Southern Sports Edition
Who Will Atlanta Hawks Take In NBA Draft?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2026 NBA Draft starts on June 23rd. Let’s take a look at teams from the Southeast and see who they should select in the first round.
#3 Memphis Grizzlies (25-57): This is a great position to be in. As long as a team is inside the top 5 they have the chance to get a franchise player and future super star.
I think the best-case scenario here would be Cameron Boozer (Duke). The 6’8 forward is the son of former NBA player Carlos Boozer. Boozer was the National college player of the year, ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American. He averaged 22.5 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game last season.
Point guard Ja Morant is still on the roster but he might be traded. This would be a great pick regardless if he stays with the team. They have another first round pick.
#8 Atlanta Hawks (46-36): The Hawks traded four-time NBA All-Star point guard Trae Young in January. The reason I pointed that out to say they need a point guard.
I think the best fir would be Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville). The 6’5 guard was on the ACC All-Rookie team and third-team All-ACC in 2026. He averaged 18.2 ppg and 4.7 apg. He scored 45 points against NC State, breaking Cooper Flagg’s ACC freshman single game scoring record.
Atlanta’s offense runs through NBA All-Star power forward Jalen Johnson so Brown will have a playmaker to rely on. They have another pick later in the first round.
#13 Miami Heat (43-39): Elite prospects are off the board at this point. Miami should be open to drafting the best available player here, regardless of position. Tyler Herro and Andrew Wiggins are entering the final year of their contracts.
I think they really need frontcourt depth beyond Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware. Power forward Hannes Steinbach (Washington) would be a good fit. He’s 6’11 and he was the NCAA rebounding leader last season. He was also third-team All-Big Ten.
Steinbach averaged 18.5 ppg and 11.8 rpg while shooting over 57% from the field.
#14 Charlotte Hornets (44-38): Their biggest need is interior scoring. They have a good core they can build around. Charlotte led the league in made threes last season (16.4 per game). They made 37.8% of them, which ranked third overall.
I believe 6’9 forward Morez Johnson Jr. (Michigan) would be a good pick. He won a national championship with the Wolverines last year. He was also on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team and Second-team All-Big Ten. He averaged 13.1 ppg and 7.3 rpg. They also have the 18th pick.
#16 Memphis: 6’3 guard Christian Anderson Jr. (Texas Tech) might be the player taken. The sophomore from Atlanta averaged 18.5 ppg, 7.4 apg and rpg. He was the Big 12 Most Improved Player, First-team All-Big 12 and a Third-team All-American.
#18 Charlotte: Center Tarris Reed Jr. (UConn) is 6’11 and pounds. He was First-team All-Big East in 2026. He averaged 14.7 ppg, 9 rpg and he made 60.7% of his shots.
#23 Atlanta: Small forward Karim Lopez (New Zealand Breakers) is a 6’8 wing that played professionally in New Zealand. He averaged 11.9 ppg and 6.1 rpg while playing 25.8 minutes per game.
The GHSA Transfer Rule
By: Ron Reagin
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We have all seen how GHSA transfer and eligibility rules can change the course of a season with a single decision.
One case in particular still gets talked about around South Georgia, the Jake Garcia situation that gave birth to what many now call the “Jake Garcia Rule.”
The Jake Garcia Case (2020): Highly recruited quarterback Jake Garcia transferred from California to Valdosta High School prior to the 2020 season. He was initially ruled eligible and even played in the season opener. After an ESPN interview raised questions about the family’s move, the GHSA reversed its decision. Garcia was declared ineligible because they determined the family had not made a true “bona fide move.” Valdosta was forced to forfeit a win.
To add insult to injury, Garcia then transferred to Grayson, where he was quickly ruled eligible and played a major role in their state title run that year.
The case highlighted how the GHSA interprets its own rules and led to stricter enforcement moving forward. The lack of clear transparency from the GHSA also fueled speculation and public scrutiny about perceived north/south differences in how rules are applied.
In what many viewed as a “saving face” move, the GHSA strengthened its by-law (By-Law 1.64), which now clearly states: A student who is not eligible at the former school cannot regain eligibility that same year by transferring to a new school. This became known by some as the “Jake Garcia Rule.”
How We Got Here: For decades, the cornerstone of GHSA transfer rules has been the bona fide move requirement; the entire family unit must actually move into the new school’s attendance zone for immediate eligibility. Without it, a transferring student is labeled a “migrant student” and must sit out one full calendar year at the varsity level.
The Garcia case accelerated a trend toward much stricter scrutiny, especially on high-profile and out-of-state transfers.
This led to major rule changes for the 2025–2026 school year:
Automatic one-year ineligibility for second transfers after 9th grade.
Much stricter documentation requirements for proving a bona fide move.
These changes were also driven by big numbers. GHSA Executive Director Tim Scott reported that roughly 59,000 of the state’s 460,000 student-athletes, or 1 in 8 were transfers during the 2024-25 school year.
My Take from the Booth: The GHSA has a very tough, and legitimate job protecting high school sports from recruiting and undue influence. Most of us don’t want programs turning into free-agent destinations.
However, the stricter rules and the heavy burden placed on families to prove a move was not for athletic reasons and have created real frustration in many cases.
All while seemingly having little effect on some high-profile programs with a history of multiple transfers every semester.
With the new PSRF system making every win matter more, these eligibility and transfer decisions now carry even heavier weight. One ruling can shift an entire season as proven with the Jake Garcia situation and others.
The system isn’t perfect, no system ever will be. But greater transparency and more consistent application of the rules would go a long way toward rebuilding trust between the GHSA, schools, coaches and the families of student athletes in this new era of NIL and extremely competitive college recruiting in Georgia.
Does Skubal To Braves Make Sense?
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As summer starts to run the thermostat up a couple degrees each day, another element begins to heat up as well…The MLB Trade Market.
One name that keeps being brought up is the back-to-back reigning Cy Young Award Winner in Terik Skubal. While Skubal has been on the 15-day Injured List since the start of May with “Loose bodies in his left elbow” Skubal’s name is still the top target available in the trade market in 2026.
While there is a hefty portion of Braves Country that scoff at the notion of the Braves throwing their hat in contention for the prized left-hander and think “just another year we’re in the discussion, but no move,” this year may be the year that the blockbuster trade calls Atlanta home.
Skubal has been a Tiger his whole career since being the 9th round selection by Detroit in 2018 out of Seattle University.
The lefty made his MLB Debut about 2 years later in 2020 with 7 starts and 8 appearances with the big club, and the numbers have improved ever since.
Ever since 2023, Skubal hasn’t had an ERA above a 3.00 for the last 4 seasons. The 2024 and 2025 AL Cy Young Award Winner, recorded the most strikeouts in the AL in 2024 and 2nd most Ks in the AL last season in 2025.
So why now? Why would the Braves be the prime landing spot for the 29-year-old south paw?
One of the big reasons is when you look at all of the moves that Alex Anthopolous has made the last 4-5 years to lock up fixture pieces to long-term extensions, there are very few open spots in the lineup and defensive positions, so pitching is one of the few areas for opportunities.
Shortstop is the only position that would be up for grabs after 2027 if the current landscape for the Braves holds, and the only other contract that expires before 2029 is Ozzie Albies who comes to the end of his extension in 2028.
So not only is there not a ton of space to go and get another bat to bolster this already stout lineup, but it also has a backlog of talent in the minor leagues that is appealing to other teams (including the Tigers).
Cam Caminiti and JR Ritchie seem to be the prize picks for the Braves minor league organization but position players like Tate Southisene and Alex Lodise are young (19 & 22 respectively), but profile to have huge upsides down the line.
Alex Anthopolous has shown his willingness to part with young minor league pieces in order to bring in “right now” talent to win a World Championship and Skubal could be the next piece in this.
Now you may be asking “Why would the Braves go after someone that’s on the injured list right now?” Reports have stated that Skubal would start his rehab appearance beginning this weekend and could rejoin the big club after just one rehab start with High-A Western Michigan, so he is close to his return.
No doubt the price will be high. Skubal signed a 1 year, $32 million contract prior to this season, but I believe it could be worth it to not only have Skubal the rest of the season, but to sign him for a 3–4-year deal in addition to in order to bolster the already dangerous rotation for the next few years.
Chris Sale is 37, and has the club option throughout the 2028 season, but after that you’re probably looking for someone to replace the top of your rotation, and what better place to look than right down the line that’s already in place.
Jason Bishop Show June 4 2026
Sam Hubbard Stays Home
By: Joseph Stuckey
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Statesboro is buzzing over the recent hometown commitment of left-handed pitcher Sam Hubbard.
The Georgia Southern Eagles recently received a verbal commitment from the Bulloch Academy standout pitcher in the class of 2027.
Of course, both Bulloch Academy and Georgia Southern are located in Statesboro, Georgia, with the campuses less than 5 minutes apart from each other.
The rising senior is listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 178 pounds, which is an ideal frame for a developing pitcher. Anytime there is a GSU Eagle from Bulloch County or one of the surrounding counties, it really gets the fanbase excited in Statesboro.
An added bonus for GSU, being the hometown team, the Eagles are considered a baseball factory and have produced numerous MLB draft picks over the years.
The Eagles compete in the Sun Belt Conference, which is quickly becoming a power conference in college baseball, with GSU alongside teams like Southern Miss and Coastal Carolina.
The program has a strong reputation for developing players and consistently fields competitive teams in the Sun Belt Conference. Just a few years ago, the Eagles were a top 16 seed in the College World Series and hosted a regional in Statesboro. I say all of that to reiterate my point of how Hubbard staying home may turn out to be one of the best decisions he could make to continue his baseball career.
Hubbard is a multi-sport athlete who plays football in the fall and baseball in the springtime. He was the quarterback who helped lead Bulloch Academy football to its 2024 GIAA 4-A State Championship, which coincidentally was held under the lights at GSU’s Paulson Stadium.
Under his tenure as quarterback, the team claimed a Region Championship (2024), hosted an Elite-8 appearance at the swamp in Statesboro (2025), and, of course, the aforementioned State Championship (2024).
Hubbard can throw the deep ball to the Gators’ arsenal of receivers, but his true weapon on the football field is his ability to scramble when needed.
The Gators have really relied on him to get tough yards, and he has shown he truly has ice in his veins at times. The Bulloch Academy fanbase is really excited about this upcoming football season with Hubbard at Quarterback, along with a loaded Senior class of standout athletes.
He has also had great success on the baseball diamond. In the 2026 baseball season, he set the new single-season program record with 100 strikeouts. He also had some impressive outings this season, including the final outing of his junior year, where he recorded 14 strikeouts and allowed only walked 1 batter.
In his first 2 outings of the season, he pitched only 6 innings but struck out 15 batters. It also came out this week that Sam was selected to the District 2 All-Region team as well as the GIAA 4-A All-State team.
Hubbard has also participated in the New Balance Future Stars series, Perfect Game Georgia, and Perfect Game Florida, where his fastball has been clocked at 86-89 miles per hour.
He has also been featured on Prep Baseball Georgia during his time in high school.
With these high strikeout rates, Sam really has the potential to be a front-of-the-rotation starter in college.
With his decision to stay local and play for Georgia Southern, Sam is poised to become a hometown hero and a role model for future generations of Statesboro athletes.
As the baseball community in Statesboro looks ahead, I see Sam as a dominant force in the Sun Belt Conference over the next few years.
Camden County Wildcats New Defensive Coordinator
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When Tucker Pruitt arrived at Camden County High School earlier this year, one of the biggest questions surrounding the Wildcats football program was how quickly the new coaching staff could come together and establish its identity.
Pruitt’s track record spoke for itself. The veteran head coach built championship programs at Fitzgerald and Appling County and arrived in Kingsland with a reputation for developing tough, disciplined football teams.
But no successful head coach does it alone. Building a staff is just as important as building a roster. That is where Alan Rodemaker enters the picture.
The new Camden County defensive coordinator brings a wealth of experience, championship credentials, and perhaps most importantly, an unmistakable passion for the game.
For football fans across South Georgia, Rodemaker is a familiar name. He served as head coach at Valdosta High School from 2016 through 2019 and immediately made an impact, guiding the Wildcats to the 2016 state championship.
That title was Valdosta’s first football state championship in 18 years and cemented Rodemaker’s reputation as one of the area’s top defensive minds.
Prior to joining Camden County, Rodemaker also spent time at Colquitt County, serving as defensive coordinator and safeties coach while continuing to build a reputation for fielding aggressive, disciplined defenses.
His coaching résumé is impressive, but those who have spent time around Rodemaker will tell you that statistics and championships only tell part of the story. What truly stands out is his energy.
All you have to do is listen to Rodemaker following a practice or a game to understand how deeply he cares about football and the young men he coaches. If you’ve ever heard his voice, you won’t forget it.
Years ago, I remember hearing Coach Rodemaker call in to a radio show focused on Valdosta football. You could tell just how demanding his practice had been simply by listening to his voice. The intensity was unmistakable. You could literally hear the passion.
That same passion is now making its way into the Camden County football program.
I saw a recent social media post where he was asked why he coaches, and Rodemaker’s answer reveals exactly what motivates him.
“I coach to compete in the greatest team sport ever created since I can’t play anymore. I love to help raise young men and help them achieve more than they ever dreamed of and I get the biggest thrill of seeing a young freshman grow into a senior ready to take on life.”
That perspective aligns perfectly with the culture Pruitt has emphasized since arriving at Camden. Winning football games matters but developing young men remains the ultimate goal.
Competition has been a recurring theme throughout Pruitt’s first several months on the job.
Throughout spring practice and the Blue-White Game, Pruitt stressed eliminating mistakes, improving fundamentals, and creating a culture where players compete every day for improvement. Rodemaker appears to be a natural fit within that philosophy.
As Camden County continues navigating a unique transition following the coaching changes that occurred during the offseason, having experienced leaders on staff becomes even more valuable.
Rodemaker has coached in some of the biggest football environments in Georgia and understands the expectations that come with leading a high-profile program.
The Wildcats still have plenty of work ahead before the season kicks off this fall. New schemes are being installed. Players are learning new responsibilities. Coaches are continuing to evaluate personnel. But one thing already seems clear. The Camden County defense is being led by a coach whose passion for football is impossible to miss and whose championship experience speaks for itself.
For Tucker Pruitt, and all of us with Camden-blue blood, that makes Alan Rodemaker exactly the kind of coach you want helping build the next chapter of Wildcat football.
Jason Bishop Show May 29 2026
The New GHSA Playoff Formula
By: Ron Reagin
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Starting in 2026, GHSA football playoffs will use the Post-Season Ranking Formula (PSRF): 35% team winning percentage, 35% opponents’ winning percentage, and 30% opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage.
Just statewide, data-driven seeding.
The formula is straightforward: PSRF = (Your Winning Percentage × 0.35) + (Opponents’ Winning Percentage × 0.35) + (Opponents’ Opponents’ Winning Percentage × 0.30)
This system replaces the old region-only qualification model, ending the era of weak-region champions advancing easily while statistically stronger teams from stacked regions were left out.
Now, a 7–3 team with elite opponents can outrank a 10–0 team that plays lower ranked and lower classification teams. Region champions still earn automatic bids and favorable top-16 seeds, preserving motivation for region play.
PSRF shines in its fairness and predictive power. Simulations suggest it offers 15–20% better playoff forecasting than the previous system.
For example, Colquitt County’s 2025 8–2 regular season with several national-level games would have earned a No. 1 seed under PSRF — something that was impossible before as they were not region champs, but they defeated the region champs.
The main fallacies with this method are easy to identify but harder to measure: ignoring margin of victory (a one-point win counts the same as a 50-point blowout and close losses to top teams earn no credit), assuming all games are played on a neutral field, inconsistent data from some programs, and the reality that high school teams rarely stay the same strength throughout an entire season.
Also, late season upsets could cause wild swings in rankings mainly due to a chain reaction of all aspects of the formula with few games to recover.
For 2027-2028 and beyond, GHSA should consider refinements: a capped margin of victory (up to 24 points), a simple home/away factor (road win = 1.1× credit), and a slight boost to OOWP weight.
These tweaks would better reward dominance and the courage to play top tier teams without sacrificing simplicity and transparency as suggested by Loren Maxwell.
Whatever modifications GHSA makes, the loudest protests will come from programs most negatively affected.
The best way to judge PSRF’s real impact in its first season is to examine the schedules of the teams complaining the most and the teams they are complaining about.
Coaches and athletic directors will now need to incorporate statistical formulas into their scheduling strategies to avoid being penalized for weak non-region slates and avoiding upsets.
The 2026 PSRF is a bold, objective, and merit-based upgrade. No method is flawless, but with smart refinements, Georgia has a chance to lead the nation in the playoff ranking system ecosystem.
Georgia Diamond Dawgs National Title Contenders
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There is a different feeling surrounding University of Georgia baseball right now. Not just excitement. Not just optimism. Expectation.
For the first time in program history, the Bulldogs enter the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 overall national seed, and honestly, it feels like this program has finally positioned itself as a legitimate national title contender again.
After years of inconsistency and postseason frustration, Georgia baseball suddenly looks built to make a serious run back to Omaha. The numbers speak for themselves.
Georgia enters the postseason at 46-12, earned a top eight national seed for the third straight season under head coach Wes Johnson, and will once again host a regional at Foley Field.
This is not some surprise Cinderella story. The Bulldogs have been one of the best teams in the country all season long. And if you are a Georgia fan, this year’s bracket feels especially intriguing.
Last season’s national champion, LSU Tigers did not even make the tournament field, guaranteeing there will be a new national champion crowned this summer.
Meanwhile, the SEC once again dominates the national landscape with seven regional hosts, including Georgia, Auburn, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi State, and Texas A&M.
That is what makes college baseball in the SEC so brutal. Simply surviving the regular season already feels like postseason preparation.
Still, Georgia’s path is far from easy. The Bulldogs will open regional play Friday night against Long Island University, a team many casual fans will immediately dismiss because of the name on the jersey. That would be a mistake.
Johnson himself pointed out that LIU has experience competing against major programs and will not be intimidated by coming to Athens.
The Sharks run aggressively, steal bases constantly, and attack offensively. In fact, this same LIU program beat Georgia 1 to 0 in Athens back in 2019.
Then there is Liberty, and honestly, the Flames may be one of the more dangerous No. 3 regional seeds anywhere in the tournament. They have power throughout the lineup and a legitimate Friday night ace capable of matching up with almost anyone in the country.
Boston College also arrives after a strong ACC season, meaning this regional is much deeper than some fans may initially realize.
But this is also where Georgia fans should feel confident about this team. The Bulldogs are not built around one star player or one hot streak. They have depth. They have power. They have experience.
And maybe most importantly, they have the kind of pitching staff capable of surviving tournament baseball.
There’s also something different about the confidence level surrounding the program right now. For years, Georgia baseball has carried the weight of history without consistently matching it on the field. This is a program with six College World Series appearances and a national championship in 1990, but too often the Bulldogs felt like a sleeping giant in the SEC baseball world. That no longer feels true.
Wes Johnson has clearly elevated the standard of the program. Hosting regionals has now become expected instead of celebrated. National seeding is no longer viewed as some once in a generation achievement. And for the first time in a long time, Georgia fans are not simply hoping to survive the first weekend of the tournament.
They are talking openly about Omaha. Of course, that is easier said than done. Winning a regional is difficult. Winning a super regional is even harder. And once teams arrive at the College World Series, anything can happen over a short stretch of games.
But this Georgia team absolutely looks capable of getting there.
And with Foley Field set to host postseason baseball once again, the atmosphere in Athens should be electric all weekend long.
For Georgia baseball fans, this is the kind of June that reminds you exactly why college baseball is so special.
Why Georgia Bulldogs Can Never Let Kirby Smart Leave For NFL
By: Capers Childs
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For decades, University of Georgia fans waited for someone who could finally bring the Bulldogs back to the apex of college football. Then, Kirby Smart arrived.
What Smart has built in Athens is more than just a winning football program. He has changed the standard of Georgia football in its entirety.
Before Smart, University of Georgia was a consistently-successful program, but the Bulldogs struggled to break through and become a national championship winning program.
Under previous head coach, Mark Richt (2001-15), Georgia posted a 145-51 record (.740) and remained nationally relevant, but could never reach the top of the college football landscape.
Smart took over as Georgia’s head coach in 2015 and has since built one of the most dominant stretches in college football history.
He currently has an impressive record of 117-21 with a .848 winning percentage. His accomplishments include back-to-back College Football National Championships in 2021 and 2022, a 2017 CFP title game appearance, SEC Championships in 2017, 2022 and 2024, six SEC Eastern Division titles, and eight New Year’s Six bowl appearances. In just his second season, he had the Bulldogs playing for the national championship for the first time in three decades.
What makes Smart so valuable to Georgia goes beyond his records. He took the job at his alma mater and a place he and his family love. His passion for the program has helped create a standard that Georgia fans had been waiting decades to see.
That impact is also reflected in the atmosphere surrounding the program. Georgia football has become one of the most iconic environments in all of college sports. The Dawg Walk, tailgates, and the packed Sanford Stadium is what defines a Saturday in Athens and under Kirby Smart, Georgia is expected to maintain greatness every season.
Smart’s dominance is also shown in recruiting. Before this year, the Bulldogs hadn’t signed fewer than three five-star recruits since 2017, and they have consistently been top 10 in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
That talent has translated directly to the next level. Under Smart, Georgia has produced 21 first-round NFL Draft picks – the same number as his total losses as head coach.
In that span, he has also had 84 players selected in the NFL Draft, including a modern-era record 15 players taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, the most from a single school in the seven-round draft format. Smart has turned Georgia football into one of the strongest NFL pipelines in college football.
Smart’s commitment to the program is also reflected in the investment Georgia has made in him. He is currently on a $130-million dollar contract through the year 2033. He’s making roughly $13 million dollars a year. In fact, only five NFL coaches are making more than Smart is at UGA. So, why would he leave the SEC?
Speculation about Smart eventually leaving for the NFL continues to surface. However, he already has a background coaching in the NFL. In 2006, he was the safeties coach for the Miami Dolphins for just one season under Nick Saban.
During his lone year in the league, the Dolphins finished with an overall record of 6-10-0. After a subpar year, he returned to college football, where his career has reached a whole new level of success
The reality is that Georgia Football is built around Kirby Smart. Every part of the program. If he were to leave for the NFL, Georgia would be losing the foundation of what the Bulldogs have spent decades trying to build.
For Georgia, the question is what the program would look like without Kirby Smart – and for a team built entirely around his standard, that answer is exactly why Georgia cannot afford to let him go.
