The 11th Region champion won't have to sit around waiting to play in the boys' state tournament this March.
The 11th Region, home to top-10 teams Henry Clay, Madison Central and Scott County, will play the 12th Region in the opening game of the 96th Sweet Sixteen in Rupp Arena on March 6.
No. 17 Pulaski County and No. 25 Wayne County are the highest-rated teams in the 12th Region.
The pairings were determined by a draw conducted by the KHSAA on Friday.
If the 11th Region representative advances to the quarterfinals, it might have to face No. 2 Bullitt East out of the 6th Region.
The 7th Region, home to No. 1 Ballard and No. 3 (and defending state champ) Trinity, appeared to get a favorable draw in the lower bracket.
The 7th Region is matched against the 15th Region in the first round. The winner of that game would move on to play either the 13th or 14th region in the quarterfinals.
The Sweet Sixteen will have a different format this year. Instead of playing the semifinals and finals on Saturday, the semifinals will be played on Saturday night, and the championship game will be played on Sunday night.
If nationally ranked Marion County wins the 5th Region as expected, the Knights will help raise the curtain on the Girls' Sweet Sixteen in Bowling Green this year.
The 5th Region will play the 4th Region in the opening game of the Houchens Industries/KHSAA State Tournament on March 13 in Western Kentucky University's Diddle Arena.
The pairings were determined by a draw conducted by the KHSAA on Friday.
Marion County, state runner-up last year, has been unbeatable so far this season. Led by Kentucky signees Makayla Epps and Kyvin Goodin-Rogers, the Knights are 22-0, and their closest wins have been by 15 points over defending champ Manual and 16 over Mercy.
The 4th Region's highest-rated teams are No. 13 Monroe County and No. 17 Bowling Green.
The 11th Region, home to No. 7 Madison Central, drew into the last game of the first round on March 14. The 11th Region is matched against the 9th Region, whose highest-rated teams are No. 8 Highlands and No. 9 Notre Dame.
The 6th and 7th regions, made up mostly of Louisville schools, are paired against each other in the first round. That could mean a showdown between No. 11 Mercy against either No. 4 Manual, No. 5 Ballard or No. 9 Assumption.
Sweet Sixteen tickets
Tickets for the boys' and girls' state tournaments can be purchased at the KHSAA office in Lexington. All-session tickets are $120 for the lower arena and $70 for upper arena.
Boys' Sweet SIxteen
March 6-10 • Rupp Arena • Lexington • All times Eastern
Champion
2 p.m. March 10
12th Region
11th Region
Noon March 6
Noon March 8
7:30 p.m. March 9
9th Region
6th Region
1:30 p.m. March 6
1:30 p.m. March 8
1st Region
3rd Region
6:30 p.m.March 6
2nd Region
8th Region
8 p.m. March 6
4th Region
10th Region
NoonMarch 7
6:30 p.m. March 8
9 p.m. March 9
16th Region
5th Region
1:30 p.m. March 7
8 p.m. March 8
15th Region
7th Region
6:30 p.m.March 7
14th Region
13th Region
8 p.m. March 7
Region favorites
The top four teams in each region according to Dave Cantrall's Rating the State:
1st: Marshall Co., Graves Co., Calloway Co., Mayfield
2nd: Hopkinsville, Henderson Co., Christian Co., Madisonville
3rd: Owensboro, Daviess Co., Apollo, Ohio Co.
4th: Warren Central, Russell Co., Bowling Green, South Warren
5th: John Hardin, North Hardin, Elizabethtown, Bardstown
6th: Bullitt East, Fairdale, Pleasure Ridge Park, Butler
7th: Ballard, Trinity, Male, St. Xavier
8th: Collins, Simon Kenton, South Oldham, North Oldham
9th: Holmes, Covington Catholic, Newport Central Catholic, Cooper
10th: Montgomery Co., Bishop Brossart, Scott, Harrison Co.
11th: Henry Clay, Madison Central, Scott Co., Lexington Catholic
12th: Pulaski Co., Wayne Co., Southwestern, West Jessamine
13th: Clay Co., Harlan Co., Corbin, Jackson Co.
14th: Perry Central, Knott Central, Hazard, Breathitt Co.
15th: Johnson Central, Pikeville, Sheldon Clark, East Ridge
16th: Russell, Fleming Co., Ashland Blazer, Boyd Co.
Girls' Sweet SIxteen
March 13-16 • E.A. Diddle Arena • Bowling Green • All times Eastern
Champion
9 p.m. March 16
4th Region
5th Region
1 p.m. March 13
1 p.m. March 15
11 a.m. March 16
10th Region
16th Region
2:30 p.m. March 13
2:30 p.m. March 15
8th Region
2nd Region
7:30 p.m.March 13
13th Region
15th Region
9 p.m. March 13
12th Region
3rd Region
1 p.m. March 14
7:30 p.m. March 15
12:30 p.m. March 16
7th Region
6th Region
2:30 p.m. March 14
9 p.m. March 15
1st Region
14th Region
7:30 p.m.March 14
11th Region
9th Region
9 p.m. March 14
Region favorites
The top four teams in each region according to Dave Cantrall's Rating the State:
1st: Murray, Paducah Tilghman, Marshall Co., Ballard Memorial
2nd: Henderson Co., Webster Co., University Heights, Hopkinsville
3rd: Owensboro Catholic, Muhlenberg Co., Meade Co, Ohio Co.
4th: Monroe Co., Bowling Green, Glasgow, Allen Co.-Scottsville
5th: Marion Co., Elizabethtown, Nelson Co., North Hardin
6th: Mercy, Butler, Pleasure Ridge Park, Bullitt East
7th: Manual, Ballard, Assumption, Sacred Heart
8th: Anderson Co., Simon Kenton, Walton-Verona, Owen Co.
9th: Highlands, Notre Dame, Conner, Newport Central Catholic
10th: Montgomery Co., Bishop Brossart, Clark Co., Mason Co.
11th: Madison Central, Paul Dunbar, Woodford Co., Bryan Station
12th: Lincoln Co., Mercer Co., Danville, Southwestern
13th: Clay Co., Whitley Co., Corbin, Harlan Co.
14th: Perry Central, Letcher Central, Powell Co., Leslie Co.
15th: Shelby Valley, Sheldon Clark, Magoffin Co., Lawrence Co.
16th: Ashland Blazer, East Carter, Boyd Co., Lewis Co.
Mike Fields: (859) 231-3337 Twitter: @MikeFieldsNotes Blog: fieldsnotes.bloginky.com
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