Top 25 Georgia high school boys basketball rankings (1/26/2024)

To say there were a lot of shakeups in the Georgia boys basketball Power 25 this week would be an understatement. Several teams took major falls, including

To say there were a lot of shakeups in the Georgia boys basketball Power 25 this week would be an understatement.

Several teams took major falls, including Berkmar and Mount Vernon while several took major leaps, including Walton and Newton. This week also sees a couple of first-timers to the Power 25, most notably Peachtree Ridge, who comes in at No. 19. 

GEORGIA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL POWER 25

1. Grayson (18-2)

It took everything the Rams had to win their 18th game of the season Tuesday night. They were pushed to the brink by a pesky Newton squad, but ultimately won the game 76-70 in overtime. The Rams have still yet to lose a game in the state of Georgia and will remain the No. 1 team until proven otherwise.

2. McEachern (16-5)

The Indians went a perfect 3-0 since last week’s Power 25, but were very nearly beaten by Milton. The Indians won the game 63-62 and followed that up with a 14-point region win against Harrison.

3. Sandy Creek (17-2)

The Patriots extended their winning streak to eight in a row this week, with their last couple coming against very quality teams in Fayette County and Cedar Grove. They also beat St. Pius on the road on one of the best, if not the best home court advantages in the state. 

4. Alexander (18-2)

The Cougars have now won five in a row after blowing out Paulding County last Friday night and New Manchester Tuesday night. They’re sitting at 18-2 and are the clear favorites to win the Class 6A state championship as it currently stands.

5. Kell (16-3)

The Longhorns moved into the No. 5 spot last week and they’re not going anywhere. Their last loss came way back in late November against No. 1 Grayson. Since then, they’ve won 15 games in a row.

6. Wheeler (15-5)

The first movement in the Top 10 starts right here with the Wildcats moving up one spot to No. 6. Since losing to Walton, the Wildcats have rebounded nicely with wins against Kennesaw Mountain, Norcross and Cherokee.

7. Greenforest (15-4)

After jumping into the Top 10 for the first time last week, the Eagles are up one spot to No. 7 after another strong week. With some teams around them not playing good basketball right now, the Eagles seem like the clear cut No. 7 team in the state of Georgia right now.

8. Newton (14-4)

The Rams are back in the Top 10 this week after a very impressive effort on the road against No. 1 Grayson on Tuesday. They very nearly won the game and even though it will go down as a loss, they showed that they are one of the best teams in the state.

9. Buford (18-3)

The Wolves find their way into the Top 10 for the first time this season, and it’s due in large part to their consistency. When they’ve played the state’s best, they’ve held tough. They took a lead into halftime against No. 3 Sandy Creek before losing 66-60 and they lost to No. 8 Newton by four. With some other teams showing some weaknesses right now, the Wolves are deserving of a Top 10 ranking. 

10. McDonough (19-2)

We were waiting to see how McDonough would respond against a Pace Academy team that hasn't played anyone this season. The Warhawks came out on top with a 63-59 win, and they’re up to No. 10 in this week’s rankings.

11. Pace Academy (16-3)

The Knights were blitzed in the first quarter against McDonough last Friday night and they were never able to recover. But that isn’t going to hurt their ranking this week with other teams stumbling around them. They remain at No. 11 in this week’s rankings.

12. Tucker (17-2)

The Tigers are up three more spots this week to No. 12. They’ve extended their winning streak to 13 in a row and overall, their resume is very solid. They lost in double OT to Buford earlier this season and haven’t lost a game since Dec. 12.

13. Holy Innocents (13-6)

The Golden Bears drop three spots to No. 13 after suffering a fairly bad loss to Westminster, a team they had already beaten by 17 points earlier in the year. The Golden Bears have a win against a Top 5 team, but a loss to Westminster can’t be ignored at this point in the season.

14. Walton (17-3)

You’d be hard pressed to find a team playing much better than the Raiders right now in the state of Georgia. They’ve won five games in a row, including a win against No. 6 Wheeler, and followed that up with blowout wins against North Cobb and Osborne. They’re the biggest mover, up seven spots from last week.

15. Berkmar (15-6)

The biggest faller this week is Berkmar, who slips back nine spots to No. 15 after a very rough week. After losing to two out-of-state teams, the Patriots lost again, this time to Peachtree Ridge. They snapped their three-game losing streak against Discovery, but followed that up with a loss to North Gwinnett on Tuesday. The Patriots are reeling, and the only thing keeping them from falling further down is the teams around them also suffering bad losses over the last week.

16. Mount Vernon (13-9)

The second biggest faller this week is Mount Vernon, who was ranked No. 9 in last week’s Power 25. We’ve excused a lot of the Mustangs’ losses this season, due in large part to the quality teams they were losing to. But after losing to an 8-11 Paideia team on Tuesday, there’s no looking over that.

17. Woodward Academy (16-5)

The War Eagles would be 16-3 if they didn’t have to play Jonesboro. Outside of the Cardinals being the War Eagles’ kryptonite this year, they have played very solid basketball. They have a 20-point win over Holy Innocents and lost to No. 1 Grayson by 12 earlier this season. They remain at No. 17 in this week’s rankings.

18. Dutchtown (13-7)

The Bulldogs are up four spots to No. 18 in this week’s Power 25 after a solid week. They blew out Ola and earned a hard-fought road win at Warner Robins on Tuesday. Their resume is solid and they’re worthy of the No. 18 spot this week.

19. Peachtree Ridge (15-6)

The Lions make their debut in the Power 25 this week at No. 19 after extending their winning streak to six games. After losing to Dutchtown 56-50 in late December, the Lions haven’t lost since. They’re coming off of a big 68-51 win at home against a reeling Berkmar squad and could soon find themselves ranked ahead of the Patriots if they continue this hot streak.

20. Shiloh (16-4)

The Generals are another team that takes a tumble in this week’s rankings. They slip back four spots to No. 20 after losing to Habersham Central Tuesday night, a game they should win almost always.

21. Chapel Hill (14-5)

The Panthers are up three spots to No. 21 in this week’s Power 25 after extending their winning streak to five in a row. They are quietly taking care of business right now and will have some big games coming up down the stretch. 

22. North Oconee (19-3)

The Titans are up three spots to No. 22 after another strong week. They’ve now won eight in a row despite not playing anyone of note. Their resume isn’t strong and we’ve already stated that. But it’s hard to ignore a 19-3 record.

23. Baldwin (18-2)

The Braves make their Power 25 debut at No. 23 in this week’s Power 25. They’ve won five in a row and find themselves in a very similar boat to that of North Oconee. They haven’t played a challenging schedule, but their 18 wins is still very impressive.

24. Cedar Grove (14-6)

The Saints are back in the Power 25 this week and they come in at No. 24. They’re coming off of a loss to Sandy Creek, but didn’t play too bad. They’re 14-6 on the season and are still probably Sandy Creek’s biggest threat in a weak Class 3A.

25. Westside-Augusta (17-3)

The Patriots come in at No. 25 in this week’s Power 25 after extending their winning streak to seven in a row. They’re 17-3 on the season and are coming off of a big win against an undefeated Thomson squad.