Ninth Region teams on the rise in latest Kentucky basketball statewide poll

Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer

The newest Kentucky high school basketball media poll, released Wednesday, Jan. 31, is here.

For the first time this season, the Great Crossing boys and Sacred Heart girls are the unanimous No. 1 teams in the state.

The Newport boys and Holy Cross girls both moved up after winning their respective All "A" state tournaments.

The Kentucky High School Basketball Media Poll, compiled by Jason Frakes of the Louisville Courier-Journal, is voted on by 16 sports journalists ‒ one from each of the state’s 16 regions. The poll will be released each week throughout the regular season.

The Enquirer represents two of the 16 regions. Along with the statewide top 15, voters provide top-five rankings for their respective regions.

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Boys statewide poll

First-place votes in parentheses; records through Tuesday, Jan. 30

Rank-school Record Pts LW

1. Great Crossing (16) 22-1 240 1

2. Lexington Catholic 20-2 195 3

3. Trinity 18-4 194 T4

4. Lyon County 20-3 192 2

Newport's DeShaun Jackson (3) led the Wildcats to their first All "A" state championship.
Newport's DeShaun Jackson (3) led the Wildcats to their first All "A" state championship.

5. Newport 21-3 190 6

6. Covington Catholic 18-5 151 T4

7. St. Xavier 18-3 123 7

8. Harlan County 21-3 114 8

9. Bowling Green 19-4 109 9

10. Manual 17-2 86 11

11. (tie) Evangel Christian 17-5 85 10

11. (tie) George Rogers Clark 20-1 85 12

13. North Oldham 19-2 56 14

14. Bryan Station 18-2 36 13

15. Woodford County 16-4 28 15

Others receiving votes: DeSales 15, Frederick Douglass 12, Cooper 6, Boyd County 1, Henry Clay 1, Male 1.

First Region (Chelsea Ladd, The Paducah Sun): 1. Murray; 2. Calloway County; 3. Marshall County; 4. McCracken County; 5. Graves County

Second Region (Edward Marlowe, WKDZ-FM): 1. Lyon County; 2. Henderson County; 3. University Heights; 4. Webster County; 5. Madisonville-North Hopkins

Third Region (Mark Mathis, Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer): 1. Owensboro Catholic; 2. Daviess County; 3. Owensboro; 4. Butler County; 5. Ohio County

Fourth Region (Micheal Compton, Bowling Green Daily News): 1. Bowling Green; 2. Warren Central; 3. Warren East; 4. Barren County; 5. Franklin-Simpson

Fifth Region (Josh Claywell, Bardstown Kentucky Standard/LaRue County Herald News): 1. North Hardin; 2. Adair County; 3. LaRue County; 4. Central Hardin; 5. Elizabethtown

Sixth Region (Dominique Yates, WLKY-TV): 1. Evangel Christian; 2. DeSales; 3. Butler; 4. Fairdale; 5. Louisville Holy Cross

Seventh Region (Jason Frakes, The Courier Journal): 1. Trinity; 2. St. Xavier; 3. Manual; 4. Male; 5. Christian Academy

Eighth Region (James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer): 1. North Oldham; 2. Oldham County; 3. Walton-Verona; 4. Woodford County; 5. Spencer County

Ninth Region (Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer): 1. Newport; 2. Cooper; 3. Covington Catholic; 4. Lloyd Memorial; 5. Boone County

10th Region (Evan Dennison, LinkNKY.com): 1. George Rogers Clark; 2. Campbell County; 3. Mason County; 4. Harrison County; 5. Augusta

11th Region (Jared Peck, Lexington Herald-Leader): 1. Great Crossing; 2. Lexington Catholic; 3. Bryan Station; 4. Frederick Douglass; 5. Henry Clay

12th Region (Mike Marsee, Danville freelancer): 1. Danville Christian; 2. Wayne County; 3. Pulaski County; 4. Mercer County; 5. Somerset

13th Region (Les Dixon, 13thRegionMediaNetwork.com): 1. Harlan County; 2. Bell County; 3. Whitley County; 4. Corbin; 5. South Laurel

14th Region (Brendon Miller, Bluegrass Sports Nation): 1. Breathitt County; 2. Hazard; 3. Knott County Central; 4. Estill County; 5. Perry County Central

15th Region (Randy White, Appalachian News-Express): 1. Pikeville; 2. Martin County; 3. Pike County Central; 4. Floyd Central; 5. Johnson Central

16th Region (James Collier, WLGC-FM): 1. Boyd County; 2. Fleming County; 3. Ashland Blazer; 4. Rowan County; 5. Morgan County

Girls statewide poll

First-place votes in parentheses; records through Tuesday, Jan. 30

Rank-school Record Pts LW

1. Sacred Heart (16) 16-7 240 1

The Cooper Jaguars had their 15-game winning streak snapped, but are now in a tie for second in the statewide media poll.
The Cooper Jaguars had their 15-game winning streak snapped, but are now in a tie for second in the statewide media poll.

2. (tie) Cooper 18-4 212 3

2. (tie) George Rogers Clark 20-2 212 2

4. Pikeville 16-3 170 4

5. Anderson County 18-2 164 5

6. Covington Holy Cross 20-5 150 8

7. McCracken County 18-3 141 7

8. Owensboro Catholic 16-4 136 6

9. Franklin-Simpson 21-1 96 9

10. Ashland Blazer 14-4 79 12

11. Butler 16-6 59 NR

12. Notre Dame 15-5 56 11

13. Ryle 12-7 50 10

14. North Laurel 15-4 27 13

15. Boyd County 17-6 26 14

Others receiving votes: Pulaski County 23, Johnson Central 18, Franklin County 12, Meade County 8, Russell 8, Bethlehem 7, Danville Christian 6, Pineville 6, Corbin 5, Frederick Douglass 5, Simon Kenton 3, Grant County 1.

First Region (Chelsea Ladd, The Paducah Sun): 1. McCracken County; 2. Marshall County; 3. Calloway County; 4. Graves County; 5. Mayfield

Second Region (Edward Marlowe, WKDZ-FM): 1. Henderson County; 2. Madisonville-North Hopkins; 3. Crittenden County; 4. Christian County; 5. Lyon County

Third Region (Mark Mathis, Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer): 1. Owensboro Catholic; 2. Daviess County; 3. Breckinridge County; 4. Meade County; 5. Owensboro

Fourth Region (Micheal Compton, Bowling Green Daily News): 1. Franklin-Simpson; 2. Bowling Green; 3. Warren East; 4. Barren County; 5. Logan County

Fifth Region (Josh Claywell, Bardstown Kentucky Standard/LaRue County Herald News): 1. Bethlehem; 2. North Hardin; 3. Taylor County; 4. Bardstown; 5. Green County

Sixth Region (Dominique Yates, WLKY-TV): 1. Butler; 2. Whitefield Academy; 3. Mercy; 4. Bullitt East; 5. Pleasure Ridge Park

Seventh Region (Jason Frakes, The Courier Journal): 1. Sacred Heart; 2. Central; 3. Assumption; 4. Manual; 5. Christian Academy

Eighth Region (James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer): 1. Anderson County; 2. Grant County; 3. Simon Kenton; 4. Spencer County; 5. South Oldham

Ninth Region (Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer): 1. Cooper; 2. Covington Holy Cross; 3. Ryle; 4. Notre Dame; 5. Highlands

10th Region (Evan Dennison, LinkNKY.com): 1. George Rogers Clark; 2. Montgomery County; 3. Scott; 4. Campbell County; 5. Bishop Brossart

11th Region (Jared Peck, Lexington Herald-Leader): 1. Franklin County; 2. Frederick Douglass; 3. Madison Central; 4. Madison Southern; 5. Henry Clay

12th Region (Mike Marsee, Danville freelancer): 1. Southwestern; 2. Pulaski County; 3. Danville Christian; 4. Rockcastle County; 5. Boyle County

13th Region (Les Dixon, 13thRegionMediaNetwork.com): 1. North Laurel; 2. Corbin; 3. South Laurel; 4. Knox Central; 5. Pineville

14th Region (Brendon Miller, Bluegrass Sports Nation): 1. Owsley County; 2. Letcher County Central; 3. Perry County Central; 4. Knott County Central; 5. Leslie County

15th Region (Randy White, Appalachian News-Express): 1. Pikeville; 2. Johnson Central; 3. Martin County; 4. Paintsville; 5. Shelby Valley

16th Region (James Collier, WLGC-FM): 1. Ashland Blazer; 2. Russell; 3. Boyd County; 4. Bath County; 5. Fleming County

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: KHSAA basketball: statewide media poll, Jan. 31

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