2022-23 Georgia High School Boys Basketball Rankings: Classes 1A-7A

By
Phil Jones
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Georgia High School Boys Basketball Top 25: Classes 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 7A

Updated 3/13/23

Here’s our final 2023 Georgia high school boys basketball Top 25 ranking. The season comes to an end with the Wheeler boys basketball team landing in the same spot where they began: at the top. 

Our panel of one decided that Wheeler was the best basketball team in the state before the season began. Larry Thompson’s team proved it with a commanding and dominant end to the season with a 20-point win over a surprise Cherokee team, which seemingly came out of nowhere to play for the state championship in the state’s largest classification. But, in the end, they were no match for Thompson’s Wheeler team that included the country’s top guard in Isaiah Collier. 

Kell became this year’s Norcross by sweeping the boys and girls Class 5A state titles. 

The rest of the state champs are Westside (Augusta), Sandy Creek, Alexander, Pace Academy,  King’s Ridge, and Wilkinson County.

  1. Wheeler (7A) E
  2. Kell (5A) E
  3. Westside – Augusta (2A)+2
  4. Sandy Creek (3A) +4
  5. Alexander (6A) +4
  6. Pace Academy (4A) +7
  7. King’s Ridge (1A-Dl) NR
  8. Wilkinson County (1A-DII) NR
  9. McDonough (4A) -6
  10. Johnson – Savannah (3A) -6
  11. Eagle’s Landing (5A) -5
  12. Greenforest (1A-DII) -5
  13. Lee County (6A) +5
  14. Cherokee (7A) NR
  15. Providence Christian (2A) NR
  16. Charlton County (1A-DII) NR
  17. Mt. Pisgah (1A-Dl) E
  18. Fayette County (4A) NR
  19. McEachern (7A) -9
  20. Newton (7A) -9
  21. Columbia (2A) -9
  22. Norcross (7A) -7
  23. Mount Vernon (1A-Dl) -9
  24. Jonesboro (6A) -8
  25. Grayson (7A) -6

Updated 2/27/23

Our latest Top 25 rankings come as the Georgia high school boys basketball playoffs are in full swing, with the first two rounds of the state tournament complete. Teams now head to the Elite 8, where the matchups get a bit stiffer. For example, the Newton Rams face off against the defending state champions of Norcross. Other looming matchups that will make for sleepless nights for the coaches, but the ultimate marquee games for the fans, include Johnson – Savannah vs. Sandy Creek, along with Walton taking on Grayson.

Four previously ranked teams were ousted from the Top 25 due to upset losses, the biggest of which was previously unranked Athens Christian’s defeat of Top-5 Mt. Bethel. Others dropping out were Christian Heritage, a previous Top-10 team; Southwest Dekalb; and Beach.

Westover breaks into the Top 25, along with Macon County, Carrollton, and Macon County with the upset win over Mt. Bethel. My team to keep an eye out for: The Westover Patriots.

  1. Wheeler (7A) E
  2. Kell (5A) E
  3. McDonough (4A) E
  4. Johnson – Savannah (3A) E
  5. Westside Augusta (2A) +1
  6. Eagle’s Landing (5A) +1
  7. Greenforest (1A-Dll) +1
  8. Sandy Creek (3A) +2
  9. Alexander (6A) +2
  10. McEachern (7A) +2
  11. Newton (7A) +2
  12. Columbia (2A) +2
  13. Pace Academy (4A) +2
  14. Mount Vernon (1A-Dl) +2
  15. Norcross (7A) +2
  16. Jonesboro (6A) +2
  17. Mt. Pisgah (1A-Dl) +2
  18. Lee County (6A) +3
  19. Grayson (7A) +4
  20. Grovetown (6A) +4
  21. Hiram (5A) +4
  22. Athens Christian (1A-DI) NR
  23. Westover (4A) NR
  24. Macon County (1A-DII) NR
  25. Carrollton (7A) NR

Updated 2/14/23

The 2022-2023 Georgia boys basketball regular season is in the books, and that now readies the teams for the start of the postseason, where coaches can erase those whiteboards of any reminders of what came before and begin to move forward with a clean slate. This is the time for players to shine, and show why their team is the one to beat. The region tournaments are underway as we release our most up-to-date Georgia high school boys basketball rankings.

There is quite a bit of a shakeup in the Top 25 since our last poll, with the exception being at the top. Nothing to see there as Wheeler remains solid at No. 1. But after that, several teams have changed positions, starting with Johnson Savannah, which moves into the Top 5, leaping 13 spots to land at No. 4. Greenforest is another team playing really well at just the right time, as they defeated Christian Heritage in a battle of two of the best that Class A has to offer.

Several teams besides the dominant Wheeler boys squad held their ground since our last poll. Included in that group is the Newton Rams, led by head coach Charlemagne Gibbons on the sideline, and on the court, Stephen Castle, a UConn commit. They are the third top team from 7A, behind Wheeler and McEachern. Hiram makes our poll for the first time this season, while Grovetown also cracks the Top 25 this week.

It’s time now to decide who are the contenders … and who are the pretenders. Meanwhile, here’s the updated ITG Next Georgia boys basketball ranking

  1. Wheeler (7A) E
  2. Kell (5A) +2
  3. McDonough (4A) +3
  4. Johnson – Savannah (3A) +13
  5. Mt. Bethel (1A-DI) +2
  6. Westside – Augusta (2A) +3
  7. Eagle’s Landing (5A) +4
  8. Greenforest (1A-DII) +10
  9. Christian Heritage (1A-DII) -6
  10. Sandy Creek (3A) -7
  11. Alexander (6A) -3
  12. McEachern (7A) -2
  13. Newton (7A) E
  14. Columbia (2A) E
  15. Pace Academy (4A) E
  16. Mount Vernon (1A-DI) E
  17. Norcross (7A) -12
  18. Jonesboro (6A) +2
  19. Mt. Pisgah (1A-DI) E
  20. Beach (3A) -8
  21. Lee County (6A) +2
  22. Southwest Dekalb (4A) +2
  23. Grayson (7A) +2
  24. Grovetown (6A) NR
  25. Hiram (5A) NR

Updated 1/31/23

As the regular season rolls on and into its final stages, our updated Georgia high school boys basketball rankings has a few changes, with two new teams entering the Top 25 and five schools bowing out. There’s also some movement within the poll, as upsets were knocking two of our previous Top 5 programs down a few notches. Westside-Augusta and Eagles Landing each suffered upsets, as did previous No. 11 Mount Vernon. The Mustangs, who admittedly play a daunting schedule, lost to the Pythons of Paideia, who had entered the game losers of three of four. They improved to 8-12 on the season with the onw-point upset over Mount Vernon.

Elsewhere, Kell was rewarded with several impressive victories since our last poll, and Christian Heritage deserved a jump in the poll, as they remain undefeated at an impressive 18-0. The Lions move into the Top 5, from No. 6 to No. 3 this week.

Two teams who have not moved in a while are our top two teams, including the top-ranked Wheeler boys, who survived a scare from the visiting North Cobb boys last week, and the Patriots of Sandy Creek, who stay locked in at the No 2.

Of the teams who fall from the Top 25, watch out for the Grayson Rams and Buford Wolves. With veteran coaches Geoffrey Pierce (Grayson) and Benji Wood (Buford) leading these programs, they’re never out of it. Watch for both teams to make a run towards their respective region tournaments here in another couple of weeks, and get right back into the hunt, as well as our Top 25. Meanwhile, here’s a look at the updated ITG Next Georgia boys basketball rankings:

  1. Wheeler (7A) E
  2. Sandy Creek (3A) E
  3. Christian Heritage (1A-DII) +3
  4. Kell (5A) +5
  5. Norcross (7A) E
  6. Christian Heritage (1A-DII) E
  7. McDonough (4A) E
  8. Mt. Bethel (1A-DI) E
  9. Alexander (6A)+1
  10. Westside – Augusta (2A) -7
  11. McEachern (7A) NR
  12. Eagle’s Landing (5A) -8
  13. Beach (3A) -1
  14. Newton (7A) +3
  15. Columbia (2A) -1
  16. Pace Academy (4A) -1
  17. Mount Vernon (1A-DI) -6
  18. Johnson – Savannah (3A) +2
  19. Greenforest (1A-DII)
  20. Mount Vernon (1A-DI) -9
  21. Jonesboro (6A) E
  22. Norcross (7A) NR
  23. Bainbridge (4A) +2
  24. Lee County (6A) E
  25. Southwest Dekalb (4A) -2

Updated 1/17/23

Like the ball they play with, our updated Georgia high school boys basketball rankings has teams bouncing all over the place. That includes the high-flying Grayson Rams, who tie Christian Heritage as the biggest movers of the week; both move up 10 spots from their previous rankings.

Remaining atop the most recent boys poll are heavyweights Wheeler, led by head coach Larry Thompson, followed by Sandy Creek and Westside-Augusta. All three teams were in that same 1-2-3 order in our last ranking of the Georgia boys Top 25. Norcross remains in the No. 5 spot from last week, with Eagle’s Landing moving up two spots to join the Top 5 party.

As mentioned earlier, Grayson is playing some great basketball right now, and we reward the Rams by moving them up to the No. 13 spot. It wasn’t luck that got them there; they earned it with a resounding 27-point road win at Archer last week.

Earning their way into the Top 25 this week is a trio of teams: Lee County, Greenforest, and Bainbridge.

  1. Wheeler (7A) E
  2. Sandy Creek (3A) E
  3. Westside – Augusta (2A) E
  4. Eagle’s Landing (5A) +2
  5. Norcross (7A) E
  6. Christian Heritage (1A-DII) +10
  7. McDonough (4A) E
  8. Mt. Bethel (1A-DI) E
  9. Kell (5A) -5
  10. Alexander (6A)+3
  11. Mount Vernon (1A-DI) +9
  12. Beach (3A) +7
  13. Grayson (7A) +10
  14. Columbia (2A) E
  15. Pace Academy (4A) E
  16. Newton (7A) -7
  17. Buford (7A) +7
  18. Providence Christian (2A) +3
  19. Johnson – Savannah (3A) -7
  20. Mt. Pisgah (1A-DI) -9
  21. Jonesboro (6A) -4
  22. Greenforest (1A-DII) NR
  23. Southwest DeKalb (4A) -1
  24. Lee County (6A) NR
  25. Bainbridge (4A) NR

Updated 1/4/2023

With the seasonal holiday tournaments done, the Georgia high school boys basketball teams roll into the 2023 portion of their season, which will mean a more dedicated region schedule. Of course, there are still a few teams who will be making long trips for national showcase games, and that includes our top boys team, Wheeler. Coach Larry Thompson’s team has been our top team since the preseason poll, and they’ll stay in the No. 1 spot with the updated top 25 Georgia high school boys basketball rankings to start 2023. 

There are quite a few changes from our previous top 25, including our previous No. 2 team, Westover. The Patriots could still be a team to watch out for down the stretch in Class 4A. 

Eagles Landing is our biggest mover, jumping all the way to No. 6 from their previous No. 21 spot on the heels of an undefeated 14-0 season. 

Class 6A’s Grovetown was our No. 5 ranked team in the two previous polls, but the Warriors hit a rough patch, losing eight of 10 games heading into December. To be fair, there were some tough teams in that stretch, including Wheeler and Newton. Grovetown will be fine once region play rolls around. 

There are several new entries in our updated rankings, with teams such as Columbia deserving a spot with just one loss in their first 13 games and Mt. Bethel debuting in the poll at No. 8.

  1. Wheeler (7A) E
  2. Sandy Creek (3A) +1
  3. Westside Augusta (2A) E
  4. Kell (5A) E
  5. Norcross (7A) +5
  6. Eagle’s Landing (5A) +15
  7. McDonough (4A) +6
  8. Mt. Bethel (1A-DI) NR
  9. Newton (7A) +10
  10. Kings Ridge (1A-DI) +1
  11. Mt. Pisgah (1A-DI) NR
  12. Johnson – Savannah (3A) +11
  13. Alexander (6A) +4
  14. Columbia (2A) NR 
  15. Pace Academy (4A) -1
  16. Christian Heritage (1A-DII) +2
  17. Jonesboro (6A) NR
  18. Milton (7A) NR
  19. Beach (3A) +6
  20. Mount Vernon (1A-DI) +1
  21. Providence Christian (2A) NR
  22. Southwest DeKalb (4A) NR
  23. Grayson (7A) NR
  24. Buford (7A) NR
  25. Hughes (6A) -3

Updated 11/23/2022

Georgia high school boys basketball is underway with most teams having at least a game or two under their belts, and so far there’s not too many – if any – real surprises to speak of in any classification. 

Wheeler didn’t do anything to fall out of our top spot, winning by 24 points over a solid Etowah team to keep their top ranking. Previously unranked Pebblebrook worked their way into our first regular-season poll with a 3-point win over top-15 ranked Grayson. 

Our previously ranked No. 12 team, McDonough, bolstered their top-25 presence with a strong win over No. 22-ranked Hughes. Norcross, previously ranked at No. 15, moves up inside the top 10 after a red hot start to their season, securing wins in their first three games. 

Buford and Thomasville drop out of the top 25. Thomson and Beach are two other newcomers who make their debuts among the state’s top 25 teams this week.  

Here’s a look at our first regular season top 25 Georgia high school boys basketball ranking.

  1. Wheeler (7A) E
  2. Westover (4A) E
  3. Sandy Creek (3A) E
  4. Westside – Augusta (2A) E
  5. Kell (5A) E
  6. Grovetown (6A) E
  7. Spencer (2A) E
  8. McEachern (7A) E
  9. Pebblebrook (7A) NR
  10. Norcross (7A) +5
  11. King’s Ridge (1A-DI) -1
  12. Cross Creek (3A) -1
  13. McDonough (4A) -1
  14. Pace Academy (4A) -1
  15. Thomson (2A) NR
  16. Norcross (7A) -2
  17. Alexander (6A) -1
  18. Christian Heritage (1A-DII) -1
  19. Newton (7A) -1
  20. Mount Vernon (1A-DI) E
  21. Eagle’s Landing (5A) E
  22. Hughes (6A) E
  23. Johnson – Savannah (3A) E
  24. Etowah (6A) E
  25. Beach (3A) NR

Preseason Rankings

As the GHSA football season heads toward its opening rounds of the postseason, Georgia high school boys basketball teams are going through preseason preparations for the 2022-23 season on the hardcourt. The 2021-22 season ended with a few surprises as favorites like Westover and Pace Academy in Class 2A and Sandy Creek in 3A were each ousted from the postseason before they could reach the state title game. That opened the way for teams like Spencer, Cross Creek, and Westside Augusta to capture championships. 

As we get primed for the teams to hit the hardcourt with holiday tournaments, ITG Next releases our preseason Top 25 Georgia high school boys basketball rankings for Classes 1A-7A. With the talent evenly dispersed across classification lines in high school basketball more so than in any other sport, our Top 25 poll combines all classes to truly give an idea of who has the best overall talent  in the state. So, let’s go.

  1. Wheeler (7A)
  2. Westover (4A)
  3. Sandy Creek (3A)
  4. Westside – Augusta (2A)
  5. Kell (5A)
  6. Grovetown (6A)
  7. Spencer (2A)
  8. McEachern (7A)
  9. Greenforest (1A-DII)
  10. King’s Ridge (1A-DI)
  11. Cross Creek (3A)
  12. McDonough (4A)
  13. Pace Academy (4A)
  14. Grayson (7A) 
  15. Norcross (7A) 
  16. Alexander (6A)
  17. Christian Heritage (1A-DII)
  18. Newton (7A) 
  19. Thomasville (3A)
  20. Mount Vernon (1A-DI) 
  21. Eagle’s Landing (5A)
  22. Hughes (6A)
  23. Johnson – Savannah (3A)
  24. Buford (7A) 
  25. Etowah (6A)
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