Class 4A Blog: Checking in on the defending champion North Oconee Titans

Coming off of the program's first-ever state championship victory one season ago, the North Oconee Titans boys basketball team hasnt skipped a beat in 2025.

We are sticking where our feet are, said North Oconee coach Rick Rasmussen. We are very process oriented and very one game at a time and I think that is the mature thing to do. Our job as a coaching staff is to keep our kids focused on the task at hand and to not get ahead of ourselves, and well see where that takes us.

The Titans put together a stellar 2024 season as they accumulated a 30-3 record, as well as going 13-1 with Region 8-4A play a year ago.

On the way to the team's first boys basketball state championship, North Oconee defeated Lovett, Central-Carrollton, New Hampstead before defeating Baldwin by a single point in the semifinals. After defeating the Braves in the Final Four, North Oconee drew a matchup with 5-star recruit Caleb Wilson and Holy Innocents in the state championship where the Titans came out on top, 65-60 to secure the state title.

Now, 22 games into this season, the Titans are still one of the top Class 4A squads and could be the first defending champion in Class 4A since Upson-Lee won back-to-back in 2017-18.

This year's Titans are led by star sophomore guard Justin Wise, who has been a major contributor to the Titans success over the last two seasons. Last year, Wise earned Most Valuable Player honors in the state championship game as a freshman after scoring 19 points, including a dominant third quarter run where he made three consecutive 3-pointers in a row.

This season, Wise continues to impress and is averaging over 20 points per game with four rebounds and three assists.While Wise has been a major source of production for North Oconee, the young Titans team features plenty of playmakers that have been able to build off of last season's momentum as the postseason is right around the corner.

Along with Wise, junior big man Khamari Brooks, a name known on the North Oconee football field, is back for another season of high school basketball where he has taken on a prominent role for the Titans. The junior is averaging around 15 points and seven rebounds per game after missing the first 12 games of the season due to the North Oconee football team's run in the postseason, winning the state championship.

Brooks is listed as a 4-star edge rusher on 247Sports.com and played a major role in the Titans taking home their first-ever football state championship in 2024. Standing at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, his transition to the basketball court has been seamless and he is proving to be an imposing figure as he is on the football field.

Wise and Brooks are the only two returning starters from last seasons state championship team.

Junior forward Banks Pourchier has been a problem for opposing defenses as he has used his 6-8 frame to his advantage this season. Pourchier, a stretch power forward for the Titans, is averaging 13 points per game to go along with nine rebounds. Pourchier received an offer from Tennessee-Chattanooga earlier this month.

Pourchier along with Brooks and Wise are the three leading scorers for North Oconee, each averaging double figures. North Oconee senior and 1000-point scorer Thrasher Wilkins is the only player the Titans will be losing to graduation after this season and the gained experience from the underclassmen might help create a North Oconee basketball dynasty.

A program can dream. Can't it?

Blake Bracco and Luke Lawson are other Titans to become very familiar with as the postseason inches closer. Bracco averages six assists on the season, with Lawson adding a spark off the bench as the team's sixth man.

This week, the Titans will travel to face East Forsyth on the road on Friday before returning back home to face Heritage-Conyers on Saturday.

The biggest thing is they have accepted their roles and gelled together, said Rasmussen. They care about what is best for the team instead of the individual and those are all traits of a championship culture.

NOTES:

Boys -- Southwest DeKalb defeated St. Pius X 61-45 as they outscored the Golden Lions 18-7 in the fourth quarter to pull away with the victoryMaynard Jackson defeated Midtown 64-42 as the Jaguars outscored the Knights 32-11 in the first halfKell defeated Centennial 70-64 as the Longhorns improved to 17-5 on the seasonPace Academy defeated Creekside 78-34 as the Knights improved to 19-4 overallNorth Oconee defeated Eastside 59-47 as the Titans extend their winning streak to 18 gamesCentral-Carrollton defeated Jonesboro in a narrow victory 58-57 as the Lions were led by 21 points from Khaven Cochran and 18 points from Chace North/.

Girls -- Midtown defeated Maynard Jackson 59-50 as the Knights were led by Hailey Wortmann with 20 points and Devin Bockman with 19 pointsKell defeated Centennial 76-5 as the Longhorns hand the Knights their 18th loss of the seasonStockbridge defeated Locust Grove 64-23 as the Tigers improved to 17-4 on the seasonWarner Robins defeated Perry 74-27 as the Demons remain perfect on the season at 21-0Ware County defeated Wayne County 37-33 as the Gators earned their 19th win of the seasonMarist defeated St. Pius X 68-41 as the War Eagles were led by a 39-point first half on the way to their 20th win of the season.

SCORE ATLANTA CLASS 4A RANKINGS Schedule- WEEK 11

BOYS:

1.Pace Academy:Fridayvs Midtown at 7:30 p.m.,Tuesdayat Jackson at 7 p.m.

2.North Oconee:Fridayat East Forsyth at 8:30 p.m.,Saturdayvs Heritage-Conyers at 5 p.m.,Tuesdayvs Walnut Grove at 7:30 p.m.

3.Kell:Tuesdayat Westminster at 7:30 p.m.,Thursday. at Cambridge at 7:30 p.m.

4.Southwest DeKalb:Fridayat Druid Hills at 7:30 p.m.,Tuesdayvs Lithonia at 7:30 p.m.,Fridayvs Clarkston at 7:30 p.m.

5.Central-Carroll:Fridayvs Northside-Columbus at 7:30 p.m.,Tuesdayat Griffin at 7:30 p.m.,Fridayvs Harris County at 7:30 p.m.

6.Jonesboro:Fridayvs Starrs Mill at 7:30 p.m.,Saturdayvs Lee County at 3 p.m.,Mondayvs Morrow at 7:30 p.m.

7.Tucker:Fridayat Lithonia at 7:30 p.m.,Saturdayat North Springs at 7:30 p.m.,Tuesdayvs Marist at 7:30 p.m.

8.McDonough:Fridayat Stockbridge at 7:30 p.m.,Saturdayat Jones County at 6:30 p.m.,Tuesdayvs Locust Grove at 7:30 p.m.

9.St. Pius X:Fridayat Clarkston at 7:30 p.m.,Saturdayvs Sequoyah at 3 p.m.,Mondayat Sandy Creek at 7:30 p.m.

10.Maynard Jackson:Mondayvs Forest Park at 7:30 p.m.,Tuesdayvs Pace Academy at 7 p.m.

GIRLS:

1.Creekside:Fridayvs Drew at 6 p.m.,Tuesdayat Mays at 6 p.m.

2.Marist:Tuesdayat Tucker at 6 p.m.,Wednesdayat Northview at 6 p.m.,Fridayvs Lithonia at 6 p.m.

3.Warner Robins:Fridayvs New Hampstead at 6 p.m.,Mondayat Wayne County at 6 p.m.

4.Kell:Tuesdayat Westminster at 6 p.m.,Thursdayat Cambridge at 6 p.m.

5.North Oconee:Fridayat East Forsyth at 7 p.m.,Tuesdayvs Walnut Grove at 6 p.m.

6.Jackson-Atlanta:Fridayvs Forest Park at 6 p.m.,Tuesdayvs Pace Academy at 5:30 p.m.

7.Jones County:Fridayvs Eagles Landing at 6 p.m.,Saturdayvs McDonough at 5 p.m.,Tuesdayvs Union Grove at 6 p.m.,Wednesdayvs Stockbridge at 6 p.m.

8.Midtown:Fridayat Pace Academy at 6 p.m.,Saturdayvs St. Anne-Pacelli at 2:30 p.m.,Tuesdayat Drew at 5:30 p.m.

9.Ware County:Fridayat Woodville-Thompkins at 6 p.m.,Saturdayvs Perry at 4 p.m.

10.Stockbridge:Fridayvs McDonough at 6 p.m.,Mondayvs Ola at 6 p.m.,Tuesdayvs Eagles Landing at 6 p.m.,Wednesday Jones County at 6 p.m.

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