hughes, Bradwell Institute, and Milton. River Ridge is going for its second title in three years.
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