Who’s No. 1 in the latest Elite 16 boys high school basketball media rankings?
Below are the Kentucky Media Elite 16 boys high school basketball teams for the 2025-26 season, according to the latest (Jan. 13) poll of media members from each of Kentucky’s 16 regions as compiled by the Courier Journal’s Jason Frakes.
In addition, see how Herald-Leader high school sports writer Jared Peck (@HLpreps on X.com) voted and the media’s region-by-region top fives.
Boys Elite 16
Teams are listed with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Sunday’s games, total rankings points and last week’s ranking.
Rank-school (FPV)…Record…Pts…LW
1. St. Xavier (11)…11-4…247…2
2. Male (3)…11-4…229…1
3. Madison Central (1)…15-1…224…3
4. Covington Catholic…13-1…215…4
5. Daviess County…14-3…195…5
6. Warren Central (1)…12-1…170…7
7. George Rogers Clark…11-3…158…8
8. Frederick Douglass…8-4…126…6
9. North Laurel…11-4…92…9
10. North Oldham…11-4…76…10
11. McCracken County…12-3…71…11
12. (tie) Boyd County…11-4…66…13
12. (tie) Jeffersontown…8-2…66…NR
14. Ballard…9-4…55…15
15. Lexington Catholic…9-5…27…14
16. Butler…12-4…20…12
Others receiving votes: Bryan Station 18, Eastern 17, Pikeville 16, Highlands 14, Caverna 13, Bell County 10, Seneca 10, Covington Holy Cross 8, Evangel Christian 6, Adair County 5, Ashland Blazer 5, Christian Academy 5, Grayson County 4, Marshall County 3, Pleasure Ridge Park 3, Manual 2.
How @HLpreps voted
1. Male; 2. St. Xavier; 3. Covington Catholic; 4. Daviess County; 5. Madison Central; 6. George Rogers Clark; 7. Warren Central; 8. Jeffersontown; 9. Frederick Douglass; 10. North Laurel; 11. Bryan Station; 12. Ballard; 13. Caverna; 14. North Oldham; 15. Boyd County; 16. McCracken County.
Region-by-region top fives
1st Region (Steve Springer, Murray Ledger & Times): 1. McCracken County; 2. Marshall County; 3. Murray; 4. Carlisle County; 5. Graves County.
2nd Region (Edward Marlowe, WKDZ-FM): 1. Lyon County; 2. Henderson County; 3. Webster County; 4. Hopkins County Central; 5. Hopkinsville.
3rd Region (Mark Mathis, Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer): 1. Daviess County; 2. Grayson County; 3. Owensboro Catholic; 4. Ohio County; 5. Apollo.
4th Region (Micheal Compton, Bowling Green Daily News): 1. Warren Central; 2. Clinton County; 3. South Warren; 4. Greenwood; 5. Glasgow.
5th Region (Josh Claywell, Bardstown Kentucky Standard/LaRue County Herald News): 1. Adair County; 2. LaRue County; 3. Taylor County; 4. Nelson County; 5. Caverna.
6th Region (Demetrius Stanton, DeadStock Visuals): 1. Jeffersontown; 2. Butler; 3. DuBois; 4. Pleasure Ridge Park; 5. Evangel Christian.
7th Region (Jason Frakes, The Courier Journal): 1. Male; 2. St. Xavier; 3. Ballard; 4. Manual; 5. Seneca.
8th Region (James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer): 1. North Oldham; 2. South Oldham; 3. Anderson County; 4. Woodford County; 5. Grant County.
9th Region (Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer): 1. Covington Catholic; 2. Highlands; 3. Lloyd Memorial; 4. Covington Holy Cross; 5. Ryle.
10th Region (Evan Dennison, LinkNKY.com): 1. George Rogers Clark; 2. Montgomery County; 3. Campbell County; 4. Nicholas County; 5. Bishop Brossart.
11th Region (Jared Peck, Herald-Leader): 1. Madison Central; 2. Frederick Douglass; 3. Bryan Station; 4. Lexington Catholic; 5. Great Crossing.
12th Region (Mike Marsee, Danville freelancer): 1. Wayne County; 2. Danville Christian; 3. Pulaski County; 4. Somerset; 5. West Jessamine.
13th Region (Les Dixon, 13thRegionMediaNetwork.com): 1. North Laurel; 2. Bell County; 3. Clay County; 4. South Laurel; 5. Whitley County.
14th Region (Brendon Miller, Bluegrass Sports Nation): 1. Powell County; 2. Letcher County; Central; 3. Breathitt County; 4. Hazard; 5. Knott County Central.
15th Region (Randy White, Appalachian News-Express): 1. Pikeville; 2. Martin County; 3. Johnson Central; 4. Lawrence County; 5. Paintsville.
16th Region (James Collier, WLGC-FM): 1. Ashland Blazer; 2. Boyd County; 3. Russell; 4. Raceland; 5. Elliott County.
