Boys' Sweet Sixteen Preview

LEXINGTON, Ky (WTVQ) - After it was canceled due to the pandemic last season, the KHSAA Boys' Sweet Sixteen returns to Rupp Arena this week.

First round games tip off on Wednesday at 11 AM.

C1 3 and one you really don't see anyhwere else.

The best teams from the state's 16 regions...class affiliation is thrown out.

Can you win four games in four days?

The k-h-s-a-a boys sweet 16 tips off on wednesday.

A year ago...the tournament was canceled...it's back with a vengeance and the great story lines with it.

Take madison central for example.

They entered the 44th district tournament unranked and with 9 losses.

They won that tournament.

Turn around and beat the number one team in the state...lexington catholic in the first round of the 11th region tournament.

Then they beat #6 frederick douglass to win the 11th region title.

As goes for the indians...it doesn't get any easier when the sweet 16 tips off wednesday.

They play ballard...the 5th ranked team in the state.

Head coach allen feldhaus says after what they've been through just over the last three weeks...bring it on.

Allen feldhaus, jr. "we're ready for that because if you look at our schedule throughout the course of the year and who all we played, that's why we played those team throughout the course of the year to get you ready for the 11th region tournament and if you're lucky enough to get the sweet 16 it's not going to be a shock to play against a good basketball team.

We actually had ballard on the schedule cause of the covid stuff we had to cancel that so i don't think we're going to be shocked by the competition, but ballard is very, very good.

They're a different beast than what we've played thus far."

George rogers clark will be representing the 10th region...here's a story line for them.

They are one of four teams who made the sweet 16 tournament last season and this season.

Naturally...after having that opportunity ripped away due to the pandemic...they are jacked to make it back this season, but head coach josh cook has an important, but simple message to his team who plays wednesday again oldham county.....job's not done.

Josh cook "they're excited.

We're gonna take care of them.

We want those guys to know we're proud of them, but also the job's not finished.

We've got a tough first round game against oldham county.

They're a big basketball team.

They're long, they're athletic.

They're well coached.

Our guys believe though.

They want to execute, and we'll be prepared and we'll go make some noise."

For the boyle county rebels out of the 12th region...it's been a little bit of a wait.

The last time the rebels made the sweet 16 was back in 2015.

They actually had a losing record last season...but they take on paintsville thursday.

While they may not be used to the basketball spotlight...it's boyle...from title town...the school is used to the spotlight in other sports..

They are coming off winning a state football title.

And as it usually goes...several guys who won a title at kroger field will be in rupp arena trying to win another one.

Head coach dennie webb thinks that bodes well for his team.

Dennie webb "i think it'll help a lot because they're in that big stage.

They've been there, some of these guys...what we've got i think 5 from the state championship team.

I think that's right, i may be miscounting, but the kids that are playing significant minutes have been on that field and they know what it takes.

So i'm hoping that we can lean on that a little bit as well."

Here's a look at your boys' sweet 16 bracket.

First round games are on wednesday and thursday.

The tournament is going back to the old model we saw previous to 2013.

That has the semifinal games early on saturday and the championship that night.

Per usual, catch highlights from all those games right here on a-b-c