Top 10 games to watch in Georgia high school boys basketball: Milton returns to action in Tournament of Champions

Weekend events at Wheeler and Archer high schools are the headliners, but don’t sleep on the Tuesday matchups.

By Darren Nichols | Photo by Zach Shugan

With Thanksgiving tournaments in the rearview mirror and most teams having seen their first live action, we move on to a less tournament-heavy week of Georgia high school basketball. 

The Tournament of Champions at Wheeler and Sandy's Spiel Showcase at Archer provide some top-tier matchups for this weekend, but don’t sleep on the Tuesday matchups.

TOP 10 GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK

10. South Gwinnett (6-0) vs. Chattahoochee (5-1), 7:30 p.m. Tuesday

South Gwinnett is rolling, as this is its first time starting a season 6-0 since 2010. The Comets recently just gave Buford its first loss and now look to remain undefeated against the Hooch. Chattahoochee looks to get its first win against an opponent over .500. The Cougars' only loss came against Mountain View with a 5-1 record. This game could lead to South Gwinnett cracking SBLive's Georgia Top 25 with a win. 

9. Providence Christian (3-1) vs. Drew Charter (2-1), 10:30 a.m. Saturday

The leadoff game in Sandy's Spiel Showcase at Archer High School pits one of the top teams in Class A Private (Providence Christian) against one of the top teams in Class A Public (Drew Charter). Providence Christian is coming off a comeback 66-58 win over Gainesville at the Truett McConnell showcase last week, paced by 6-foot-8 forward Tony Carpio's 29 points. Drew Charter has two blowout wins and an 11-point loss to 7A juggernaut Grayson.

8. McDonough (3-0) @ Eagle's Landing (0-0), 7 p.m. Saturday

This will be Eagle's Landing’s third game of the year (and the week) and on a back-to-back. The Golden Eagles face three county rivals this week, and McDonough should give the reigning champions their toughest test. McDonough also has two games this week before this matchup, and it is highly likely both teams will enter Saturday with an undefeated record. It's a matchup between the champs vs. the up-and-coming county rival. 

7. Kell (0-1) @ Osborne (3-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday 

This will be Kell’s third game of the season after the Longhorns face Allatoona on Tuesday. The Longhorns are looking for their first win of the season after winning 22 games last year. They should eventually get going, but did lose five-star Scoota Henderson to the G-League this year, so they are acclimating to new players. Osborne is enjoying its undefeated start after starting last year 0-6. The Cardinals are returning their three leading scorers from last season, which has been a big factor in their early wins. 

6. Parkview (4-0) @ Buford (3-1), 7:30 p.m. Tuesday

Buford has yet to secure a win over a team with a winning record. But the Wolves did have a nice rebound game after falling to South Gwinnett, taking down Hart County by 34 points. Parkview has had a nice start to the season, with three wins against teams with winning records. Parkview beat Archer, Chamblee and Tucker, and combined those three teams have a record of 13-3, so Parkview has given each team its only loss. 

5. East Coweta (4-0) vs. Pace Academy (2-1), 6 p.m. Saturday

East Coweta is set to face Pace in the Tournament of Champions at Wheeler High School. East Coweta is off to a hot start, which is easy to do when you have four players averaging double-digit points. The Indians also have Delricco Gillespie, who is averaging 14 points, 16.8 rebounds and 3.5 blocks. Pace Academy is off to a 2-1 start, and the Knights have some stat-sheet stuffers of their own. Josh Reed is averaging 20 points and 10 boards.

4. Newton (4-0) @ Archer (5-1), 7:30 p.m. Tuesday

Newton has three impressive wins over some of the state’s best, including McEachern, Westlake and Norcross. With Jakai Newton playing at a high level, the Rams will be a tough task for any opponent. Archer has a tough task in slowing down the Newton offense, but the Tigers have been playing some good ball themselves. This is the type of game that can give Archer the attention of schools around the state. 

3. North Gwinnett (3-1) @ Ashland Blazer (Kentucky) (0-0), 8:30 p.m. Friday 

North Gwinnett will face Ashland Blazer in the Marshall County Hoopfest. Ashland Blazer, one of the top teams in Kentucky, went 22-5 last season. RJ Godfrey and the Bulldogs will look to sharpen their skills on the Kentucky hardwood, as they'll follow the Friday game with another matchup against a top Kentucky program at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Louisville Male. 

2. McEachern (1-4) @ Wheeler (1-2), 9 p.m. Saturday

Both teams have gotten off to undesirable starts, but Wheeler has faced arguably the toughest early schedule in the country. The Wildcats' two losses have come against No. 1 Montverde Academy (Florida) and No. 5 Duncanville (Texas) in the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25. McEachern is 1-4 for the first time in almost a decade, but all four losses have come by single digits. Tournament of Champions host Wheeler is another tough task, but if the Indians want to reinsert themselves in the state contender category, these are the games they must win. 

1. Milton (1-0) vs. Pebblebrook (4-1), 7 p.m. Saturday

Milton is the No. 1 team in SBLive's Georgia Top 25 and No. 3 team in the national SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25, and the Eagles will finally get a chance to flex their muscles after having over a week off since their win against Roswell. Pebblebrook has scored 69 more points than allowed this year. The Falcons had a hard-fought game against the No. 11 team in the nation, Wasatch Academy (Utah), losing by only seven. Pebblebrook could make some national noise with an upset win. Milton has won 22 straight against Georgia teams dating back to last season, including a win against Pebblebrook.