Top 10 games to watch in Georgia high school boys basketball: North Gwinnett-Shiloh features two of the hottest teams in the state

North Gwinnett has been rolling the second half of the season, but the Bulldogs will face a Shiloh squad that's undefeated at 19-0.

By Darren Nichols | Photo by Jamie Spaar

North Gwinnett has been rolling the second half of the season, but the Bulldogs will face a Shiloh squad that's been rolling the entire season.

The Generals are 19-0 and have beaten one of the top 7A teams in the state in McEachern. They'll take on another Saturday.

TOP 10 GAMES OF THE WEEK

10. Woodland (18-4) @ Jones County (14-8), 7:30 p.m. Tuesday

This is the second matchup between these two region rivals. Woodland won the first, but these two go back and forth each season. An in-game matchup to watch out for is Jones County’s Jaylen Sanford — averaging 19 points a game — vs. Woodland’s Christian Watkins, who scores about 15 points per game. 

9. Stockbridge (15-7) @ Eagle's Landing (21-3), 7:30 p.m. Friday 

Eagle's Landing welcomes Stockbridge and will look to extend its win streak to eight games. Eagle's Landing has dominated its region under head coach Elliott Montgomery over the past couple of seasons. Stockbridge has a chance to do what only two region opponents have done in the past five years. The Tigers have had a big turnaround from last season and at their best can take down some formidable teams. 

8. Westover (18-2) @ Monroe (19-2), 7:30 p.m. Tuesday

If you are in Albany on Tuesday night, then you need to be at this game. Monroe is coming into this matchup on a 14-game win streak including a double-digit victory over Westover a couple of weeks ago. Westover will be looking for revenge, and first place is not out of the realm of possibility. But this is a must-win for that to happen. 

7. East Coweta (15-7) @ Newnan (15-7), 7:30 p.m. Friday

East Coweta is coming off a tough stretch of three games in which it went 1-2. But don’t let that overshadow the fact that the Indians have played some really good basketball. Newnan is also 1-2 in its last three, so one of these teams will get back on track Friday. This game provides viewers with an interesting matchup between two super-talented players: Newnan's Zion Brown against East Coweta's Delrecco Gillespie are arguably the two best players in this region. 

6. Evans (15-7) @ Grovetown (19-3), 8:30 p.m. Friday

We travel down to Southeast Georgia for this matchup of Evans and Grovetown. Grovetown has flexed its muscles all season, especially in its region with a 7-0 record and a 24-3 region record over the last three seasons. Evans is right on the tail of Grovetown with a 6-1 region record. This region runs through both of these teams, as Evans’ region record the last three seasons is 23-4. Evans lost the earlier matchup between these two, so this is a must-win for the Knights. 

5. Cumberland Christian Academy (17-8) vs. Alexander (17-2), 5 p.m. Saturday

Alexander comes into this matchup on a six-game win streak and winners of 10 of its last 11. Cumberland has lost its last two games, but before that was on a four-game win streak that included taking down then-No. 1-ranked Newton. Cumberland has the talent to match Alexander, which should make this a great game. 

4. Newton (17-4) @ Grayson (13-7), 7:30 p.m. Saturday

Newton is coming off a tough loss to Wheeler, ending its three-game win streak. The Rams still hold the region lead with a 4-0 record, which is huge at this point in the year. Grayson may not have the overall record that Newton boasts, but is right behind the Rams in the standings with a 3-1 region record. A win for Grayson could make for a spicy ending in this region. 

3. McEachern (13-7) @ Pebblebrook (18-2), 7:30 p.m. Tuesday

Pebblebrook is on an 11-game win streak while maintaining its No. 1 spot for the past couple of weeks, and the Falcons cracked the national SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 this week. The Falcons will host McEachern on Tuesday in the second matchup between these two teams, with Pebblebrook winning the opener. If McEachern wants any chance of winning or tying for first place in the region, this is a must-win game for the Indians. 

2. Osborne (18-2) @ Wheeler (17-4), 7:30 p.m. Friday

Wheeler and Osborne have been two of the top teams in the state all season. Wheeler is riding a six-game win streak and has won 14 of its last 15. Osborne has been one of the surprises of the season, after having single-digit-win seasons the last two years and only two double-digit-win seasons in the last seven years. The Cardinals started the season on a 16-game win streak and have stamped their name as a state title contender in Class 6A, though Wheeler is still the overwhelming favorite. 

1. North Gwinnett (19-3) vs. Shiloh (19-0), 5:30 p.m. Saturday

North Gwinnett’s second half of the season has been impressive to watch. The Bulldogs have beaten Eagle's Landing, Alexander, North Mecklenburg (North Carolina) and blown out West Forsyth. Shiloh is one of the only undefeated teams left in the state. The Generals have taken down tough teams such as Buford, Sequoyah and McEachern. This will be a huge game, with both teams having undefeated region records.