Top 10 games to watch in Georgia high school boys basketball: Two heavyweight bouts are on the marquee

No. 2 Wheeler takes on No. 4 Newton, and the rematch between No. 3 Berkmar and No. 5 Norcross is another can't-miss matchup.

By Darren Nichols | Photo by Willie Prince

It's one thing to have a matchup between two top 5 teams in the SBLive Georgia Top 25, but this week we have two.

No. 2 Wheeler takes on No. 4 Newton, while No. 5 Norcross gets a chance to avenge its buzzer-beater loss earlier this season to No. 3 Berkmar.

TOP 10 GAMES OF THE WEEK

10. Sandy Creek (16-3) vs. Greater Atlanta Christian (13-3), 7:30 p.m. Tuesday

Sandy Creek has been a force of late, winners of three straight and nine of its last 10 games. Greater Atlanta Christian will have its hands full in the second matchup between these region foes. Sandy Creek won the first battle, but now GAC is on a six-game win streak. Sandy Creek holds a pretty sizable lead in the region, so if GAC wants any chance at reaching first place, this game is a must-win. 

9. St Pius X Catholic (16-3) vs. Southwest DeKalb (14-4), 7:30 p.m. Wednesday

The two top dogs in their region will battle it out Wednesday. Southwest DeKalb is coming off its first region loss to give the team a 9-1 region record, good enough to be tied for first. Of course the tie is with St. Pius, which is also coming off a loss to a team that had a better record. This is the first of two matchups between these two teams. 

8. Alexander (14-2) vs. Osborne (17-1), 2:30 p.m. Saturday

Alexander has been playing its best ball as of late, riding a three-game win streak. The Cougars have won seven of their last eight games, but they will have a tough task increasing their streak against Osborne. Osborne lost its first game of the season last week to Kell. Outside of one quarter, Osborne struggled against Kell, but don’t expect those struggles to stay for long, especially considering how the Cardinals have played all season. 

7. South Gwinnett (15-5) vs. Newton (15-3), 7:30 Tuesday

Newton will be tasked with a tough week, having to face Grayson, Wheeler and South Gwinnett. The Rams recently lost two in a row and could be vulnerable this week. South Gwinnett has also been in a slump of late. The Comets won their first 13 games but have lost three in a row and five of their last seven. Both teams need to get back on track soon with the playoffs approaching. 

6. Hillgrove (15-1) vs. Gray Collegiate Academy (South Carolina) (11-4), noon Saturday

Hillgrove is one of the state’s hottest teams, riding an eight-game win streak. Hillgrove has dominated the Georgia competition, but this will be its first round of interstate competition. Gray Collegiate has been one of the top programs in South Carolina for the past couple of years. The War Eagles have won five in a row and 11 of their last 13 games.

5. North Gwinnett (14-3) vs. North Mecklenburg (North Carolina) (15-2), 3 p.m. Saturday

North Gwinnett comes into this matchup riding a 10-game win streak. The Bulldogs haven’t lost since early December and will take their talents to the 5-Star Showcase to face their last out-of-state opponent of the regular season. North Mecklenburg is one of the top programs in North Carolina. The Vikings are seeking their eighth 20-plus-win season in a row (though last season was shortened). The last time the Vikings completed a full season, they went 30-1 and have the same talent level on this squad. 

4. Milton (13-7) vs. St. Mary’s (Arizona) (11-6), 7 p.m. Saturday

Milton will square off in its last interstate matchup of the season. The Eagles are 6-5 vs. out-of-state opponents, and that record could easily fall to .500 if they don’t come with their A game. St. Mary’s has weathered the early storm of its season and now looks like the same type of 20-plus-win team from the past two seasons. The Knights have won four in a row and seven of their last eight games. 

3. Pebblebrook (17-2) vs. East Coweta (14-5), 7:30 p.m. Friday

No. 1 Pebblebrook travels to Sharpsburg to face East Coweta, which is having an impressive season. East Coweta will have its hands full but shouldn’t be written off. The last time these two matched up, Pebblebrook won by five points. The Indians held the lead for the majority of that game until a fourth-quarter collapse. Pebblebrook has won 10 straight games, including the win versus East Coweta. The Falcons are the top dog right now, and their play has been proof. 

2. Berkmar (12-4) vs. Norcross (14-4), 7 p.m. Tuesday

Berkmar went through a gauntlet of interstate matchups and handled it very well. Now the Patriots are set to face their toughest task for the rest of the season. Norcross is riding a six-game win streak, and both teams are fighting for the top spot in the region. Berkmar has a slight edge, as the Patriots took down Norcross in the first meeting of the season, and this game is huge if Norcross wants a shot at winning the region. Expect a hard-fought, down-to-the-wire game like last time, when a buzzer-beater decided the winner. 

1. Wheeler (14-4) vs. Newton (15-3), 6 p.m. Saturday

We have a prime-time matchup on our hands Saturday when No. 2 Wheeler takes on No. 4 Newton. Newton had held the No.1 spot for a couple of weeks before back-to-back losses, and now the Rams are now looking to get back on track. Meanwhile, Wheeler has been red hot, being winners of 11 of its last 12 games.