For the first time in three seasons, Class 5A will crown a new champion in basketball. The Kell Longhorns have dominated 5A over the past two seasons winning back-to-back state championships but have moved down to Class 4A.
That leaves 5A wide open for the taking and a new champion will be crowned for the classification.
At the midway point, there are a lot of contenders that could hoist a state championship. Let’s start with Milton who currently sits at No.1 in the Score Atlanta poll. The Eagles are 10-3 on the season and defeated rival Gainesville 60-50 on Tuesday night. Josh Dixon led all scorers with 26 points. Daniel Ogunyemi finished with a double-double scoring 16 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Prior to the win, Milton came off two out-of-state losses to Central-Phenix City (AL) and St. Joseph (CA). Milton is seeking its fourth state championship in program history and first since 2021. Their only in-state loss is to the Grayson Rams in the second game of the season. Woodward Academy is another contender and is 10-3. The War Eagles are currently undefeated in region play. They are led by their dynamic guard tandem of Deke Cooper and Clemson-commit Zac Foster. Cooper is the leading scorer with 19.2 PPG and 8.2 RPG. Foster is averaging 16.3 PPG, 4.8 assists per game, and 2.4 steals. The War Eagles have notable wins over Newton, Lambert and Eagle’s Landing. What makes Woodward Academy dangerous is that they have a plethora of scorers who can get in a rhythm and take over a game at any point.
Tri-Cities has the best accumulation of talent in years. They have an emerging guard in Tre Keith who is averaging 18 PPG and four assists. Keith is rated as a 3-star, per On3 for the 2027 class. 4-star wing Jalan Wingfield has continued to improve his game and take steps forward. Wingfield is averaging 14.2 PPG, 7.7 rebounds (leads team), 1.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks. The Bulldogs are still a fairly young team but have a lot of talent that is hungry to make a splash this postseason.
Habersham Central is 15-2 on the season and is currently on a four-game winning streak. Their most recent victory over Apalachee saw the Raiders hit their third-highest total of the season, 83 points. The Raiders had a notable win earlier in the season against defending state champion North Oconee as well. Their only losses are to Midtown and Lambert, teams with playoff aspirations with both having records over .500.
Alexander was the state runner-up in basketball in 2023, losing to Riverwood in the state championship. The year prior the Cougars won their only title in program history. You can never count Alexander out because of the experience they have. The Cougars only have three underclassmen on the varsity roster. Gregory Dunson is the leading scorer for the Cougars this season averaging 18.2 PPG and 4.3 assists per game. He’s been a go-to option on offense for Alexander in 2024.
Around the class boys- Riverwood shooting guard JR Leonard leads Class 5A in scoring with 25.5 points per game…. Woodward Academy’s Deke Cooper and Zac Foster are top 10 in scoring in 5A, the only pair in the top 10 alongside them is Lee County’s Braden Moore and Kameron Sanders… Brunswick two sport star Heze Kent who is a 4-star prospect on the gridiron leads the classification with 13.8 rebounds per game and is No. 7 in the state in the same category.
Around the class girls- Evans CG Chabria Tate leads all scorers in Class 5A averaging 26 points per game… No. 8 Creekview travels to No. 9 Pope as top 10 teams face off on Thursday night…. Four players are averaging 20 points or more in Class 5A including Sprayberry’s Kaitlyn Williams, Northgate’s Deasia Stinson, and Alexander’s Nimah Ibidunni.
Boys Basketball Top 10 Schedule
1. Milton – Thursday at Johns Creek, 7:30 p.m.; Monday at Seckinger, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 16 vs. TBA (Bass Pro Tournament of Champions)
2. Woodward Academy – Friday at Decatur, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday vs. Tri-Cities, 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday at Chamblee, 7:30 p.m.
3. Tri-Cities – Thursday at Dunwoody, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at Woodward Academy, 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday at Arabia Mountain, 7:30 p.m.
4. Habersham Central – Friday at Clarke Central, 8:30 p.m.; Jan. 17 at Winder-Barrow, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 21 vs. Alcovy, 7:30 p.m.
5. Winder-Barrow – Friday vs. Apalachee, 8 p.m.; Tuesday at Clarke Central, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 17 vs. Habersham Central, 7:30 p.m.
6. Dutchtown – Friday at Northgate, 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday at Morrow, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 17 vs. Banneker, 7:30 p.m.
7. Gainesville – Tuesday vs. Johns Creek, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 17 at Seckinger, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 21 at Chattahoochee, 7:30 p.m.
8. Lee County – Friday vs. Veterans, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday vs. Coffee, 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday at Houston County, 7:30 p.m.
9. Alexander – Thursday at Lithia Springs, 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Villa Rica, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 17 at South Paulding, 7:30 p.m.
10. New Manchester – Thursday at South Paulding, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday vs. Douglas County, 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Lithia Springs, 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball Top 10 Schedule
1. Hughes – Thursday at McIntosh, 6 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Lovejoy, 6 p.m.; Jan. 17 vs. Newnan, 6 p.m.
2. River Ridge – Thursday at Woodstock, 6 p.m.; Tuesday at Creekview, 6 p.m.; Jan. 17 vs. Sprayberry, 6 p.m.
3. Woodward Academy – Friday at Decatur, 6 p.m.; Saturday vs. Tri-Cities, 3 p.m.; Tuesday at Chamblee, 6 p.m.
4. Milton – Thursday at Johns Creek, 6 p.m.; Monday at Seckinger, 6 p.m.; Jan. 17 vs. Roswell, 6 p.m.
5. Morrow – Thursday at Banneker, 6 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Dutchtown, 6 p.m.; Jan. 17 vs. Northgate, 6 p.m.
6. Tri-Cities – Thursday at Dunwoody, 6 p.m.; Saturday at Woodward Academy, 3 p.m.; Tuesday at Arabia Mountain, 6 p.m.
7. Bradwell Institute – Saturday at Brunswick, 6 p.m.; Tuesday at Statesboro, 6 p.m.; Jan. 17 at South Effingham, 6:30 p.m.
8. Creekview – Thursday at Pope, 6 p.m.; Tuesday vs. River Ridge, 6 p.m.; Jan. 17 vs. Woodstock, 6 p.m.
9. Pope – Thursday vs. Creekview, 6 p.m.; Tuesday at Riverwood, 6 p.m.; Jan. 17 vs. Lassiter, 6 p.m.
10. Arabia Mountain – Friday at Lakeside-DeKalb, 6 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Tri-Cities, 6 p.m.; Jan. 17 vs. Shiloh, 6 p.m.
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