The fourth statewide media poll of the prep basketball season is out.
Votes are pulled from 16 media members representing each region of the state. In a bit of a change from prior years, the 16-member panel submits their top 15 in boys and girls basketball and presents a top five for the region they cover. The prior two seasons it was a top 10.
The top 15 statewide shows first, with the top five teams selected by that media member for the 8th, 9th and 10th Region below it.
The poll will run weekly up to when district tournaments start in late February.
Boys statewide poll
First-place votes in parentheses; records through Sunday’s games
Rank-school (FPV)        Record Pts       LW
1. St. Xavier (16) 18-2 240 1
2. Great Crossing 17-4 223 2
3. Frederick Douglass 15-2 207 3
4. Marshall County 20-0 181 4
5. Bryan Station 17-3 175 5
6. Covington Catholic  15-4     112      6
7. Warren Central 15-2 109 8
8. Hazard 19-2 101 7
9. Manual 15-4 88 9
10. George Rogers Clark 14-3 73 12
11. Ballard 12-6 68 11
12. Green County 14-2 67 10
13. Calloway County 19-3 45 13
14. Danville Christian 17-2 41 NR
15. Ashland Blazer 13-5 37 NR
Others receiving votes: Butler 22, Bowling Green 17, Cooper 13, Trinity 13, Adair County 12, South Oldham 10, LaRue County 9, Male 7, Lloyd Memorial 6, North Bullitt 6, Clinton County 5, Jeffersontown 5, Dixie Heights 3.
Top five teams in regions 8-10:
Eighth Region
James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer
1. South Oldham
2. Simon Kenton
3. Woodford County
4. North Oldham
5. Walton-Verona
Ninth Region
Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer
1. Cooper
2. Covington Catholic
3. Conner
4. Lloyd Memorial
5. Dixie Heights
10th Region
Evan Dennison, LinkNKY.com
1. George Rogers Clark
2. Montgomery County
3. Campbell County
4. Mason County
5. Pendleton County
Girls statewide poll
First-place votes in parentheses; records through Sunday’s games
Rank-school (FPV)        Record Pts       LW
1. Sacred Heart (15) 14-2 239 1
2. George Rogers Clark 11-5 206 2
3. Franklin County 19-3 180 4
4. Cooper                        12-4     179      3
5. North Laurel (1) 17-0 178 5
6. Franklin-Simpson 16-2 163 6
7. Assumption 14-2 151 7
8. Madison Central 19-0 106 10
9. Bethlehem 16-2 90 9
10. Covington Holy Cross 18-2 87Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 8
11. Henderson County 15-4 74 11
12. Frederick Douglass 13-4 66 13
13. Simon Kenton         13-5     63         12
14. Danville Christian 15-5 53 NR
15. Notre Dame            12-3     42         14
Others receiving votes: Graves County 16, Johnson Central 5, Highlands 4, Owensboro Catholic 4, Anderson County 3, Breckinridge County 3, Taylor County 3, Calloway County 2, Russell 2, Knox Central 1.
Top five teams in regions 8-10:
Eighth Region
James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer
1. Simon Kenton
2. Anderson County
3. Grant County
4. Spencer County
5. Walton-Verona
Ninth Region
Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer
1. Cooper
2. Covington Holy Cross
3. Notre Dame
4. Highlands
5. Dixie Heights
10th Region
Evan Dennison, LinkNKY.com
1. George Rogers Clark
2. Campbell County
3. Bishop Brossart
4. Scott
5. Montgomery County