Who are Kentucky’s top 25 girls’ high school basketball teams for 2021-22?
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2021-22 High School Basketball Preview
The Herald-Leader/Kentucky.com is publishing season preview stories leading up to the start of the 2021-22 high school basketball season on Monday, Nov. 29. You can read everything we’ve published to this point by clicking on this drop-down list. All of the stories are also available in our print and e-editions.
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When Sacred Heart pulled out a 49-47 win over Marshall County in last season’s Girls’ Sweet 16 title game, it didn’t just bring home the school’s fifth state high school basketball championship, it sent a warning.
The Valkyries started four underclassmen in that game. The tournament’s most valuable player, Josie Gilvin, was just a junior. The team’s leading scorer, Triniti Ralston, was a sophomore. And now, Sacred Heart has added one of the top freshman players in the nation to the mix with the transfer of Shelby County’s sensational ZaKiyah Johnson, a 5-foot-11 guard/forward who averaged 21.8 points per game last season as an eighth-grader.
It’s no wonder then that the state’s varsity coaches overwhelmingly voted Sacred Heart as the Herald-Leader high school girls’ basketball preseason No. 1 team.
The Valkyries received 70 No. 1 votes and appeared on 79 of the 82 coaches surveys submitted this season, the most of any school. The poll asked every coach to rank their “top 10 teams in the state.”
“The Valkyries are hungry for a repeat,” Sacred Heart Coach Donna Moir responded in her survey. “They definitely like Rupp Arena.”
But it’s a long way till March 9 at Rupp, and the preseason top 25 isn’t just a glimpse at who could win it all, it’s a look at who might have a shot at making the dance and getting hot at the right time, just like the Valkyries did.
Challengers to Sacred Heart include No. 2 Anderson County, which received five No. 1 votes, the second most. The Bearcats feature University of Kentucky commit Amiya Jenkins, one of the top contenders for this year’s Miss Basketball award.
No. 3 Bullitt East returns with 6-foot-6 senior Gracie Merkle, one of the most dominant female centers in years. And No. 4 Bardstown has been bolstered by the addition of transfer Leah Macy, another standout freshman who appears on some of the same national recruiting lists as Sacred Heart’s Johnson.
Here’s a look at this year’s Herald-Leader High School Girls’ Basketball Preseason Top 25 with a brief summary on what we know about the top 10 teams.
The Top 10
(Last season’s record in parenthesis)
1. Sacred Heart (25-7): The defending state and 7th Region champs might legitimately have a Miss Basketball candidate in each class. Josie Gilvin, a 5-11 senior and Western Kentucky commit, earned her Sweet 16 MVP with relentless hustle and harassing defense. Triniti Ralston, a 5-8 junior, had 18 points and four assists in the title game and has multiple Division I offers. Reagan Bender, a 5-10 sophomore, was the team’s second-leading scorer (10.1 ppg). Much-heralded ZaKiyah Johnson, a 5-11 freshman, already has 25 D-I offers. And we haven’t even mentioned 6-foot senior center Alex Wolff, who got the put-back bucket that proved to be the title-game winner. Moir: “This group of young ladies strive to win every day in practice and even the competition in the drills is an all-out war. ‘Z’ has blended well into the mix and big things are expected by all of them.”
2. Anderson County (28-3): The 8th Region champion graduated three seniors off its state semifinal team, all of whom are now playing college ball. But the cupboard’s not bare, especially with 5-11 Kentucky commit Amiya Jenkins (17.2 ppg), who Coach Clay Birdwhistell hails as “the most well-rounded player in the state.” Jacie Chesser, a 6-1 senior center, also started and averaged 8.7 ppg. Paige Serafini, a 6-0 senior, came off the bench and made the second most threes on the team at a 38% clip. Birdwhistell: “It might take us some time to discover who we are and how we want to play, but I think by the end of the season, we will be a very hard out.”
3. Bullitt East (22-3): The 6th Region champion had one of the toughest draws in last year’s Sweet 16, falling to All “A” Classic champion Bethlehem in the first round. But three starters return, including 6-foot-6 Bellarmine commit and double-double machine Gracie Merkle, who averaged 18.3 points per game on a stunning 73.5% shooting. She also grabbed 11.5 rebounds per game. Emma Egan, a 5-8 senior committed to La Salle, averaged 11.9 ppg and typically gets the toughest defensive assignment. Lilly Reid, a 5-8 junior, returns at point guard. Coach Chris Stallings: “We are very optimistic for the upcoming season. … (We) will be able to play inside or out. Our shooting from the outside should be very good.”
4. Bardstown (20-7): The Tigers’ list of impressive wins last season included beating eventual state champ Sacred Heart on March 9, but they got knocked off in the 5th Region semis by Central Hardin. Bardstown brings back leading scorer Jaileyah Cotton (21.4 ppg), a 5-7 senior committed to East Tennessee State, and fellow starters Kadence Walls and Addison Riley. Picking up transfer Leah Macy, a 6-2 forward who ranks among the nation’s top recruits, shouldn’t hurt. She averaged 18.9 ppg for Elizabethtown last year and has been offered by Kentucky among others.
5. Ryle (23-3): The 23rd District champs fell to Notre Dame in the 9th Region semis, but could return to Sweet 16 form behind a talented core of young players. Abby Holtman, a 5-11 junior guard, averaged 12.9 points per game and shot 40.7% from three-point range. She has a number of D-I offers, as does 6-1 sophomore center Sarah Baker. Quinn Eubank, a 5-11 forward, averaged a double-double. Austin Johnson, a 5-10 junior guard, makes three returning starters who averaged at least 10 points per game.
6. Bowling Green (19-11): The 4th Region champs already had a formidable returning lineup including 5-11 senior LynKaylah James (16.1 ppg, 10.1 rpg) and 5-10 junior Meadow Tisdale (13.9 ppg, 9.5 rgp). Add to that Warren Central transfer Saniyah Shelton, a 5-10 sophomore point guard who averaged 18 points per game last season, and that makes the Purples a favorite to make a return trip to Rupp where they reached the quarterfinals last season. Coach Calvin Head: “We have the potential to be very competitive this year. … We like our depth, size and speed.”
7. Notre Dame (21-5): The 34th District champs lost in overtime to Dixie Heights in the 9th Region finals, but all five starters and a number of other key contributors return, including 5-8 senior Morehead State commit Lacey Bradshaw (14.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg), the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. Macie Feldman, a 5-9 guard, averaged 11.1 ppg and is one of five carryover players from the Pandas’ state champion soccer team. Coach Kes Murphy: “Experience coupled with a challenging schedule and disappointment from last season will fuel the mindset of this year’s squad. It also helps to have multiple state champions on the roster. … Understanding how to win is a big deal.”
8. Clark County (18-6): The 40th District champ saw its string of four consecutive 10th Region titles broken by Bishop Brossart, but looks poised for another run. Leading scorer Brianna Byars (16.7 ppg), a 6-foot junior, has multiple Division I offers, including Cincinnati and Western Kentucky. North Alabama commit Tyra Flowers, a 5-11 senior, chipped in 8.9 ppg to go with 7.2 rpg. Coach Robbie Graham: “Our goals each season are to be the No. 1 seed in district, win the district and win the region. We feel like all goals are attainable.”
9. Marshall County (25-3): The 1st Region champs lost six seniors off their state runner-up team, but return starters Halle Langhi and Jada Driver. Langhi, a 6-2 junior, averaged 12.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Driver, a 5-11 senior, knocked down 43.1% of her threes, including some huge ones during the Sweet 16 run. In addition, Marshall picked up Calloway County transfer Skylar Waller, a 5-5 freshman who led the Lakers with 18.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
10. Pikeville (25-6): The three-time defending 15th Region champs should get a boost from Belfry transfer Kyera Thornsbury, a 5-6 sophomore who averaged 18.9 points per game for the Pirates. Trinity Rowe (15.1 ppg), a 5-5 sophomore point guard who has started since seventh grade, has offers from Eastern Kentucky and Xavier among others. Kristen Whited (10.1 ppg), another sophomore, and seniors Emma Ratliff and Kylie Hall also return.
The Next 15
(With last year’s record and a brief note)
11. South Laurel (20-11): The 13th Region champ returns Rachel Presley, a 6-2 senior who averaged 14.4 points per game in the post and has been working on her three-point shot, according to Coach Chris Souder.
12. Franklin County (18-6): The 11th Region champs have size and experience led by 5-9 senior Patience Laster (13.7 ppg), but will need to replace the leadership and ball-handling of Brooklynn Miles, their Miss Basketball who’s now at Tennessee.
13. Bethlehem (26-5): Sophomore Carlie Thurmond (10.2 ppg) and junior Xaviara Smalley (9.7 ppg, 9.1 rpg) are the leading returners for the 5th Region champs who also won back-to-back All “A” Classics.
14. Russell (20-6): The 16th Region champs and state quarterfinalists feature Shaelyn Steele, a 5-6 sophomore point guard already with offers from Eastern Kentucky, Marshall and more.
15. Southwestern (20-4): The 12th Region champs return three starters, including second-leading scorer Kaylee Young, a 5-10 junior who averaged 10.1 points per game.
16. Central (14-1): The 25th District champs went undefeated through a COVID-19 shortened schedule and before falling to Sacred Heart 54-51 in the 7th Region finals. Leading scorer Amaya Asher, a 5-6 junior guard (14.9 ppg) is among the returnees.
17. Manual (8-5): Four starters return for the Crimsons, including 5-9 junior guard Jakayla Thompson, who has offers from Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and others.
18. North Laurel (24-5): The 49th District champs led the state in scoring at 69.8 points per game, but lost in the 13th Region finals to South Laurel. Everyone’s back and that means 5-6 senior guard Hailee Valentine (18.4 ppg) and 5-7 junior point guard Emily Sizemore (14.6 ppg).
19. Henderson County (20-5): The 2nd Region champs reached the state semifinals and have two starters back to build around. Jarie Thomas, a 5-10 junior, averaged 12.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
20. Cooper (17-5): Every starter returns for a team that beat Sacred Heart midseason including juniors Whitney Lind and Liz Freihofer, who have attracted Division I offers.
21. McCracken County (15-8): The 2nd District champs lost to Marshall County in the 1st Region finals. This year, they’re bolstered by the return of 6-foot junior Destiny Thomas, who sat out last year with an ACL injury. She has offers from Murray State and NKU.
22. Mercy (13-14): Nick Cann, most recently an Anderson County assistant and former head coach at Lexington Christian (2013-15), takes over as the third coach for the Jaguars in as many years.
23. Christian Academy-Louisville (17-8): The 28th District champs lost to Manual in the 8th Region tourney. Ohio commit Jaya McClure, a 5-6 point guard, led the team with 17 points per game.
24. Butler (13-3): First-year coach LaKesha Perry looks to rebuild the five-time state champs after the loss of seniors including Tiarra East (Temple) and Dynastee White (Georgetown College).
25. Elizabethtown (23-2): Coach Donnie Swiney lost 81 percent of his offense to graduation and transfer. Juniors Sarah Clark and Brooklyn Cann set the new foundation.
Others Receiving Votes
(In points order)
Male, Boyd County, Dixie Heights, Shelby Valley, Owensboro Catholic, Breckinridge County, Waggener, Bell County, Montgomery County, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Webster County, Barren County, Danville, Lexington Catholic, Mercer County, Ashland Blazer, Rowan County, Bell County, Christian County.
Methodology: Our annual survey was emailed to all 271 KHSAA girls’ basketball coaches using their email registered with the KHSAA. Multiple attempts were made to encourage every school to participate. Coaches were asked to select their top 10 teams and points were assigned based on a team’s position on the ballot (10 points for No. 1, nine points for No. 2, eight points for No. 3, etc.) and tabulated across all ballots received; some schools participated in the survey but declined to vote due to unfamiliarity with players and teams outside of their own area. A total of 82 coaches (30.2 percent) voted in our top-10 teams poll of the 171 coaches (63 percent) who responded to the survey and supplied information about their teams.
2021-22 Season Preview
This is the second of eight stories the Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com is publishing in the coming days previewing the 2021-22 high school boys’ and girls’ basketball seasons, which are scheduled to tip off Nov. 29.
This story was originally published November 24, 2021 at 6:45 AM.
