The picks are in for next month’s boys and girls Sweet 16s.
The voters in this season’s Kentucky High School Basketball Elite 16 media polls – one from each of the state’s 16 regions – have made their selections to reach the state tournaments.
Girls regional champions will advance to the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Sweet 16 set for March 11-14, and boys regional winners will advance to the UK Healthcare Sweet 16 slated for March 18-21. Both will be held at the University of Kentucky’s Rupp Arena.
Here are the voters: Steve Springer (Murray Ledger & Times), Edward Marlowe (WKDZ-FM), Mark Mathis (Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer), Micheal Compton (Bowling Green Daily News), Josh Claywell (Bardstown Kentucky Standard/LaRue County Herald News), Demetrius Stanton, (DeadStock Visuals), Alyx White (Rise Up Sports Media), 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), Les Dixon (13thRegionMediaNetwork.com), Randy White, (Appalachian News-Express) and James Collier (WLGC-FM).
Brendon Miller of Bluegrass Sports Nation (14th Region) declined to participate.
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
15 – Calloway County
Second Region
13 – Henderson County
2 – Lyon County (Marlowe, Claywell)
Third Region
13 – Owensboro Catholic
2 – Daviess County (Compton, Claywell)
Fourth Region
14 – Barren County
1 – Franklin-Simpson (R. White)
Fifth Region
15 – Taylor County
Sixth Region
14 – Butler
1 – Mercy (Marsee)
Seventh Region
12 – Assumption
3 – Sacred Heart (Springer, Dixon, R. White)
Eighth Region
15 – Simon Kenton
Ninth Region
12 – Cooper
2 – Ryle (Peck, Marsee)
1 – Covington Holy Cross (Claywell)
10th Region
15 – George Rogers Clark
11th Region
12 – Frederick Douglass
1 – Franklin County (R. White)
1 – Lafayette (Weber)
1 – Paul Dunbar (Claywell)
12th Region
8 – Boyle County
4 – Pulaski County (Frakes, Weber, Connelly, Dixon)
3 – West Jessamine (Dennison, Peck, Marsee)
13th Region
10 – North Laurel
5 – South Laurel (Claywell, A. White, Connelly, Dennison, Dixon)
14th Region
13 – Hazard
1 – Knott County Central (Dixon)
1 – Letcher County Central (Weber)
15th Region
14 – Johnson Central
1 – Pikeville (Marsee)
16th Region
15 – Ashland Blazer
Boys Sweet 16 picks
First Region
15 – McCracken County
Second Region
8 – Henderson County
7 – Lyon County (Marlowe, Claywell, Weber, Connelly, Dennison, Dixon, Collier)
Third Region
11 – Daviess County
4 – Grayson County (Claywell, Weber, Marsee, Dixon)
Fourth Region
15 – Warren Central
Fifth Region
8 – North Hardin
7 – Caverna (Springer, Marlowe, Mathis, Weber, Connelly, Dennison, Peck)
Sixth Region
12 – Jeffersontown
3 – Butler (Compton, Weber, Marsee)
Seventh Region
8 – St. Xavier
6 – Ballard (Claywell, Frakes, Weber, Peck, Marsee, Dixon)
1 – Male (R. White)
Eighth Region
14 – North Oldham
1 – Woodford County (Peck)
Ninth Region
15 – Covington Catholic
10th Region
15 – George Rogers Clark
11th Region
13 – Madison Central
1 – Frederick Douglass (Dennison)
1 – Bryan Station (R. White)
12th Region
8 – Wayne County
7 – Danville Christian (Mathis, Claywell, Stanton, Marsee, Dixon, R. White, Collier)
13th Region
8 – North Laurel
7 – Bell County (Springer, Marlowe, Claywell, Stanton, Dennison, Marsee, Dixon)
14th Region
8 – Knott County Central
4 – Hazard (Compton, Frakes, Dixon, R. White)
3 – Powell County (Weber, Peck, Marsee)
15th Region
7 – Pikeville
6 – Johnson Central (Compton, Stanton, Connelly, Dennison, Marsee, Collier)
2 – Martin County (Frakes, Weber)
16th Region
7 – Ashland Blazer
6 – Boyd County (Marlowe, Stanton, Weber, Marsee, Dixon, R. White)
2 – Russell (Claywell, Connelly)