Indiana's 116th IHSAA Boys Basketball State Finals Set for Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

The 116th Annual IHSAA Boys Basketball State Finals, presented by the Indiana Pacers and the Indiana Fever, are set for Saturday, March 28, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Three schools will appear in the boys basketball state finals for the first time ever: New Haven (Class 3A), Mount Vernon (Class 4A), and Crown Point (Class 4A).

"We have a culture that creates a community that's really passionate about high school basketball," said IHSAA Commissioner Paul Niedig. "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 pilgrimage to Indianapolis to watch their team play for a state championship, it's just special," Niedig continued.

The day opens with the Class 1A championship at 10:30 a.m., where No. 2 Barr-Reeve Vikings (27-1) face the No. 4 Triton Trojans (25-3). Barr-Reeve is coached by Heath Howington. The Vikings, from Montgomery in Daviess County, carry a 282-student enrollment into the state's biggest stage. Triton defeated North Vermillion 51-45 in the Class 1A north semi-state championship after taking down Tri-County 78-46 earlier in the day. Triton is returning to the state finals for the first time since 2013, when it lost to Borden.

Class 2A tips at 12:45 p.m. with Rockville's Parke Heritage Wolves (26-4) taking on Westview (27-1). The Wolves, coached by Athletic Director Rich Schelsky, went 26-4 in the regular season while competing in the Wabash River Conference out of a school of just 329 students. Westview last played in the state finals in 2014, falling to Park Tudor; the Warriors won back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000. The Warriors defeated Fort Wayne Luers 69-48 in the Class 2A north semi-state final after beating Lapel 65-62 in the semifinals.

The evening session shifts to Class 3A at 6 p.m., where Cathedral (24-5) returns to the state championship for the fifth time in program history. The Irish last played at state in 2022, where they beat Chesterton in the 4A championship. Cathedral's offense ranks second in the state at 77.4 points per game. The Irish navigated a brutal postseason path, ousting No. 15 Indianapolis Crispus Attucks for the sectional title, No. 10 Brebeuf Jesuit in the regional, then knocking out No. 2 Princeton and No. 1 Silver Creek in the semi-state at Seymour. Silver Creek entered that semi-state game at 29-2, with its only other loss coming to 4A finalist Crown Point.

Cathedral is led by coach Jason Delaney, 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. It is the first year that New Haven has ever won a regional and a semistate title. New Haven head coach Brandon Appleton said his team "just went back to the basics we started the season with and understanding the things we need to do to be successful like not turning the basketball over and taking care of rebounding."

The night finale at 8:15 p.m. pits No. 4 Mt. Vernon Marauders (27-3) against No. 2 Crown Point Bulldogs (25-1). Mt. Vernon is coached by Joe Bradburn, in his third year, while Crown Point's Clint Swan is in his 20th year at the school. Luke Ertel of Mount Vernon, who is headed to Purdue University next season, is also a candidate for the Mr. Basketball Award, which recognizes the top high school boys basketball player in the state. Ertel scores 24 points and grabs 10 rebounds per game while also dishing out seven assists per contest. "Being a part of that group of guys who 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," Ertel said.

All tickets are reserved seating for one two-game session and are digital-only through your mobile phone; they may be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, with service fees, or in person at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse box office. All four games will also be streamed live via pay-per-view on IHSAAtv.org, at $20 per game or $25 for all games.