CORBIN — By Les Dixon / Sports Editor

When it comes down to picking a favorite for today’s 93rd Annual PNC Bank/KHSAA Sweet 16, go no further than 11th Region champion Scott County or 7th Region champion Ballard.

The two teams faced each other in the 2007 state championship game, with Billy Hicks’ Cardinals coming away with the win.

If the two teams win their respective games in the first round and quarterfinals, a potential matchup in the Final Four between the two could take place on Saturday.

But Hicks doesn’t want any part of that right now.

“I actually don’t pay attention to that stuff,” he admitted. “That kind of stuff is just for people to have things to talk about. From a coaching standpoint, you just want to go out there and focus on your first round opponent. If we don’t beat Corbin, there is no reason to worry about if you’re playing on Saturday or not.

“But to be perfectly honest, I believe us and Ballard are the top two teams in this, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some other teams that can make a run,” Hicks added. “Every team has momentum because every team is coming off three straight wins. We may have some of the best players in the state, but once you reach the state tournament, there are no bad teams — I don’t care what your record is.”

Ballard coach Chris Renner agrees.

“If you go by regular season play, we have defeated every team we have played that’s in the tournament,” he said. “But all of that is out the window. It’s all about who can put together four good games now.

“We deserve all the accolades we have received over the season, but none of that is going to help us win a game in this tournament,” Renner added. “We’ve had a season like most teams that are still playing. We’ve played an outstanding schedule. We feel like if we play our style anything can happen. We just hope we can do what we want to do and keep them from doing what they want to do.”

Another team to watch out for is 15th Region champion Shelby Valley, who has been ranked in the top 10 the entire season.

“I like the way we are playing,” Shelby Valley coach Jason Booher said. “We haven’t lost since the end of February. I think there are several good teams in the top bracket, but the bottom bracket is wide open.”

Paducah Tilghman enters the tournament with the longest winning streak in the state at 11 games. Mason County follows closely behind with 10 consecutive wins. The Royals are followed by West Jessamine and Christian County at eight games. North Hardin and Corbin enter with seven-game streaks. Warren Central and Newport enter with three-game streaks, the shortest of any in the tournament, as they both suffered setbacks in the district championship game yet won regional titles.

“I really believe this year’s state tournament is wide open,” Corbin coach Tony Pietrowski said. “Of course you’ve got both Scott County and Ballard at the top, but then I believe you have a handful of teams right behind them that could make a run, and I believe we are one of those teams.”

The 2010 participants are a combined 406-94 in 500 games this season entering the tournament, a winning percentage of .812.

Paducah Tilghman leads the way with 26 all-time tournament appearances. Ballard owns the most titles of any team in the event with three, while Shelby County, Mason County and Scott County each have two. The field owns 11 state titles and 25 state tournament championship game appearances (11-14 all-time).

Another team that many believe could be a darkhorse is Tim Riley’s Warren Central Dragons, who won the state championship in 2004.

“The biggest thing is getting to the state tournament,” Riley said. “Ballard is probably the best team in this, but I like our chances. I feel like we can play with the best teams in the state. I really do. You’ve got to take things one game at a time and I believe if we do that, we can make a run.”

Christian County is another team that has the talent to have a say in who wins this year’s state championship. The Colonels play Newport Catholic in the first round.

Newport knocked off defending state champion Covington Holmes during 9th Region Tournament play.

“Newport is a great team,” Christian County coach Kerry Stovall said. “They beat Covington Holmes by 26 points. We know we have a challenge and our guys are looking forward to it.

“The only team I’m worried about is Newport,” he added. “There are some awfully good basketball teams in this tournament. I’m confident we will be prepared and will play as hard as we can. You can’t count on anything else at this point. If we do that, we will have a chance.”

Newport Catholic’s Arick Russell believes whoever gets out of the top bracket has a good chance of winning the state tournament.

“Ballard looks really strong,” he said. “Our bracket is really tough by looking at it. Scott County and Christian County are also good teams. I don’t think any team will be a pushover.

“Anyone that takes a game lightly is crazy,” Russell added.

Ballard’s 26 tournament wins are the most among any team in the field. Nine teams own 10 wins or more in state tournament play all-time. The field is 163-148 all-time in the state tournament, a .524 winning percentage.