KSR's Kentucky High School Girls' Basketball 2024 Sweet 16 Preview

It’s officially tournament time in the Bluegrass. The #RoadToRupp for Kentucky high school girls’ basketball begins on Wednesday as 16 teams will converge in Rupp Arena to decide a state champion by the end of Saturday night.

To get us ready for this week’s Sweet 16 tournament, we’ve got a full preview of all 16 teams and what you can expect to see out of them over the coming days. A full bracket can be found here.

Can anyone knock off three-time defending state champion Sacred Heart and their five-star junior Za’Kiyah Johnson? There will be plenty of competition, especially in the opening round as the Valkyries get a massive test early from George Rogers Clark. Only two of the 16 schools have double-digit losses. The level of talent on display at Rupp Arena this week is going to be impressive.

Dive into our preview of the 2024 Sweet 16 below and stay tuned to KSR for up-to-date coverage between now and Saturday’s championship.

*All Sweet 16 games will be streamed live on PrepSpin*

Girls’ Sweet 16 | Day One (Wednesday, March 13)

11:00 AM | Bowling Green (23-10) vs. Owsley County (26-9)

Bowling Green is led by head coach Calvin Head. The Purples made it through the 14th District and 4th Region to reach the Sweet 16, including an upset win over 30-2 Franklin-Simpson in the 4th Region semifinals. Bowling Green doesn’t feature anyone scoring more than 11 points per game, although six of them average more than 4.9. The Purples ranks 21st in the state in points allowed at 40.2 per outing. This will be the school’s fifth straight Sweet 16 appearance.

Owsley County is led by head coach Travis Smith. The Lady Owls ran through the 56th District and the 14th Region to reach the Sweet 16. Owsley County is the lone 14th Region team with single-digit losses. The Lady Owls feature four players averaging at least 12 points per game, led by senior Carly Smith, who is one of the more efficient shooters in the state at 16.1 PPG. Freshman Macey Brown averages 12 points and 11.4 boards per game. The Lady Owls rank sixth in the state in scoring at 67 points per outing. This is Owsley County’s first-ever Sweet 16 since joining the KHSAA all the way back in 1929.

1:30 PM | McCracken County (29-5) vs. Russell (28-6)

McCracken County is led by head coach Scott Sivills. The Lady Mustangs mowed through the 2nd District before winning the 1st Region by double-digits in all three games. Senior Claire Johnson is 11th in the state in scoring at 22.9 points per game while McCracken County — state runners-up in 2023 — as a whole ranks top 12 in offense (62.3 PPG), defense (38.8 PPG), and scoring margin (23.5).

Russell is led by head coach Mandy Layne. Outside of a seven-point win over 26-7 Ashland Blazer, the Red Devils had little issue getting through the 63rd District and 16th Region. Senior Shaelyn Steele leads the way for Russell with 21.3 points per game. The Red Devils rank 25th in the state in both offense (60.1 PPG) and defense (40.9).

6:00 PM | Butler (26-8) vs. Anderson County (32-2)

Butler is led by head coach Candyce Wheeler. The Bearettes gave up just 29 total points in two 22nd District wins before beating Bullitt East by four in the 6th Region finals. Senior Ramiya White, a Kentucky commit, is second on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game (56.1 FG%) to go along with her 7.6 rebounds. Senior Mariah Knight is Butler’s leading scoring at 15.5 PPG. The Bearettes rank among the top 40 in the state in both scoring offense (58.1 PPG) and defense (41.7 PPG). Butler has won five state titles, but this will be the school’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 2017.

Anderson County is led by head coach Clay Birdwhistell. The Lady Bearcats cruised through the 30th District before sneaking out a 36-33 win over Spencer County in the 8th Region finals. Anderson County boasts a pair of high-level scorers in junior Lainey Johnson (19.1 PPG) and senior Jenna Satterly (18.3 PPG). Satterly is third in the state in free-throw shooting (86.8%). Anderson County ranks first in the state in defense (33.3 PPG) and is third in scoring margin (26.2). The Lady Bearcats are set to play in its fourth Sweet 16 in the last five seasons.

8:30 PM | Franklin County (29-6) vs. North Laurel (29-5)

Franklin County is led by head coach Joey Thacker. The Lady Flyers made it through the 41st District before topping Frederick Douglass 53-46 in the 11th Region championship. Franklin County scores by committee, with seven players averaging at least six points per game. The Lady Flyers rank sixth in the state in field goal percentage at 47.6 while junior Juliana Frazee is 10th in the state in field goal percentage at 59.0. This will be Franklin County’s fourth Sweet 16 in the last five years.

North Laurel is led by head coach Eddie Mahan. The Lady Jaguars made it out of the 49th District and 13th Region to make the Sweet 16. North Laurel is powered by junior Brooke Nichelson (17.8 PPG) and senior Chloe McKnight (13.8 PPG). Nichelson also grabs 10 rebounds per game. This will be the second straight Sweet 16 for North Laurel and third in program history.

Girls’ Sweet 16 | Day Two (Thursday, March 14)

11:00 AM | Bethlehem (26-8) vs. Pikeville (27-5)

Bethlehem is led by head coach Jason Clark. The Banshees snuck out of the 19th District before dominating the 5th Region. Bethlehem is led by five-star junior Leah Macy, who averages 25.3 points (5th in the state) and 13.8 rebounds (6th) per outing on 69.3 percent overall shooting (2nd). The Banshees also feature a trio of players who all average more than 13 PPG. Bethlehem ranks first in the state in scoring at 72.7 PPG. This is the school’s fourth straight Sweet 16 berth.

Pikeville is led by head coach Kristy Orem. The Lady Panthers won its lone 59th District tournament game before easily getting out of the 15th Region. Pikeville boasts three double-digit scores, fueled by 16.2 PPG from senior Trinity Rowe, who is committed to Southern Miss and is one of the top three-pointer shooters in the state. The Lady Panthers rank third in the state in scoring at 68.1 PPG and 11th in scoring margin at 20.3. Pikeville has now made the Sweet 16 in five of the last six years.

1:30 PM | Owensboro (21-11) vs. Henderson County (25-7)

Owensboro is led by head coach Jansen Locher. The Lady Devils actually lost in the 9th District finals before upsetting 29-5 Owensboro Catholic in the 3rd Region finals. Owensboro is powered by a pair of double-figure scorers: junior Shalyn Sprinkles (14.4 PPG) and senior Alyrica Hughes (10.3 PPG). The Lady Devils will bring a top-50 offense into Rupp Arena but might be the biggest underdog of the entire tournament. This is the school’s first Sweet 16 since 1992.

Henderson County is led by head coach Stephen Haile. The Lady Colonels won its lone game in the 6th District Tournament and then cruised in the 2nd Region. Henderson County — playing in its sixth straight Sweet 16 — features a trio of double-digit scorers: Brooklyn Gibson (13 PPG; 54 FG%), Allyson Rideout (12 PPG), and Atylia Green (11.3 PPG). The Lady Colonels produce a top-35 defense in the state and have won its games by an average of 13.9 points this season.

6:00 PM | George Rogers Clark (30-4) vs. Sacred Heart (27-7)

George Rogers Clark is led by head coach Robbie Graham. The Lady Cardinals breezed through the 40th District and won all three 10th Region tournament games by 30-plus points. GRC will trot out three double-digit scorers, but a fourth — four-star junior Ciara Byars — suffered a season-ending injury. That hasn’t slowed down the Lady Cardinals though. GRC features a top-five offense and top-15 defense in the state. This is the seventh Sweet 16 in the last eight seasons for the Lady Cardinals.

Three-time defending state champion Sacred Heart is led by head coach Donna Moir. The Valkyries gave up just 28 points in two 27th District tournament games before cruising through the 7th Region. Sacred Heart rosters arguably the best player in the state and a top-five player in the entire country, five-star junior Za’Kiyah Johnson. Johnson averages 18.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while senior Reagan Bender chips in 13.6 points per outing. Sacred Heart is looking to become the first-ever school to win four straight Kentucky state titles.

This will be the marquee first-round matchup. Both George Rogers Clark and Sacred Heart have been regulars at the Sweet 16 over the last several years. GRC has been knocked out of the last two Sweet 16s by Sacred Heart.

8:30 PM | Cooper (29-4) vs. Danville Christian (29-2)

Cooper is led by head coach Justin Holthause. The Lady Jaguars went through the 33rd District and had no issue with the 9th Region. Cooper’s top scorer is senior Logan Luebbers-Palmer at 16.1 points per game while senior Liz Freihofer isn’t far behind at 12 PPG. The Lady Jaguars boast a top-40 offense (57.5 PPG) and top-20 defense (39.8 PPG) along with the 17th-best scoring margin (17.4). This will be Cooper’s third straight Sweet 16.

Danville Christian is led by head coach Billy Inmon. The Lady Warriors made it through the 45th District and 12th Region without a major challenge. Junior Grace Mbuga is the team’s star, ranking sixth in the state in scoring at 25.3 points per game and in field goal percentage at 61.7. Her 15.6 rebounds per game also rank second in the state. Danville Christian’s scoring margin of 21.2 is 10th in the state. This will be the Lady Warriors’ first-ever Sweet 16 berth since joining the KHSAA in 2018.