116th IHSAA Boys Basketball State Finals Set for Saturday
INDIANAPOLIS–The 116th Annual IHSAA Boys Basketball State Finals presented by the Indiana Pacers and the Indiana Fever are set for this Saturday, March 28 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“We have culture that creates a community that’s really passionate about high school basketball,” said IHSAA Commissioner Paul Niedig on Monday.
Niedig says every boys basketball State Finals is unique in its own way.
“We’ve got three teams that have never been here before. So they’ll be able to have this experience. We’re really excited because when communities leave their towns to make that pilgrimmage to Indianapolis to watch their team play for a state championship, it’s just special,” Niedig continued.
The three schools that are in the boys basketball state finals for the first time ever are New Haven (3A), Mount Vernon (4A), and Crown Point (4A).
Luke Ertel of Mount Vernon, who’s headed to Purdue University next season to play for the Boilermakers, is also a candidate for the Mr. Basketball Award. That award recognizes the top high school boys basketball player in the state and is presented by the Indianapolis Star.
“Being apart of that group of guys that have won that prestigious award would be amazing. It’s something we all dream about. If you win it, you can say you won it for the rest of your life,” said Ertel on Monday.
Ertel scores 24 points and grabs 10 rebounds per game, but he also dishes out seven assists per contest. He says he’s always prioritized getting his teammates involved by passing the ball to them and setting them up for success.
“I’m a point guard. I gotta get everybody else feeling good. That’s what I’m going to be doing in college too. I think I’ve taken a great leap in that aspect this year. When I’m getting my teammates involved, that’s going to lead more points for me in the long run,” said Ertel.
Mount Vernon (27-3) lost to Crown Point (25-1) earlier in the season back on December 23rd 60-56. Ertel says they learned a lot from that experience.
“It’ll be a great opportunity to avenge that loss. To get another crack at them will be exciting,” said Ertel.
New Haven (22-7) will face the Cathedral Fighting Irish (24-5). Cathedral just knocked off Silver Creek (29-2) in the Semistate round to win the Semistate championship. Silver Creek’s only other loss was to Crown Point.
This is the first year that New Haven has ever won a regional and a semistate title. Their Head Coach Brandon Appleton said his team is full of guys who work hard. They lost their last game of the regular season to Fort Wayne South Side before going on this postseason run.
“We just went back to the basics we started the season with and understanding the things we need to do be successful like not turning the basketball over and taking care of rebounding,” said New Haven Head Coach Brandon Appleton.
New Haven will face a Cathedral team led by a coach named Jason Delaney. He is the only coach in state history to win a title at three different schools (Waldron in 2004, Indianapolis Arsenal Tech in 2014, and Cathedral in 2022). Cathedral’s offense ranks second in the state in terms of points per game (77.6).
“Knowing what Coach Delaney has had there in previous years following his career both at Tech and Cathedral, I know he has guys that can absolutely play. Plus, he’s an outstanding coach,” said Appleton.
Tickets cost $20 per person. All tickets are reserved seating for one session only (morning session and evening session).
Here is the full list of State Finals Matchups for Saturday March 28 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
