In a little over two weeks, 16 girls teams will make their way to Rupp Arena in Lexington while 16 boys teams head that way in a little over three weeks.
But first, the media weighs in on who they think will get there from the 16 regions across the state. Each media member who voted in the Kentucky basketball statewide media poll makes their picks in boys and girls on who will make it out of their region and to the Sweet 16. The girls tournament runs March 13-16, the boys is March 20-23.
Here are the voters: Chelsea Ladd, The Paducah Sun; Edward Marlowe, WKDZ-FM; Mark Mathis, Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer; Micheal Compton, Bowling Green Daily News; Josh Claywell, Bardstown Kentucky Standard/LaRue County Herald News; Dominique Yates, WLKY-TV; Jason Frakes, The Courier Journal; James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer; Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer; Evan Dennison, LinkNKY.com; Jared Peck, Lexington Herald-Leader; Mike Marsee, Danville freelancer; Lex Dixon, 13thRegionMediaNetwork.com; Brendon Miller, Bluegrass Sports Nation; Randy White, Appalachian News-Express; James Collier, WLGC-FM.
Teams are ranked by the number of votes they received to win their respective regions. For teams that didn’t receive the majority of votes, voters names are listed.
Girls Sweet 16 picks
First Region
16 – McCracken County (unanimous)
Second Region
15 – Henderson County
1 – Christian County (Marlowe)
Third Region
16 – Owensboro Catholic (unanimous)
Fourth Region
16 – Franklin-Simpson (unanimous)
Fifth Region
15 – Bethlehem
1 – Taylor County (Ladd)
Sixth Region
15 – Butler
1 – Bullitt Central (Miller)
Seventh Region
16 – Sacred Heart (unanimous)
Eighth Region
11 – Anderson County
5 – Simon Kenton (Claywell, Frakes, Weber, Marsee, White)
Ninth Region
14 – Cooper
2 – Covington Holy Cross (Marlowe, White)
10th Region
16 – George Rogers Clark (unanimous)
11th Region
15 – Franklin County
1 – Frederick Douglass (Marsee)
12th Region
7 – Danville Christian (Ladd, Mathis, Yates, Weber, Dixon, Miller, White)
6 – Pulaski County (Claywell, Frakes, Connelly, Peck, Marsee, Collier)
2 – Southwestern (Marlowe, Dennison)
1 – West Jessamine (Compton)
13th Region
12 – North Laurel
4 – Corbin (Compton, Connelly, Marsee, Dixon)
14th Region
8 – Owsley County
6 – Letcher County Central (Marlowe, Yates, Frakes, Weber, Connelly, White)
1 – Knott County Central (Marsee)
1 – Perry County Central (Dixon)
15th Region
16 – Pikeville (unanimous)
16th Region
12 – Ashland Blazer
4 – Russell (Marlowe, Weber, Dennison, Peck)
Boys Sweet 16 picks
First Region
8 – McCracken County
4 – Calloway County (Marlowe, Frakes, Dennison, Peck)
4 – Murray (Weber, Connelly, Marsee, White)
Second Region
16 – Lyon County (unanimous)
Third Region
11 – Daviess County
3 – Owensboro Catholic (Compton, Marsee, White)
2 – Butler County (Dixon, Miller)
Fourth Region
13 – Bowling Green
3 – Warren Central (Mathis, Compton, Peck)
Fifth Region
11 – North Hardin
4 – Adair County (Marlowe, Weber, Connelly, Dennison)
1 – Central Hardin (Mathis)
Sixth Region
13 – Evangel Christian
2 – DeSales (Claywell, Frakes)
1 – Fairdale (Marsee)
Seventh Region
8 – Trinity
6 – St. Xavier (Claywell, Weber, Connelly, Marsee, Miller, Collier)
2 – Manual (Marlowe, Mathis)
Eighth Region
12 – North Oldham
2 – Oldham County (Connelly, Dixon)
2 – Woodford County (Miller, Collier)
Ninth Region
12 – Newport
4 – Covington Catholic (Mathis, Compton, Yates, Dixon)
10th Region
15 – George Rogers Clark
1 – Campbell County (Marsee)
11th Region
14 – Great Crossing
2 – Lexington Catholic (Claywell, Weber)
12th Region
15 – Danville Christian
1 – Pulaski County (Compton)
13th Region
16 – Harlan County (unanimous)
14th Region
15 – Hazard
1 – Breathitt County (Marsee)
15th Region
14 – Pikeville
1 – Martin County (Marsee)
1 – Lawrence County (Collier)
16th Region
8 – Boyd County
6 – Fleming County (Frakes, Weber, Connelly, Marsee, Dixon, Collier)
2 – Ashland Blazer (Claywell, White)