McEachern is the team to beat once again in the Peach State.
Autumn Newby and Archer are No. 2 in the 2014-15 Georgia preseason girls basketball Fab 5.
Photo by Dan Browning
MaxPreps 2014-15 Georgia Girls Basketball Fab 5 presented by the Army National Guard
1. McEachern (Powder Springs) 2013-14 record: 29-2
Coach: Phyllis Arthur
The one-two punch of
Te'a Cooper and
Caliya Robinson is one of the best in the country, and there's plenty of talent around them. McEachern is not only a top team in Georgia, but one of the nation's elite — look for them in the Nike TOC in Phoenix just before Christmas, the proving ground for a spot at the top of the Xcellent 25 rankings.
View last season's Georgia girls basketball rankings, presented by the Army National Guard2. Archer (Lawrenceville)2013-14 record: 29-4
Coach: Ryan Lesniak
Sisters
Madison and
Autumn Newby combined for 23.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 7.5 assists last year, and three-point specialist
Amber Skidgel will keep defenses honest. Still, Archer lost to McEachern by 29 in the AAAAAA playoffs last year, so there is clearly work to be done.
View last season's Georgia girls basketball playoff brackets3. Forest Park2013-14 record: 24-9
Coach: Steve Cole
Breasia McElrath and
Tamecia Blue lead a team that must make up for the loss of five seniors. We'll find out early how well they've adjusted, as Forest Park plays powerhouse McEachern Nov. 24 and then heads off to the challenging Turkey Jam in Murfreesboro, Tenn., over Thanksgiving weekend.
View last season's Georgia girls basketball stat leaders4. St. Francis (Alpharetta)2013-14 record: 25-4
Coach: Aisha Kennedy
Kasiyahna Kushkituah (beloved of editors everywhere) and
Abby Grant lead a very talented small school team that will challenge perennial power Buford in preseason before settling back into Class A competition. The Knights could be even stronger if 6-4 junior
Yasmine Ratliff takes a big step forward.
View Georgia girls basketball pro photo galleries5. Southwest DeKalb (Decatur)2013-14 record: 30-3
Coach: Kathleen Richey Walton
Southwest DeKalb would be higher but for some offseason transfers — still, this is one of the premier programs in the state, year in and year out, and the dropoff is unlikely to be very steep. Last year, for example, the Panthers knocked Southern California power Etiwanda, which later beat No. 1 in the nation (at the time) Mater Dei, and also beat Forest Park by 27 in the AAAAA semifinals.
