To tip things off at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Lafayette Central Catholic made its sixth state final appearance, while North Daviess won its first semi-state this year.
It is no surprise that North Daviess is playing for the 2022 1A state title. The Cougars proved themselves throughout the regular season with a challenging schedule. Now, Lafayette Central Catholic is the last obstacle for ND to get through at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Overview
North Daviess ranked near the top of 1A for most of the year, and the Cougars ended up at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to finish the season. The Loogootee sectional was the toughest in 1A, but North Daviess drew well and only had to play Barr-Reeve for the title. The Cougars missed Orleans and Loogootee on the other side. North Davies also beat two tough opponents in the regional – Edinburgh and Borden – before beating Jac-Cen-Del for the title.
Key player
Jaylen Mullen (2023 PG) is the only double-digit scorer for North Daviess, and the junior averages 16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. Those numbers are especially impressive with the pace that North Daviess plays. The Cougars only passed 60 points six times this season. Mullen is an excellent outside shooter that creates off the dribble as well. He does a great job of moving the ball despite being the go-to scorer. Most things from North Daviess start and stop with Mullen.
Providence surprised many by emerging from the Southridge Regional, and now the Pioneers play Central Noble for the 2022 IHSAA 2A boys basketball state title tomorrow. Here is what to expect from Providence.
Overview
Providence provided one of the bigger upsets when the Pioneers took down Linton-Stockton. The Miners were a favorite to reach Gainbridge Fieldhouse, but Providence had other plans. Then, Providence came back that night to beat a surging Forest Park team. Then, the Pioneers used a huge fourth quarter to come from behind to beat Eastern Hancock last week.
Last week, Lafayette Central Catholic pulled a significant upset over 21st Century at the Lafayette Jeff semi-state. Now, LCC plays for the 2022 IHSAA 1A state basketball title against North Daviess. Here is a deep dive into the Central Catholic.
Overview
LCC used its size and strength to beat a talented 21st Century team in overtime last week. In the regional title game, the Knights also knocked off a high-scoring Liberty Christian squad by shutting them down. It has been a dominant postseason run for Dave Barrett’s team.
Key player
Clark Barrett (2022 PF) is an inside-outside threat for LCC. He is the leading scorer, rebounder, and playmaker. The senior forward averaged 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He does a bit of everything as he is also a threat from the three-point line. With his size and strength, Barrett does a great job of seeing the floor and executing passes. Inside, he walls up defensively then chases down the rebound. That caused 21st Century many problems last week.
(Connor Essegian at the 2021 FORUM Tipoff Classic)
Central Noble plays Providence in the 2022 IHSAA 2A state basketball final. It is the first state title game appearance for each side. Here is what to expect from Central Noble.
Overview
Central Noble ranked near the top of 2A all season, but it was not an easy path to Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The postseason saw the Cougars play Eastside, Bishop Noll, Blackhawk Christian, and Carroll. Central Noble split the regular-season meetings with Eastside before downing them in the sectional.
Key player
ConnorEssegian (2022 SG) is the leader for Central Noble. His 26.8 points per game have him tenth on Indiana’s all-time career scoring list. He enters the state championship game with 2,508 career points. It starts with Essegian’s three-point shooting. He makes 43 percent of his three-point attempts, and Essegian is not afraid to pull from anywhere on the court. He also plays the passing lanes to get breakaway dunks. In addition, Essegian tallied six steals in the semi-state game. As a result, the Wisconsin signee has himself squarely in the Mr. Basketball race.
