The 2024 Georgia high school boys basketball playoffs began this week in every classification. Naturally, several first-round upsets are bound to occur, but not many No. 3 or No. 4 seeds will reach the quarterfinals round in one week’s time. Let’s take a stab at identifying one low-seeded sleeper in each classification.
Class 7A
Carrollton and Berkmar may be popular choices on the No. 3-seed line, but how about Brookwood? Despite a 16-12 record, the Broncos have beaten a top-10 Archer team twice recently and have won four of their last five games. A first-round trip down to Valdosta is challenging, but a second-round matchup against Marietta or Campbell appears enticing.
Class 6A
There don’t seem to be many great choices in Class 6A beside Langston Hughes. The third-seeded Panthers are led by Brentis Schaeffer, who is averaging 17.7 PPG, and have defeated the likes of Carrollton, South Paulding, and Dutchtown. Additionally, a favorable path to the quarterfinals makes Hughes a safe choice.
Class 5A
Warner Robins certainly possesses the explosiveness needed in playoff sleepers. The Demons have scored over 90 points in a game five times this season. If they can handle a stingy Northgate defense in the first round, a second-round matchup against Decatur seems more manageable.
Class 4A
A balanced No. 4 seed, Whitewater draws arguably the weakest No. 1 seed in Bainbridge. The Wildcats will still be on the road for a potential second-round matchup at either Burke County or Spalding, but that may prove to be a lesser challenge considering Whitewater has a better record on the road than at home this season.
Class 3A
Keep Monroe Area in mind. The Purple Hurricanes dropped to third in their region after a three-game skid in mid-January, but have been nearly flawless since. They’ll have to contend with a battle-tested Douglass squad in the first round, but a second-round win over Dawson County or Adairsville seems plausible.
Class 2A
Sitting at the No. 4 spot with a 13-15 record, Laney may be overlooked. It should be noted that the Wildcats had to compete in a region with Westside (Augusta), Butler, and Thomson, the current top three 2A squads. They’ve already beaten Butler once, so don’t be surprised if the Wildcats defeat below-0.500 Sumter County en route to the Elite Eight.
Class 1A-DII
No. 4 seed Towns County may have success. They face by far the weakest No. 1 seed in Twiggs County (15-14), but will surely be challenged on the road against either Manchester or Mt. Zion (Carrollton). The Indians have leaned on their defense this season, allowing under 50 PPG, and neither second-round opponent has a wildly proficient offense to challenge that.
Class 1A-DI
There are few viable options here, but Bryan County is worth taking a risk on. The No. 3 seed needs to upset East Laurens (20-4) to nearly guarantee a quarterfinals berth, as neither possible second-round opponent has won double-digit games this season. The Redskins feature two junior standouts in Elijah Mincey (15.9 PPG) and Chris Winfree (11.2 RPG), which may challenge East Laurens’ depleted frontcourt.
