Former McEachern Standout Heading to NCAA Tourney
In all, 26 players from Georgia, including a former McEachern player and others from Cobb County, will be hitting the hardwood in the hopes of coming back to Atlanta for the Final Four.
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March Madness is here, and although no Georgia schools are in the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament brackets, there will be a distinct Peach flavor on the road to the Final Four.
The Final Four returns to Atlanta—scheduled April 6 and 8—for the fourth time in history. Atlanta has hosted the final rounds in 1977, 2002 and 2007. The Division II and III championship games are April 7 at Philips Arena.
The NCAA field also includes more than two dozen players from Georgia who are on the rosters of 17 tournament-bound teams, according to data on Rivals.com. Three Peach Staters are on the Middle Tennessee State roster.
Representing West Cobb will be Alloune Diouf of Powder Springs, a former player at McEachern High. His current team, James Madison, will be taking on LIU-Brooklyn.
In his most recent effort, the senior added 9 points, two assists and two rebounds in 23 minutes of action to help his team top Northeastern in the Colonial Athletic Association’s championship game.
According to his bio on the James Madison Athletics website, Diouf signed with the college in spring 2009. As a high-school senior, he averaged 15.9 points and nine rebounds a game, which earned him Second Team All-State honors. That year he also helped McEachern achieve a top ranking, regional title and spot in the state playoffs.
Here's a look at all 26 Georgia players playing in the NCAA men's basketball tournament:
| College | Player | Hometown | Next Opponent |
| Belmont | Chad Lang | Marietta (Marietta HS) | Arizona (Thursday March 21, Salt Lake City) |
| Belmont | JJ Mann | Smyrna (Hargrave Miliary Academy) | Arizona (Thursday March 21, Salt Lake City) |
| Cincinnati | Cashmere Wright | Savannah, Ga. (Urban Christian Academy) | Creighton (Friday March 22, Philadephia) |
| Davidson | Connor Perkey | Atlanta, Ga. (Pace Academy) | Marquette (Thursday March 21, Lexington, Ky.) |
| Fla. Gulf Coast | Jamail Jones | Atlanta, Ga. (Montverde Academy/Marquette) | Georgetown (Friday March 22, Philadelphia) |
| Fla. Gulf Coast | Bernard Thompson | Conyers, Ga. (Rockdale County HS) | Georgetown (Friday March 22, Philadelphia) |
| Harvard | Michael Hall | Atlanta, GA (Woodward Academy) | New Mexico (Thursday March 21, Salt Lake City) |
| James Madison | Alloune Diouf | Powder Springs, Ga. (McEachern) | LIU-Brooklyn (March 20, Dayton) |
| Memphis | Shaq Goodwin | Atlanta, GA (Southwest DeKalb HS) | Middle Tenn/St. Mary's (Thursday March 21, Auburn Hills, Mich) |
| Memphis | Damien Wilson | Atlanta, GA (Oak Hill Academy) | Middle Tenn/St. Mary's (Thursday March 21, Auburn Hills, Mich) |
| Miami | Rion Brown | Hinesville, GA (Liberty County HS) | Pacific (Friday March 22, Austin, Texas) |
| Middle Tennessee | Marcos Knight | Rentz, Ga. (Chipola JC) | St. Mary's (March 19, Dayton) |
| Middle Tennessee | Torin Walker | Columbus, Ga. (Oklahoma State) | St. Mary's (March 19, Dayton) |
| Middle Tennessee | Jacquez Rozier | Waynesboro, Ga. (Burke County HS) | St. Mary's (March 19, Dayton) |
| North Carolina | James Gallagher | Atlanta, GA (The Lovett School) | Villanova (Friday March 22, Kansas City) |
| NC State | Lorenzo Brown | Roswell, GA (Centennial HS) | Temple (Friday March 22, Dayton) |
| NC State | Richard Howell | Marietta, GA (Wheeler HS) | Temple (Friday March 22, Dayton) |
| Ohio State | Shannon Scott | Alpharetta, GA (Milton HS) | Iona (Friday March 22, Dayton) |
| Oregon | Tony Woods | Rome, GA (Wake Forest) | Oklahoma State (Thursday March 21, San Jose) |
| Southern | Thomas Marshall | Atlanta, Ga. (Miller Grove) | Gonzaga (Thursday March 21, Salt Lake City) |
| Southern | Damien Goodwin | Atlanta, Ga. (Columbia) | Gonzaga (Thursday March 21, Salt Lake City) |
| UCLA | Jordan Adams | Atlanta, GA (Oak Hill Academy) | Minnesota (Friday March 22, Austin, Texas) |
| UCLA | Tony Parker | Atlanta, GA (Miller Grove HS) | Minnesota (Friday March 22, Austin, Texas) |
| Western Kentucky | Nigel Snipes | Marietta, GA (Wheeler HS) | Kansas (Friday March 22, Kansas City) |
| Wichita State | Tekele Cotton | Marietta, GA (Whitefield Academy) | Pittsburgh (Thursday March 21, Salt Lake City) |
| Wichita State | Carl Hall | Cochran, GA (NW Florida St. CC) | Pittsburgh (Thursday March 21, Salt Lake City) |
