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. 21) 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 (15)…14-4…255…1
2. Madison Central…18-1…225…3
3. Male (1)…13-5…223…2
4. Covington Catholic…17-1…219…4
5. Daviess County…16-3…192…5
6. Warren Central…14-1…169…6
7. George Rogers Clark…13-3…154…7
8. Frederick Douglass…10-4…132…8
9. North Laurel…14-4…93…9
10. Jeffersontown…11-3…78…T12
11. Boyd County…15-4…76…T12
12. McCracken County…14-3…72…11
13. Ballard…10-5…66…14
14. North Oldham…11-5…59…10
15. Eastern…15-4…23…NR
16. Lexington Catholic…10-5…22…15.
Others receiving votes: Highlands 15, Bryan Station 13, Butler 13, Caverna 12, Bell County 10, Seneca 9, Pikeville 8, Covington Holy Cross 7, Marshall County 5, Ashland Blazer 4, Christian Academy 4, Ohio County 4, Pleasure Ridge Park 4, Campbell County 3, Adair County 2, Grayson County 2, Manual 2, Ryle 1.
How @HLpreps voted
1. St. Xavier; 2. Covington Catholic; 3. Male; 4. Daviess County; 5. Madison Central; 6. George Rogers Clark; 7. Warren Central; 8. Frederick Douglass; 9. Jeffersontown; 10. Boyd County; 11. North Laurel; 12. Bryan Station; 13. Ballard; 14. Caverna; 15. McCracken County; 16. North Oldham.
Boys region-by-region top fives
1st Region (Steve Springer, Murray Ledger & Times): 1. McCracken County; 2. Marshall County; 3. Murray; 4. Carlisle County; 5. Mayfield.
2nd Region (Edward Marlowe, WKDZ-FM): 1. Lyon County; 2. Henderson County; 3. Hopkinsville; 4. Hopkins County Central; 5. Union County.
3rd Region (Mark Mathis, Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer): 1. Daviess County; 2. Grayson County; 3. Ohio County; 4. Apollo; 5. Owensboro Catholic.
4th Region (Micheal Compton, Bowling Green Daily News): 1. Warren Central; 2. Clinton County; 3. South Warren; 4. Glasgow; 5. Greenwood.
5th Region (Josh Claywell, Bardstown Kentucky Standard/LaRue County Herald News): 1. Adair County; 2. LaRue County; 3. Caverna; 4. Nelson County; 5. Taylor County.
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. St. Xavier; 2. Male; 3. Ballard; 4. Manual; 5. Christian Academy.
8th Region (James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer): 1. North Oldham; 2. South Oldham; 3. Woodford County; 4. Simon Kenton; 5. Anderson County.
9th Region (Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer): 1. Covington Catholic; 2. Highlands; 3. Lloyd Memorial; 4. Ryle; 5. Covington Holy Cross.
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. Danville Christian; 2. Wayne County; 3. Somerset; 4. Pulaski County; 5. Somerset Christian.
13th Region (Les Dixon, 13thRegionMediaNetwork.com): 1. North Laurel; 2. Bell County; 3. Clay County; 4. Corbin; 5. South Laurel.
14th Region (Brendon Miller, Bluegrass Sports Nation): 1. Letcher County Central; 2. Breathitt County; 3. Powell County; 4. Hazard; 5. Knott County Central.
15th Region (Randy White, Appalachian News-Express): 1. Martin County; 2. Pikeville; 3. Johnson Central; 4. Paintsville; 5. Floyd Central.
16th Region (James Collier, WLGC-FM): 1. Boyd County; 2. Ashland Blazer; 3. Russell; 4. Lewis County; 5. Raceland.
