Basketball: High schools move into area tournaments this week

Feb. 5—The high school basketball postseason has finally arrived.

After three months of regular season games, the Alabama High School Athletic Association playoffs start this week with area tournaments across the state.

The great thing about basketball is every team, no matter the record, has a chance to advance to the next round. In most cases, one area tournament win guarantees a trip to the subregionals.

Most area tournaments pretty much hold form with the better teams advancing. This year there are a few area tournaments involving local teams that might have a surprise or two.

Let's take a look at six of the most interesting tournaments.

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Class 7A, Area 8 boys at Austin: It's hard to find a hotter team since Christmas than the Austin Black Bears.

Since Dec. 25, Austin (18-9) is 11-1 with 10 straight wins. The Black Bears are outscoring teams by an average of 60 to 47.

The hot streak really showed up in area play, where Austin went a perfect 6-0.

Expect a tight tournament. Of Austin's six area games, four were decided by 10 points or less.

However, led by stars such as Cam Collins and Jordan Johnson, first- year head coach Desmond Phillips has his team peaking at the right time.

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Class 6A, Area 14 boys at Hartselle: When Hartselle's Ryan Dunn (13 point per game) hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to take down Cullman on Jan. 27; it was big for numerous reasons.

First, it ensured the Tigers would host the area tournament. Second, thanks to having just a three-team area, it ensured they would automatically advance to the subregional round.

It's no surprise that Hartselle (13-11) was able to pull out such a strong win late in the season. The battle-tested Tigers boast one of the state's strongest schedules, having played 13 games against teams in the top 10 of the Alabama Sports Writers Association's final basketball rankings.

Who will Hartselle face in the finals of the area tournament? That will come down to Monday night when Cullman, the defending 6A champions, and Decatur (11-16) meet in Hartselle.

Decatur pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season when it knocked off Cullman at home 50-47. Led by seniors Isaiah Slaughter, Jayden Brown and Ellis Dickman, Decatur hopes to do it again on a neutral floor.

No matter which team advances, the finals should be interesting. Hartselle's four games with Cullman and Decatur have been decided by nine, eight, four and one point.

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Class 3A, Area 16 girls at Clements: Get your popcorn ready for this one.

First up is Elkmont (12-15) vs. Lauderdale County. Elkmont has taken a step back this season due to senior departures, but is still coming off two straight trips to the regional tournament at Wallace State.

The winner advances to face host Clements (22-4). Should it be Clements vs. Lauderdale County, it would be a Top 10 showdown. Lauderdale County is No. 5 and Clements is No. 7. At stake will be home court in the subregional round.

The two squads split their regular season matchups. Lauderdale County has been the standard for 3A girls in north Alabama in what seems like forever. Clements has shown it's a legitimate championship contender with head coach Shane Childress and his daughter Leah, who averages 15 points a game.

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Class 4A, Area 13 girls at Good Hope: Barring a serious upset, the finals of this tournament will come down to Good Hope and Priceville (18-8), two of the top girls programs in 4A.

Good Hope has been nearly unstoppable this season. The Class 4A, No. 1 Raiders have just one loss on the season along with two wins over Priceville.

Leading Priceville are the Hames sisters, Leslie and Lauren, who are averaging 18 and 13 points per game respectively.

An upset won't be easy, but Priceville can't be counted out. It's usually pretty tough for one team to beat another team three times in a season.

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Class 4A, Area 13 boys at West Morgan: The boys side of Area 13, should be just as interesting. You could make an argument that all four teams have at least some chance.

West Morgan (20-6) is the host and the top dog. Led by senior Carson Muse who is averaging a double-double at 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, the Rebels have climbed to as far as No. 2 in Class 4A. They're also 6-1 against teams in their area.

Good Hope is ranked No. 9 in Class 4A, while Priceville (13-12) has hovered around the top and is the only area team to defeat West Morgan.

East Lawrence (10-17) is winless in area, but the Eagles have shown on the right night they're capable of an upset.

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Class 2A, Area 13 boys at Holly Pond: The semifinals of this tournament will feature a matchup with local flavor as Decatur Heritage (14-10) takes on Falkville (5-20).

The winner would likely face No. 3-ranked Holly Pond. Should it be Decatur Heritage, it would be a top-five showdown. The Eagles are ranked No. 5 in 2A.

It hasn't been a smooth first year in 2A for Decatur Heritage, which is coming off a trip to the 1A finals last year. The Eagles have lost twice to Holly Pond, including a 63-26 blowout in their last meeting.

Still, Jason Marshall's program is one of the best in North Alabama. With a more balanced team than in year's past, three players (Bo Mitchell, Jordan Davis, Brady Wilson) are averaging 11 points to lead the team, a third meeting between the Broncos and Eagles should be quite the matchup.