Top 25 Georgia high school boys basketball rankings (2/1/2024)

Pace Academy returns to the Top 10; Walton and Peachtree Ridge continue to rise

After a crazy shakeup in last week's Georgia Boys Basketball Power 25, things stabilized a bit in this week's rankings with nine of the 10 Top 10 teams remaining intact.

Pace Academy is back in the No. 10 spot and several teams continue to rise with Walton leading the pack at No. 11. Peachtree Ridge takes another step forward, and three teams make their Power 25 debut. 

GEORGIA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL POWER 25

1. Grayson (20-2)

After getting a scare from Newton in a 76-70 overtime win last week, the Rams got back to their usual ways, blowing out both Brookwood and Archer by a combined score of 155-104. With three Region 4-7A games left, the Rams have all but clinched the No. 1 seed ahead of their region tournament.

2. McEachern (18-5)

Much like Grayson, the Indians have rebounded nicely after nearly losing to Milton less than two weeks ago. In their last two games, they’ve scored a blowout win against Hillgrove and beat Marietta by 13 to improve to 18-5 on the season.

3. Sandy Creek (19-2)

The Patriots are getting everyone’s best shot in Region 5-3A, and it hasn’t mattered much. After beating Osborne 73-52 in a non-region matchup last Friday, the Patriots gutted out a 57-51 win over region foe Douglass to improve to 19-2 on the season.

4. Kell (19-3)

The first movement in the Power 25 this week starts with Kell moving up one spot to No. 4 after another strong week. They extended their winning streak to 18 in a row on Tuesday night with a 63-47 road beatdown of Chattahoochee to improve to 19-3 on the season.

5. Alexander (20-2)

The Cougars slip back just one spot to No. 5 after extending their winning streak to seven in a row Wednesday night after scoring a 47-39 win over Douglas County in what was a low-scoring affair. It was their lowest scoring output since losing to McEachern in early January, but it was also their best defensive showing since Dec. 8 when they held Paulding County to 33 points.

6. Wheeler (15-5)

Since losing to Walton on Jan. 17, the Wildcats have turned things on, winning five in a row in blowout fashion. They’re set up to face off against Walton on Friday night in what will be a highly-anticipated rematch with the Raiders that will in all likelihood determine who gets the No. 1 seed in the upcoming tournament out of Region 5. 

7. Greenforest (19-4)

The Eagles might not lose another game this season the way they are playing and considering the level of competition they’re now facing in Class A. They have won four more games since last week, all in blowout fashion. 

8. Newton (16-4)

The Rams remain in the 8th spot this week after beating South Gwinnett and Brookwood following last week’s narrow overtime loss to No. 1 Grayson. The Rams are averaging 69.7 points-per-game in Region 4-7A play this season, which is second only to Grayson’s 74.8.

9. Buford (20-3)

The Wolves just keep winning. They haven’t played quite the competition Grayson, McEachern or Newton has up until this point, but their strength of schedule still holds up. Playing in Class 7A, the Wolves have won nine in a row and have looked dominant during that stretch. 

10. Pace Academy (20-3)

After losing to McDonough 63-59 back on Jan. 19, the Knights have gone on a torrid pace, winning six in a row including a 79-57 victory over the Warhawks in a rematch last week. Their strength of schedule is still bad, but a dominant win over the Warhawks has them back into the Top 10 in this week’s rankings.

11. Walton (19-3)

The Raiders continue to skyrocket up the rankings. After another strong week, they’re up three more spots to No. 11, their highest ranking of the season. They’ve won seven in a row, including a win over No. 6 Wheeler, and they’ll have a chance to overtake the Wildcats in the rankings on Friday night if they’re able to beat them again.

12. Tucker (19-4)

The Tigers remain at No. 12 in this week’s rankings after extending their winning streak to 15 in a row this week. After gutting out a 55-49 win over a good Decatur squad, they blew out Lithonia 94-42 on Tuesday night, a new season-high for points.

13. McDonough (20-3)

The Warhawks slip back three spots to No. 13 in this week’s rankings after losing a rematch to Pace Academy 79-57 last Friday night. It wasn’t a good showing for them just eight days after beating them by four. These two will likely meet again in the Region 5-4A championship.

14. Holy Innocents (16-6)

Since losing to Westminster in a head scratcher earlier this month, the Golden Bears appear to be back on the right track. Since that loss, they’ve won five in a row, including three Region 6-4A wins since last week’s rankings against Stone Mountain, Clarkston and Southwest Dekalb.

15. Berkmar (17-6)

The Patriots have been in a freefall for the last two weeks, but for now, it has stopped at No. 15 after landing in that spot last week. They’ve gotten back on track with wins against Norcross and Meadowcreek, and they should score two more wins against Duluth and Discovery to give themselves some nice positive momentum heading into the Region 7-7A tournament.

16. Peachtree Ridge (16-6)

After making their debut in the Power 25 last week at 19, the Lions are up three spots to No. 16 after extending their winning streak to seven in a row to start the new year. They closed out a perfect January in style, blowing out a scrappy North Gwinnett Squad 75-61.

17. Woodward Academy (19-5)

The War Eagles continue to get slept on this season. They’ve very quietly won 19 games, including five in a row and they’ve played a quality schedule. If not for two headscratchers against Jonesboro, they could be ranked higher.

18. Shiloh (19-4)

The Generals are up one spot to No. 18 in this week’s Power 25. Their stretch of schedule isn’t all that impressive, and that’s holding them back from being ranked higher at this point in the season.

19. Pope (19-4)

The Greyhounds make their season debut in the Power 25 this week at No. 19. They have very quietly won 19 games this year while playing a quality schedule. Yes, they’ve had some bad losses, but their 19 wins while playing in Class 7A is nothing at which to scoff.

20. Etowah (17-4)

The Eagles are another team that makes their season debut in the Power 25, one spot behind Pope in 20th. Like Pope, the Eagles have some bad losses, but they lost to No. 9 Buford by just one point and they’re currently riding a 10-game winning streak.

21. Riverwood (18-5)

The Raiders are the third consecutive team on this week’s Power 25 to make their debut. They’ve won 18 games this season while playing a quality schedule and are currently riding a 4-game winning streak. 

22. Westside-Augusta (18-3)

The Patriots are up three spots to No. 22 in this week’s rankings after another impressive week. They don’t have a good strength of schedule, but their blowout wins have been very impressive. They’re doing what they should against bad teams.

23. North Oconee (21-3)

Speaking of teams with bad strength of schedules, the Titans take the cake in that department. They’re 21-3, but it’s hard to get excited about that given their schedule. They haven’t played anyone of note this year, but they’re still winning games, despite getting occasional scares like they did against Cedar Shoals on Tuesday night.

24. Langston Hughes (15-6)

The Panthers are back in the Power 25 this week at No. 24. They’ve played really well in spurts, and bad in spurts, but they’re currently one of the Top 25 teams in the state given their strength of schedule. 

25. Baldwin (20-2)

The Braves close out this week’s Power 25 ranked No. 25. At 20-2, they haven’t played much of anyone this season. But we’ve got to reward their 20-2 record given the way some other teams around the state that have been ranked in this range have played as of late.