The IHSAA boys basketball state finals are Saturday, March 28, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and there are some incredible matchups.
Here’s a preview of the state finals, powered by our friends at Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, a proud sponsor of the IHSAA.
Class 1A
The Class 1A clash is a heavyweight matchup we can’t wait to see play out – the Barr-Reeve Vikings against the Triton Trojans.
Barr-Reeve has seven state titles in school history, including 1A boys basketball championships in 2015 and 2021. They’ve also finished as the 1A runner-up five times.
This year’s Vikings are ranked No. 2 and have won 18 straight games to push their record to 27-1. They took out No. 5 Orleans in the sectional final and edged West Washington by two points in regionals. At semi-state, sophomore Josh Miller hit a game-winning layup to put away No. 9 Liberty Christian before junior Kierson Lengacher – Barr-Reeve’s leading scorer this season – took over in the semi-state final with 29 points in a five-point win over No. 3 Hauser.
But don’t sleep on the Trojans.
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Triton is a 1A power in boys basketball as well, with a state championship of its own in 2008 and runner-up finishes in 2009, 2011 and 2013.
The Trojans (25-3) have rattled off 15 consecutive wins, and in four of their six postseason games, they’ve won by 24 or more points. They can also win in the margins, proven by a last-second steal and layup in regionals that eliminated Marquette Catholic, who had beaten No. 1 Kouts the week prior. And in the semi-state final, they were tied with North Vermillion with under a minute to play before senior Gage Riffle nailed a go-ahead 3.
It’s gonna be a barnburner.
Class 2A
In Class 2A, the No. 4 Parke Heritage Wolves are set to take on the No. 3 Westview Warriors.
After a 2A runner-up finish in 2021, the Wolves again have a shot at history as the first team to win an IHSAA state title in school history.
Winners of 13 straight, this year’s Wolves (26-4) have played tough competition, with their four losses coming to 4A giants in Fishers, Terre Haute North Vigo, Zionsville and Ben Davis. They survived in overtime against Greencastle in the first round of sectionals and have since knocked out No. 5 Centerville by 20 points in regionals, along with No. 6 Triton Central and No. 8 Linton-Stockton by six and 13 points at semi-state. They’re led by senior Treigh Schelsky’s 15.9 points per game.
Westview is looking to win the school’s fourth state title overall and third in boys basketball, the first two coming with back-to-back 2A championships in 1999 and 2000.
The Warriors (27-1) haven’t lost since Dec. 1 when Northridge, a 4A semi-state finalist, beat them by 12. During its 26-game win streak, Westview has won by single digits just four times, including a 4-point win over No. 7 Gary 21st Century in regionals and 3-point victory against No. 9 Lapel in the semi-state semifinal. In the semi-state final, they topped Fort Wayne Bishop Luers by 21, who stunned No. 2 Oak Hill in the semis.
Keep an eye on junior guard Austin Schlabach. He went for 23 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in the win over Lapel and topped that with 29, nine and seven in the semi-state final.
Class 3A
Moving to the 3A championship, we’ve got the No. 3 Indianapolis Cathedral Fighting Irish against the unranked New Haven Bulldogs.
Cathedral has 43 IHSAA state titles in school history, third-most in the entire state. Boys basketball has won two of those championships, securing a 3A title in 1998 and 4A title in 2022.
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The Fighting Irish (24-5) are led by head coach Jason Delaney. He is the only head coach in IHSAA history to win a state championship at three different schools: Waldron in 2004, Arsenal Tech in 2014, and Cathedral in 2022.
Three of their losses are to 4A powers in No. 2 Crown Point, No. 9 New Albany and No. 10 Carmel, another 4A giant Ben Davis, and to 3A No. 2 Princeton.
Cathedral held off No. 10 Brebeuf Jesuit 69-67 in the regional final and followed that at semi-state by avenging the loss to Princeton and beating No. 1 Silver Creek 73-68. The Fighting Irish are battle tested and led by senior stars Keaton Aldridge and Julien Smith, who both average over 15 points per game.
New Haven (22-7) enters the championship game playing with house money. The Bulldogs lost their last two games of the regular season but have gotten hot at the right time, taking out No. 9 West Lafayette by 15 in regionals and No. 6 Columbia City for a second time this season in the semi-state final. Junior guard Tarver Baskerville hit the game-winning shot against Columbia City with less than 3 seconds remaining.
While they may be underdogs on paper against Cathedral, don’t count out the Bulldogs – they’re fighting for the school’s first IHSAA state title.
Class 4A
Closing with Class 4A, we’ve got a rematch from the regular season between the No. 4 Mt. Vernon (Fortville) Marauders and No. 2 Crown Point Bulldogs. It’s also the first time either school has reached the state championship game in boys hoops.
The Marauders (27-3) have close losses to No. 1 Fishers, No. 3 Pike and, you guessed it, Crown Point. The first meeting came way back on Dec. 23 in the Hall of Fame Classic championship, and the Bulldogs prevailed 60-56. Mt. Vernon’s path to Gainbridge Fieldhouse already included them avenging the 3-point regular-season loss to Pike with a 3-point win in regionals, proof that anything goes in March.
As for the red-hot Bulldogs, their only hiccup of the season came in a 1-point loss to Gary 21st Century at the end of January. Sandwiched around its December win over Mt. Vernon, Crown Point beat 3A No. 1 Silver Creek by 11 and No. 3 Cathedral by three. In the semi-state final, they left no doubt in a 26-point blowout of No. 6 Northridge.
The Marauders are led by senior guard, Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year and Purdue commit Luke Ertel, who is averaging over 24 points per game.
The Bulldogs are led by University of Illinois Chicago commit Dikembe Shaw, a 6-foot-7 senior power forward posting over 18 points and six rebounds per contest.
A couple Division I commits will be going head-to-head in the nightcap to close out the championship games. Sign us up.
Who do you have bringing home boys basketball state championships on Saturday?