Four-straight days of state championship action will take place at the Macon Centreplex starting Wednesday, March 8 and concluding on Saturday. Class A Division II and Class 4A will crown their state champions on Day 1 and Thursday will see the Class 2A and Class 5A finals in addition to the Coed 3-point contest at 5 p.m. On Friday, Class 3A tips off a championship double-header before the Girls 3-point contest and the 5A championships will conclude Day 3. On Saturday, the Class A Division I champions will be crowned ahead of the AAASP Finals between the DeKalb Silver Streaks and Houston County Sharks. The highly-anticipated Boys Slam Dunk contest will take place at 5 p.m. before Class 7A concludes a jam-packed 17-game slate.
The 2022-23 GHSA basketball season accelerated after a compelling regular season with dramatic region tournament action across the state. Playoffs tipped off on Feb. 21 and Georgia saw a total of 480 boys and girls playoff games through the next four rounds of action. All four previous rounds occurred within the span of just two weeks and now it is all on the line for this year’s finalists that have successfully marched to Macon.
DECORATED CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD
This year’s championship field includes five defending girls state champions and just one reigning boys champion. On the girls side, Lake Oconee Academy, Mt. Paran, Lumpkin County, Lovejoy and Norcross are all seeking title defenses, while the Westside-Augusta boys are the lone boys team with an opportunity to defend their crown. In Class 7A, Norcross will take on No. 1 ranked Brookwood as the Broncos attempt to make history by winning their first-ever title. In the boys matchup, Cherokee has reached the finals for the first time since 1982 and will take on No. 1 ranked Wheeler as the Wildcats look to capture their ninth all-time state title.
In Class 6A, defending state champion Lovejoy wore the No. 3 seed throughout the playoffs and will take on River Ridge in a rematch of last year’s quarterfinals. The Alexander boys are one win away from their first-ever title and the Cougars will square off with a Lee County team that has a chance to capture its first championship since 1985 and is fresh off a 49-48 win over Lanier. History and a potential sweep is on the line in Class 5A as both the Kell boys and girls have an opportunity to win first-ever titles. The girls face a Warner Robins team that is one win away from breaking a championship drought that dates back to 1965 and the boys take on two-time state champion Eagles Landing—who won its last title in 2021.
Pace Academy can secure its fifth all-time championship and third in the last four seasons in the boys Class 4A finals against a Fayette County team that is one win away from achieving its first-ever title. The Griffin girls are one win away from their first-ever championship and will take on Baldwin for the fourth time this season in a must-see 4A matchup.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
An undefeated season is on the line for Hebron Christian as the Lions face defending state champion Lumpkin County in the girls 3A finals and Region 5 rivals Sandy Creek and Cedar Grove will clash in the boys championship. Defending Class A Private state champion Mt. Paran faces a hungry Banks County team in the girls Class 2A championship and defending state champion Westside-Augusta looks to achieve back-to-back titles against Providence Christian.
The newly-formed Class A Division I and Class A Division II will see its first champions this week. Defending Class A Public Lake Oconee Academy will face Clinch County in the Class A Division II Girls finals and Charlton County takes on Wilkinson County in the boys finals. Wilkinson County is 10-0 all-time in finals appearances heading into tipoff. Class A Division I features Region 6 teams in both matchups. The St. Francis girls can win their first title since 2016 against Galloway and Mt. Pisgah can win its second state title since 2021 against King’s Ridge—who is one win away from celebrating its first-ever championship.
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