A state title rematch in round one? It’s a possibility after Sweet Sixteen draw.
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association held its live drawing for the boys’ and girls’ Sweet Sixteen basketball state tournaments Monday afternoon.
The Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen is scheduled for March 6-10 at Rupp Arena. The girls’ Sweet Sixteen will for the first time also be held at Rupp Arena — Lexington’s first time hosting the girls’ state tournament in the modern era — from March 13-17.
2019 WHITAKER BANK/KHSAA BOYS’ SWEET SIXTEEN BRACKET
2019 KHSAA GIRLS’ SWEET SIXTEEN BRACKET
A rematch of last year’s state championship game could occur in the first round of the boys’ tournament. The 9th Region and 11th Region were paired against each other in the first round. If rankings hold come region tournament time, that would pit Scott County — the top-ranked team in the most recent boys’ Cantrall Ratings and the two-time defending 11th Region champ — against Covington Catholic, the state’s defending state champion and currently ranked sixth statewide.
The 11th Region champion’s toughest road to the finals, based on the higher-ranked team advancing in each round, would be: Covington Catholic, Fern Creek (6th Region, unranked top 25), University Heights Academy (2nd Region, No. 11) and Trinity (7th Region, No. 2).
Louisville-area conspiracy theorists can breathe a sigh of relief: the 6th Region and 7th Region winners are on opposite sides of the boys’ and girls’ brackets, meaning an all-Louisville championship game is conceivable in each tournament. It’s more probable on the girls’ side, though, where the 6th Region has three of Cantrall’s top 25 teams and the 7th Region has five, including three in the top 15.
Defending 11th Region champ Scott County is tied with 9th Region program Conner for the top spot currently on the girls’ side. Both have only one loss on the season and could not meet until the state semifinal round.
The 11th Region was paired against the 14th Region in the girls’ first round, meaning its champion, based on rankings, would open against Knott County Central. If the 11th Region champion advanced to the finals, based on highest-rated team advancing in each game, it would then play Elizabethtown (5th Region, No. 8) in the quarterfinals, Conner in the semis and Boyd County (16th Region, No. 4) for the championship.
Pairings
BOYS’ SWEET SIXTEEN
(In bracket order)
Wednesday, March 6
13th Region vs. 8th Region
5th Region vs. 10th Region
3rd Region vs. 16th Region
7th Region vs. 15th Region
Thursday, March 7
9th Region vs. 11th Region
6th Region vs. 14th Region
12th Region vs. 2nd Region
4th Region vs. 1st Region
Friday, March 8
Quarterfinals: Noon, 1:30, 6:30 and 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 9
Semifinals: 7:30 and 9 p.m.
Sunday, March 10
Finals, 2 p.m.
GIRLS’ SWEET SIXTEEN
(In bracket order)
Wednesday, March 13
14th Region vs. 11th Region
3rd Region vs. 5th Region
10th Region vs. 6th Region
9th Region vs. 1st Region
Thursday, March 14
15th Region vs. 4th Region
7th Region vs. 16th Region
8th Region vs. 12th Region
13th Region vs. 2nd Region
Friday, March 15
Quarterfinals: Noon, 1:30, 6:30 and 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 16
Semifinals: 6:30 and 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 17
Finals, 2 p.m.
This story was originally published January 28, 2019 at 2:36 PM.