Boys and Girls Sweet 16 basketball brackets are set. See how the draws stack up
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- KHSAA released 2026 Sweet 16 brackets; first rounds set for March 11 and 18.
- Top seeds and ranked teams project heavy competition across several first‑round pairings.
- Districts begin Feb. 23 with regionals March 2;
We don’t yet know the teams who’ll be involved in next month’s boys and girls state basketball tournaments at Rupp Arena, but all the hopefuls have an idea who they might face in the first round and beyond after Tuesday’s bracket draw by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
The 65th Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Girls’ Basketball Sweet 16 tips off Wednesday, March 11 and the 108th UK Healthcare Boys’ Sweet 16 begins a week later on March 18.
Each February, the KHSAA throws numbers representing its 16 regions of both boys and girls basketball into a drawing to set the stage for the events it calls “the greatest show in hoops.” This year, the KHSAA ditched a lottery style ball tumbler for a spinning electronic wheel.
Lexington and Central Kentucky’s 11th Region boys champion will open in the first round against the winner of the 12th Region, home of defending champion Danville Christian, which features 6-foot-10 Leek Ateny.
The girls’ 11th Region champion will open against the winner of the 2nd Region, home of perennial favorite Henderson County. The No. 15 Colonels have won seven straight 2nd Region titles and 21 overall.
There’s much work to be done before it’s determined who will fill in this season’s brackets. District tournaments begin Feb. 23. Region tournaments follow, beginning March 2. This year’s boys and girls 11th Region tournaments will be held entirely at Eastern Kentucky University’s Baptist Health Arena in Richmond.
Here’s a look at how each Sweet 16s state tournament might look by plugging in some of the state’s top-ranked teams into the brackets.
Boys state tournament scenarios
The boys 11th Region looks to be a four-way battle among No. 4 Madison Central (20-2), No. 10 Frederick Douglass (10-6), No. 15 Bryan Station (14-5) and Lexington Catholic (13-5), which had been ranked in the Kentucky Media Elite 16 poll every week leading into this one.
Madison Central senior Belmont commit Jake Feldhaus scored 32 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in a 69-66 win over Douglass on Jan. 23. The Indians travel to Lexington Catholic on Feb. 9. This looks to be Madison Central coach Allen Feldhaus Jr.’s best team since his 2021 region champs.
The 11th’s opponent in the Sweet 16 first round could be Danville Christian (13-4), but Pulaski County (13-7), Somerset (12-5) and Wayne County (13-6) also merit a chance out of the 12th. DCA’s only region loss this season was a big one, a 70-64 defeat to Somerset in the 12th’s All “A” Classic semis, which denied the Warriors a chance to defend their small-school state crown.
Perhaps the most notable matchup of the tournament will also occur on the first day, when the 7th Region champion is lined up against the 9th Region champ. No. 1 St. Xavier (17-5) is the defending 7th title-holder and No. 2 Covington Catholic (21-1) is the only Kentucky Media Elite 16-ranked team from the 9th.
If the media’s rankings bear out through the region finals, the first-day bracket will be loaded with six top 10 teams in all.
No. 3 Daviess County (19-3) is the defending 3rd Region champ. If they repeat, the Panthers will take on the winner of the 5th Region where defending champion Adair County (15-5) faces challengers including this year’s All “A” Classic runner-up, Caverna (15-6).
No. 7 Warren Central (15-2) is the only ranked team from the 4th Region, and it could face No. 9 North Laurel (16-4) out of the 13th Region in the first round. The defending 13th champion Jaguars have Herald-Leader preseason player of the year Reece Davidson, a senior Liberty commit.
Thursday’s bottom half of the bracket won’t be a cakewalk either, with teams that could include the 1st Region’s No. 12 McCracken County, the 2nd Region’s 2026 statewide All “A” Classic champion Lyon County, the 6th Region’s No. 8 Jeffersontown, the 8th Region’s No. 11 North Oldham, the 10th Region’s No. 5 George Rogers Clark and either No. 14 Boyd County or No. 16 Ashland Blazer out of the 16th Region.
Mapping out a potential final four among top teams if the media rankings hold, the Boys’ Sweet 16 semifinals would include No. 1 St. Xavier against No. 3 Daviess County and No. 5 George Rogers Clark against No. 8 Jeffersontown.
That’s not a shabby forecast, but the reality could be even better.
Girls state tournament scenarios
No team within the 11th Region has come close to competing with defending champion Frederick Douglass so far this season. The No. 6 Broncos (16-3) reached the Girls’ Sweet 16 semifinals last year and, barring a stunning upset, look to be headed back to Rupp Arena.
The 11th Region’s Wednesday first-round opponent will come from the 2nd Region where Lyon County (17-5) and Crittenden County (15-4) seem the primary threat to No. 15 Henderson County’s seven-year reign. Each faces a measuring-stick game against the Colonels (13-8) next week.
Like the boys’ draw, the top half of the Wednesday bracket appears to be the tougher test with the winner between the 1st Region and the 7th Region in the 11th Region’s quarterfinals path and more trouble ahead.
The 7th Region, of course, includes No. 1 Sacred Heart (15-3) the five-time defending Girls’ Sweet 16 champs, and No. 2 Assumption (14-5), the next best team in the state, according to the latest media poll.
The 1st Region includes undefeated No. 4 Calloway County (24-0), who has impressive wins over the 5th Region’s No. 8 Taylor County (17-3), the 9th Region’s No. 7 Cooper (15-4) and the 13th Region’s No. 11 South Laurel (15-5).
The 5th and 9th regions are also among Wednesday’s slate of teams. Getting out of the 9th could prove tougher than the state tournament with Cooper, No. 10 Notre Dame (13-5) and No. 14 Covington Holy Cross (19-2), this season’s All “A” Classic champion, in the mix.
On Thursday’s bottom side of the bracket, No. 3 George Rogers Clark (16-2), last season’s state runner-up, could face a challenge from No. 12 Campbell County (15-3) or No. 16 Bishop Brossart (21-2) for the 10th Region crown. The 10th’s opponent will be the 13th Region, home to South Laurel and No. 13 North Laurel (13-5), the defending region champ.
Thursday’s other ranked teams could include No. 5 Simon Kenton (21-1) out of the 8th Region who would have to face the 16th Region champion in the first round, where No. 9 Ashland Blazer (15-2) is also a defending champ.
The girls rankings indicate we could see a Girls’ Sweet 16 final four of No. 1 Sacred Heart against No. 7 Cooper and No. 3 George Rogers Clark against No. 5 Simon Kenton.
It will be tough for the Valkyries to maintain their historic run because this season’s girls field feels the most competitive in years.
Girls’ Sweet 16
Games are listed in bracket order. Game times will be determined at a later date. Tickets will go on sale soon at KHSAA.org.
Wednesday, March 11
- 2nd Region vs. 11th Region, TBD
- 1st Region vs. 7th Region, TBD.
- 9th Region vs. 15th Region, TBD.
- 5th Region vs. 12th Region, TBD.
Thursday, March 12
- 8th Region vs. 16th Region, TBD.
- 14th Region vs. 3rd Region, TBD.
- 4th Region vs. 6th Region, TBD.
- 10th Region vs. 13th Region, TBD
Friday, March 13
- 2nd/11th Region vs. 1st/7th Region, TBD.
- 9th/15th Region vs. 5th/12th Region, TBD.
- 8th/16th Region vs. 14th/3rd Region, TBD.
- 4th/6th Region vs. 10th/13th Region, TBD.
Saturday, March 14
- Semifinals at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
- Final at 7:30 p.m.
Boys’ Sweet 16
Games listed in bracket order. Game times will be determined at a later date. Tickets will go on sale soon at KHSAA.org.
Wednesday, March 18
- 7th Region vs. 9th Region, TBD.
- 4th Region vs. 13th Region, TBD.
- 3rd Region vs. 5th Region, TBD.
- 11th Region vs. 12th Region, TBD.
Thursday, March 19
- 6th Region vs. 14th Region, TBD.
- 2nd Region vs. 8th Region, TBD.
- 10th Region vs. 15th Region, TBD.
- 1st Region vs. 16th Region, TBD.
Friday, March 20
- 7th/9th Region vs. 4th/13th Region, TBD.
- 3rd/5th Region vs. 11th/12th Region, TBD.
- 6th/14th Region vs. 2nd/8th Region, TBD.
- 10th/15th Region vs. 1st/16th Region, TBD.
Saturday, March 21
- Semifinals at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
- Final at 7:30 p.m.
