Boys basketball High School Top 25 team preview: No. 4 Greenforest

Video: Greenforest photo shoot
MaxPreps photographer Kyle Hess spent some time with Georgia's defending Class A champs.



Head coach: Larry Thompson

2015-16 record: 30-2, Class A state champions, No. 8 national ranking

State Association: Georgia High School Association

Enrollment: 513 (K-12)

Defense wins championships.

Greenforest rode that philosophy to Georgia's Class A state title a year ago, limiting opponents to 45.4 points per game.

Eight opponents in 2015-16 failed to get to 35 and two couldn't even muster 20.

The Eagles opened this season Nov. 12 with a 51-40 win over perennial contender Shiloh (Snellville).

How are the Eagles doing it?

A whole lot of size and length.

Greenforest returns four players 6-foot-8 or taller: Ikey Obiagu (7-0, Sr., C), Abayomi Iyiola (6-10, Sr., F/C), Mohammed Abdulsalem (6-9, Jr., F/C) and Victor Enoh (6-8, Sr., F).

That foursome combined to swat nearly 10 shots per game last season, led by Top 50 prospect Obiagu at 6.8 blocked shots per contest.

Baylor, Florida State and Maryland are among the teams in the mix for Obiagu while Enoh is committed to Memphis. Abdulsalem and Iyiola also have Division I offers.

Thompson's group will look to put an exclamation mark on a three-year run that includes back-to-back state championship game appearances and a 57-4 record.

Gallery: Greenforest preseason photo shoot

The non-league schedule is brutal with five games against preseason nationally-ranked teams and perhaps a couple more at the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions in Missouri.
MORE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jandan Duggan (6-0, Sr., G) … Nine points in season opener

Michael Evans (6-0, Sr., G) … Averaged over five points per game last season

Zion Fluellen (6-5, Sr., G/F) … Talented transfer from Central Gwinnett

Justin Forrest (6-1, Sr., G) … Led team in scoring at 19.8 points per game in 2015-16

David Quimby (6-3, Sr., G) … Transfer from Dougherty in Albany

KEY DATES

Nov. 25 – vs. Norcross (Ga.) @ Holiday Hoopsgiving

Nov. 26 – vs. Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.) @ Holiday Hoopsgiving

Dec. 3 – vs. Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) @ Adidas Explosion

Dec. 10 – vs. Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) @ National High School Hoops Festival

Jan. 6 – vs. Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) @ Cancer Research Classic

Jan. 7 – vs. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) @ Cancer Research Classic

Jan. 12-14 – Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions

Jan. 21 – vs. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) @ Peachtree Corners Invitational