Coaches pick Kentucky’s top 10 preseason boys’ basketball teams

(Last year’s record in parentheses)

1. Bowling Green (31-3) — Three of the top four scorers are back for the Purples, who nearly clipped Dunbar in the state quarterfinals.

2. Trinity (29-7) — Shamrocks bring back bulk of production from team that won 12 straight before falling in the state tournament.

3. Paul Laurence Dunbar (33-6) — Defending champions lost two high-level guards and could be without center Dontell Brown for the whole season.

4. Scott County (29-6) — Cardinals graduated only one senior from a team that fell to Dunbar in the 11th Region finals.

5. Covington Catholic (28-7) — Colonels, who led 9th Region in total scoring last season, return bulk of their production.

6. Hopkinsville (20-13) — Junior star Jalen Johnson, also a quarterback in football, has offers from Samford and Northern Kentucky.

7. Christian County (29-3) — Coaches in 2nd Region believe Colonels will for the second straight season overtake Hoptown in regional finals.

8. Fern Creek (19-13) — Tigers, who lost to state runners-up Doss in the 6th Region semifinals, have never played in the Sweet Sixteen.

9. Ballard (22-11) — Bruins looked like a surefire favorite before David Sloan moved to Florida because of eligibility concerns in Louisville.

10. North Hardin (26-8) — Highly touted transfer Trace Young has previously been enrolled at four schools, including Huntington (W.Va.) Prep.

The next 10: Lexington Catholic, Pulaski County, Doss, Cooper, Pleasure Ridge Park, Lexington Christian, University Heights, Graves County, Mercer County, North Laurel.

This story was originally published November 27, 2016 at 10:35 AM with the headline "Coaches pick Kentucky’s top 10 preseason boys’ basketball teams."