The top two teams in Georgia square off in the Georgia Elite 8 Tip-Off Classic this Saturday at McEachern High School as Grayson takes on McEachern in the nightcap of the Tip-Off Classic at 8:30 PM. Both have state championship aspirations and are regarded as the best teams in state.
Grayson is one of the power programs in basketball and continues to make deep runs in the postseason. The Rams are coming off a 24-6 season and lost in the semifinals to Wheeler 67-55. They have arguably one of the best backcourts in basketball in 4-star Gicarri Harris and Western Carolina commit CJ Highland. Harris is a veteran of the program and one of the best combo guards in the country. He is crafty and adept at playing point or shooting guard and can create off the dribble with an impressive outside shot. Highland is great at pushing the ball in transition and has incredible vision in the halfcourt to find open shooters or set up easy buckets for the big man.
Grayson also added 4-star Jacob Wilkins (Georgia-commit) to this very talented group. Wilkins is viewed as one of the best players in the state in the 2025 class. Returning starter Amir Taylor will man the middle this season. He is a force on the glass and a great rim protector. Grayson will have a lot of athleticism and versatility in the front court this season.
McEachern made it to the quarterfinals last season before losing to eventual state champion Wheeler 79-71. The Indians have the No. 3 player in the country in forward Ace Bailey (Rutgers commit) who is a versatile player. With his 6-foot-9 frame, he has terrific size and athleticism on the wing. He plays with fluidity, can get to anywhere on the floor and has a tremendous skill set on offense and defense.
McEachern also has Jaye Nash in the backcourt. Nash is a three-star prospect who is good off the dribble. Nash recently transferred from Briarcrest where he led them to a 33-3 record and a berth in the Division II-AA state championship game. Nash is an elite passer on the floor and great at opening opportunities for others. He broke the career assists record of former Briarcrest and Memphis Grizzlies guard Kennedy Chandler in his tenure in Tennessee.
This matchup also features two of the best coaches in Georgia Tremayne Anchrum (McEachern) and Geoffrey Pierce (Grayson). Anchrum took the Indians Job in 2021 and McEachern has made the playoffs every year since he took over. They have one of the best rosters from top to bottom and are competitive every year. The Indians played a national schedule and still finished with over 20 wins. Coach Pierce has over 200 career wins as a coach and was one of the finalists for the Naismith National Boys Coach of the Year award back in 2019-2020.
It doesn’t get much better a matchup to see these two phenomenal programs face off to tip off the season and could be a preview of the state championship in March.
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