Five matchups involving 10 of the top 14 boys basketball teams in the state highlight the first round of action for the Forcht Bank King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic.
The bracket was released Tuesday for the 36th annual event scheduled for Dec. 16-20 at Fairdale High School.
Three first-round matchups will feature top-10 teams in The Courier-Journal’s preseason poll of coaches – No. 5 Covington Catholic vs. No. 10 North Hardin, No. 7 Christian County vs. No. 8 Fern Creek and No. 3 Paul Dunbar vs. No. 6 Ballard.
Other big first-round matchups will be No. 1 Bowling Green vs. No. 11 Doss and No. 2 Trinity vs. No. 14 Cooper.
The original time schedule has been altered so that none of the out-of-state will play on Sunday, Dec. 18, and so the tournament won’t overlap with the University of Louisville-University of Kentucky men’s basketball game on Dec. 21.
Here is the schedule:
* Friday, Dec. 16 – Fairdale vs. Franklin-Simpson, 6 p.m.; Trinity vs. Cooper, 7:30 p.m.; Ballard vs. Paul Dunbar, 9 p.m.
* Saturday, Dec. 17 – Chicago St. Rita vs. Ackworth (Ga.) Allatoona, noon; Huntsville (Ala.) Lee vs. Lilburn (Ga.) Berkmar, 1:30 p.m.; Christian County vs. Fern Creek, 4:30 p.m.; Bowling Green vs. Doss, 6 p.m.; Covington Catholic vs. North Hardin, 7:30 p.m.; St. Rita-Allatoona winner vs. Lee-Berkmar winner, 9 p.m.; St. Rita Allatoona loser vs. Lee-Berkmar loser, 9 p.m.
* Sunday, Dec. 18 – Quarterfinals and consolation-bracket games at 4:30, 6 and 7:30 p.m.
* Monday, Dec. 19 – Consolation-round games at 4:30, 6, 7:30 and 9 p.m.; semifinals at 7:30 and 9 p.m.
* Tuesday, Dec. 20 – Consolation final, 3 p.m.; fifth-place game, 4:30 p.m.; third-place game, 6 p.m.; championship, 7:30 p.m.