Did you know that Bremen, the team the Lakeview boys will face in the first round of state, is 6-16 on the season?

Bremen, a Region 6-A team, is on a seven-game losing streak, yet still, by some virtue of the divine I am sure, is playing in the state tournament.

I think it’s fair to say the Region 8-A champion Lions, with a record of 20-8, can take them.

For the better part of three months, area talent has been the talk, as it should be, as have area teams.

There is plenty of talent in this area to keep the conversations afloat and more than enough heated rivalries to keep things interesting.

This coming weekend, however, teams will begin play in their third season; the season in which they vie for state supremacy. And while our area talent is heads and tails above most, the state talent is well worth the price of admission.

For instance: Delwan Graham, a 6-foot-5-inch, 180-pound small forward committed to Louisiana State University.

Graham, according to rivals.com, is the 90th best player in the nation, 14th best at the small forward position.

Chris Singleton, a 6-foot-9-inch, 210-pound small forward who has signed to play at Florida State.

Singleton, in LeBron James-like fashion, will pull down a rebound, lead the break with exceptional ball-handling skills for a big man, find an open teammate with a no-look pass or just pull up and hit a 3-pointer.

He also dunks, regularly.

Singleton will be joined in Tallahassee by teammate, and point guard, Pierre Jordan.

The three just mentioned play for Scott Bracco at Dunwoody High School, the Region 5-AAA champions and the team Gainesville will face in the first round of the playoffs.

Derrick Favors, a 6-foot-9-inch, 220-pound junior power forward who, according to rivals.com, is the No. 3 best player — period — in the class of 2009 and the second best at his position.

Favors is a prototypical big man; great hands, powerful lift, doesn’t have to shoot because he jumps so high he can put it in the basket, great rebounder and shot blocker. Arkansas, Kentucky, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Memphis and N.C. State all want him. For the next year or so, South Atlanta High School has him.

The No. 3 seed out of Region 5-AAA, South Atlanta (26-2), will play East Hall in the first round of state.

University of Tennessee-Chattanooga signee Kori Penland, a senior point guard for the Gordon Lee girls. Penland’s season high is 41 points but she rarely hits for below 20.

Jordan Callahan, a senior at Blessed Trinity, is dubbed one of the best point guards in the state but at 5-11 he’s not getting a lot of looks from major Division I colleges. Tyler Cerone is Blessed Trinity’s starting shooting guard and seems to be in range as soon as he walks into the gym.

The aforementioned aren’t familiar yet, but rest assured after next weekend we’ll all be a little more familiar with the state of the state.