Girls basketball playoffs are in full stride and teams are looking for a way to continue their run. Fans may want to know some things about teams and players that could change the outcomes of the state playoff picture. There are some surprise teams, surprise players, and some injuries that could very well influence the entire state title landscape. See below for some information that could help you predict some of the state games coming up:
- Westlake looks poised to three-peat. Yes, they have a chance to win 3 straight state championships. All state junior point guard Raven Johnson looks like she’s going to be the 7A player of the year.
- Probably Georgia’s 6A player of the year and potential Gatorade player of the year, NC State signee Genesis Bryant is out of the playoffs with a broken foot. Lovejoy looks vulnerable for the first time in a while. Their only 6A loss came against Forest Park when Bryant did not play.
- Brookwood has reached the elite for the first time in school history. Dianna Collins is their star Freshman and she has been lighting up everyone. Senior Selma Kulo a 6’5 center headed to Western Kentucky has emerged as a go-to post presence. Do not be surprised if you see Brookwood in the final four.
- Jan Azar is back in the hunt in single-A private. She has her Hebron team rolling. They are led by junior forward Malia Fisher and coach Azar’s daughter Nicole Azar who is a junior wing. Fisher is a do it all forward and Azar is a sharpshooting wing which makes the perfect combo for a deep state run to go with coach Azar’s experience.
- ELCA is a quiet secret coming out of McDonough, Georgia. They have upset potential written all over them. Their duo of guards creates one of the top backcourts in Georgia. Senior Clemson signee guard Weronika Hipp is amazing, to say the least. She is a prime-time bucket getter. Paired with junior wing Jalisa Dunlap who is arguably one of the most athletic guards in the state. ELCA with Hipp and Dunlap leading the way have been knocking teams off one by one throughout the year.
- In 4A the usual four-horse race teams are in it. Carver Columbus, Spalding, McDonough, and Luella. These four teams have been in the elite eight every season for the past four years. This year all signs point to Carver Columbus, but each one of these other teams would beg to differ.
- Early County has one of the best players no one is talking about in Makayla Timpson. The 6’3 super athletic forward dominates games. The location of her school hinders her notoriety, but she is legit and her opponents would say the same.
