25. Southwest DeKalb (Decatur, Ga.)
Head coach: Dwayne McKinney
2010-11 record: 24-6
Players to watch: Shaq Goodwin (6-8, 240, Sr., F), Jordan Price (6-4, 215, Sr., G/F, Auburn verbal commitment)
Panthers scouting report: One of three public high schools from Georgia's DeKalb County featured in the rankings, the Panthers have all the talent and experience necessary for a monster 2011-12 campaign.
Florida, Memphis and UCLA are among the powers battling to sign Shaq Goodwin.
Photo courtesy of adidas
But remarkably, they won't be a favorite in their own region. That honor will go to
Miller Grove (Lithonia), three-time defending Class AAAA state champion and winner of three of four head-to-head meetings with Southwest DeKalb a year ago.
That's unlikely to deter the Panthers, who handed Miller Grove its only loss a year ago and also beat Norcross, the state's Class AAAAA champion.
Goodwin is the headliner and one of the nation's top recruits (No. 16 in the Class of 2012 Top 100). A testament to his athleticism, he is also playing football this fall and entertaining the idea of doubling up at the college level.
As talented as Goodwin is, Price – another national Top 100 selection – was the team's leading scorer a year ago and also earned Class AAAA All-State honors. Other key returnees include Kadarius Turner (5-9, Sr., G), Greg Crooks (6-1, Sr., G) and Emanuel Walker (5-7, Jr., G).
December will be a challenging month for the Panthers. In addition to a matchup with Miller Grove, the program will make appearances in the Chick-fil-A Classic and Converse Invitational.
