Sixteen things to get you ready for Kentucky’s 2022 Boys’ Sweet 16 basketball tournament

The 2022 UK HealthCare Boys’ Sweet 16 begins Wednesday as teams from around the state will square off to see who will capture Kentucky high school basketball’s ultimate prize.

Here are 16 things to think about as the tournament returns to Rupp Arena this week:

1. The ridiculous class of 2023

North Laurel’s Reed Sheppard (25.5 ppg), perhaps the most heralded in-state University of Kentucky commitment since Rex Chapman, headlines an incredible array of superstar juniors who will be on display at Rupp this week.

Also receiving a four-star recruiting rating from 247Sports.com as the state’s No. 2 recruit, Kaleb Glenn (21.9 ppg, 12.7 rpg) will look to lead Male to its first state title since 1975.

Then there are juniors like Covington Catholic’s Evan Ipsaro, averaging 21.7 points per game, North Laurel’s Ryan Davidson (20 ppg), Clark County’s Jerone Morton (19.2 ppg), North Oldham’s Dallas Roberts (17.5 ppg) and Pikeville’s Rylee Samons (15.3 ppg).

2. Mr. Basketball candidates

Also on hand, will be three of the state’s 19 nominees for Mr. Basketball, the award given to the most outstanding senior as voted on by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches and members of the media. Each of the following was named a region player of the year by the KABC.

▪ Landon Napier of Perry County Central, an uncommitted 6-foot-3 guard, averages 15.7 points for the Commodores.

▪ Trey Lovell of Muhlenberg County, an uncommitted 5-11 guard, averages 13.3 points for the Mustangs.

▪ Mitchell Rylee of Covington Catholic, a 6-8 center committed to Miami (Ohio), averages 16.5 points for the Colonels. Mitchell is third in the state in field goal percentage, making 70.9 percent of his shots.

Mr. Basketball voting has already taken place and the winner will be revealed March 20 at a live event in Lexington for the first time since the pandemic. All 19 of the region honorees will be recognized at the tournament this week.

3. The Lyon King

Lyon County’s Travis Perry, a 6-2 sophomore who has been a starter for the Lyons since seventh grade, is the top scorer in Lexington this week, averaging 27.7 points per game. The son of Lyon County Coach Ryan Perry, he already holds NCAA Division I offers from Ole Miss and a few others.

Perry surpassed 3,000 career points this season, and, if he remains healthy, he’s on pace to surpass Wayland High School legend “King” Kelly Coleman’s all-time boys’ scoring mark set more than a half century ago.

Coleman’s career record of 4,337 points was set over the course of his four-year varsity career from 1953 to 1956, according to KHSAA records. Coleman owns a slew of other KHSAA boys’ records, including most points scored in a Sweet 16 game — 68 against Bell County in 1956.

This is Perry’s fourth varsity season with two to go and he has 3,142 points coming into the tournament, tying him at No. 22 all-time with North Laurel’s Peyton Broughton (2012-17). An average of 600 points over the next two years would give Perry the all-time mark. His lowest season output, so far, was 638 points as a seventh-grader.

4. Light ‘em up

This season’s top four scoring teams are in the field, led by Clark County at 84.3 points per game. Lyon County (79.9 ppg), North Laurel (79 ppg) and Male (78.1) round out the top four. Ashland Blazer (77.6 ppg) ranked eighth, Covington Catholic (74.7 ppg), 14th, and John Hardin (73.7 ppg) 17th.

5. Returning teams

Ashland Blazer, Clark County and Muhlenberg County are the only repeat region winners in this year’s field. The Tomcats have made four straight, Clark, three straight, and Muhlenberg, two.

Last year, Clark County got knocked out in the quarterfinals by the eventual runner-up Elizabethtown, and Ashland Blazer made a run to the semis before falling to eventual champion Highlands. Muhlenberg County lost to Highlands in the first round.

6. Past champs

Henry Clay will look to break its tie with Lafayette at the top of the heap with six state crowns. Ashland Blazer and Male each have four titles. Covington Catholic has two, the last coming in 2018. Clark County and Warren Central each have one.

7. New and rare

North Oldham, established in 2003 to alleviate overcrowding at Oldham County and South Oldham, is making its first appearance in the state tournament. North Laurel is here for the second time, having last won their region 2012. And Lyon County is also making its second appearance and has spent the longest time away from the Sweet 16 of any team in the field. The Lyons’ only other region title came in 1951.

8. Chance to double up

Pikeville has already claimed this year’s “small-school” state championship, having won the All “A” Classic title over Breathitt County on Jan. 30 in Richmond. Only one other boys’ program has won both the All “A” and the Sweet 16. It was Pikeville’s Pike County neighbor Shelby Valley in 2010.

9. Preseason rankings

Half of this year’s field did not make the Herald-Leader’s preseason top 25 rankings as voted on in a survey that included responses from 115 of the state’s 275 boys’ basketball head coaches.

But making it to Rupp this year are H-L preseason No. 2 Male, No. 3 Covington Catholic, No. 4 Ashland Blazer, No. 5 Clark County, No. 6 North Laurel, No. 21 North Oldham, No. 23 Warren Central and No. 24 Lincoln County.

Notably absent this year is H-L No. 1 Ballard, which lost 82-80 in three overtimes to Male on a buzzer-beater in the 7th Region championship.

10. Sizing them up now

Here’s how this year’s first-round matchups look competitively according to the Dave Cantrall Ratings released this week. Games are sorted from tightest matchup to biggest disparity with Thursday’s 11 a.m. game between No. 3 Warren Central and No. 5 Male being the highest-ranked first round-tilt. According to these numbers, it’s a closely matched field this year.

▪ No. 3 Warren Central (83.9) vs. No. 5 Male (82.5). Spread: 1.4 Cantrall points.

▪ No 7 Jeffersontown (79.9) vs. No. 8 Lincoln County (77.5). Spread: 2.4

▪ No. 11 North Oldham (75.5) vs. No. 14 Muhlenberg County (71.3). Spread: 4.2

▪ No. 2 Covington Catholic (85.4) vs. No. 6 Ashland Blazer (80.6). Spread: 4.8.

▪ No. 8 Henry Clay (77.5) vs. No. 13 Murray (72.6). Spread: 4.9.

▪ No. 4 North Laurel (83.6) vs. No. 10 Pikeville (76.8). Spread: 6.8.

▪ No. 12 Lyon County (74.8) vs. No. 16 John Hardin (68.2). Spread: 6.6.

▪ No. 1 Clark County (87.2) vs. No. 15 Perry County Central (69.5). Spread: 17.7.

In 2021, teams rated higher by Cantrall won six of the eight first-round games. Eventual champion Highlands came in as the No. 3 team.

11. Toughest draw

Like the Girls’ Sweet 16 last week, teams drawn into Thursday’s first-round games seem to have the more difficult path through the bracket. And No. 5 Male might have the hardest path of all, beginning with No. 3 Warren Central in the first round.

If the ratings hold, the Bulldogs would next face No. 8 Henry Clay in the quarterfinals, No. 2 Covington Catholic in the semis and No. 1 Clark County for the title.

12. The overdogs

Clark County (33-1), aka George Rogers Clark High School, has been No. 1 in the state by all measures since early January and has beaten its opponents by an average of 31.8 points per game, tops in the state.

Led by a core of juniors that includes the sensational Jerone Morton, the Cardinals’ one loss came to an out-of-state powerhouse and they topped teams like Ashland Blazer, Ballard, North Laurel, John Hardin and North Oldham along the way.

13. The underdogs

John Hardin (25-9) comes in as Dave Cantrall’s lowest rated region champ. This is John Hardin’s fifth appearance in the Sweet 16 and first under Coach Austin Jones.

But John Hardin would have to prefer its first-round draw of No. 12 Lyon County over No. 15 Perry County Central’s draw of No. 1 Clark County.

According to the KHSAA’s RPI data, John Hardin has faced the second-easiest schedule in the field with an opponents’ win percentage of 0.53757. That’s a bit misleading as John Hardin lined up an impressive list of foes, including Clark County, Boyle County, Evangel Christian, Bardstown and Elizabethtown.

14. Battle tested

North Laurel faced the most difficult regular-season schedule, according to RPI data. The Jags faced teams with an average winning percentage of 0.67075 which included three Sweet 16 teams — North Oldham, a win; Clark County, a loss; and Covington Catholic, two losses.

Ashland Blazer and Male tied for having played the most Sweet 16 teams in the regular season with five each. The Tomcats beat their first-round opponent, Covington Catholic, 71-60, on Jan. 29.

15. Top team stats

Scoring offense: Clark County, 84.3 points per game. Scoring defense: Murray, 48.1 points against per game. Scoring margin: Clark County, 31.8 points per game. Field goal percentage: Covington Catholic, 55.7 percent. Three-point field goal percentage: North Laurel, 41.8 percent. Free throw percentage: North Laurel 83.8 percent.

16. Top individual stats

Scoring: Travis Perry, Lyon County, 27.7 ppg. Rebounding: Kaleb Glenn, Male, 12.7 rpg. Field goal percentage: Nick Robinson, Pikeville, 74.1 percent. Three-point shooting: Clay Sizemore, North Laurel, three three-point makes per game. Three-point percentage: Clay Sizemore, North Laurel, 44.1 percent. Free throw percentage: Reed Sheppard, North Laurel, 90.2 percent.

BOYS’ SWEET 16

What: Sixteen-team tournament to decide Kentucky’s high school basketball state champion.

When: Wednesday through Saturday

Where: Rupp Arena

Tickets: Tickets available for purchase at KHSAA.org.

BOYS’ SWEET 16 SCHEDULE

At Rupp Arena

Wednesday’s games

11 a.m.: Jeffersontown (24-8) vs. Lincoln County (29-7)

1:30 p.m.: Muhlenberg County (18-11) vs. North Oldham (18-12)

6 p.m.: Perry County Central (29-4) vs. Clark County (33-1)

8:30 p.m.: North Laurel (28-5) vs. Pikeville (31-2)

Thursday’s games

11 a.m.: Warren Central (26-3) vs. Male (28-5)

1:30 p.m.: Lyon County (28-6) vs. John Hardin (25-9)

6 p.m.: Henry Clay (27-8) vs. Murray (25-6)

8:30 p.m.: Covington Catholic (28-4) vs. Ashland Blazer (26-5)

Friday’s quarterfinals

11 a.m.: Jeffersontown-Lincoln County winner vs. Muhlenberg County-North Oldham winner

1:30 p.m.: Perry County Central-Clark County winner vs. North Laurel-Pikeville winner

6 p.m.: Lyon County-John Hardin winner vs. Covington Catholic-Ashland Blazer winner

8:30 p.m.: Henry Clay-Murray winner vs. Warren Central-Male winner

Saturday’s games

▪ Semifinals at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

▪ Championship game at 7 p.m.

This story was originally published March 14, 2022 at 10:57 AM.

Jared Peck

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-488-2883

Jared Peck, the Herald-Leader’s Digital Sports Writer, covers high school athletics and has been with the company as a writer and editor for more than 20 years. Support my work with a digital subscription