Class 1A Preview: North Daviess vs. Lafayette Central Catholic

<p>Our staff at Prep Hoops Indiana will be providing wall-to-wall coverage of the 112th annual IHSAA Boy’s Basketball State Finals throughout the week. From game-by-game previews, players to watch, recruiting updates, and much, much more this website will be your one stop shop for state finals coverage. Also, you’ll want to be following our staff on Twitter to make sure you don’t miss any of the coverage: <a href="https://twitter.com/BRamseyKSR">@BRamseyKSR</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/kylerstaley">@KylerStaley</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/HSIndianaBball">@HSIndianaBBall</a>. Let’s dive on in to some preview content!</p> <h2>North Daviess (26-3) vs. Lafayette Central Catholic (20-9)</h2> <ul> <li>This is North Daviess first trip to the Boy’s Basketball State Finals. LCC has won three state championships and this is their sixth appearance in the final game.</li> <li>The Cougars allow just 37.2 points per game which is fourth in the state. However, Central Catholic has the more high-powered offense averaging 58.3 points per contest.</li> <li>Both head coaches have won over 300 games in their respective careers. Coach Brent Dalrymple at North Daviess is 315-213 in 22 seasons, all of which have been on the Cougars sidelines. Likewise, all 17 of Coach David Barrett’s seasons have been at Lafayette Central Catholic. He is 305-133 overall.</li> </ul> <p><strong>North Daviess Player to Watch:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="935727" first="Jaylen" last="Mullen"] (2023)- Mullen is an Indiana Junior All-Star candidate that has stuffed the stat sheet all season long for the Cougars. Navigating the toughest Class 1A Sectional in the state, Mullen has led North Daviess to nine straight victories to reach Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The 6’0" junior averages 16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game on impressive 51.4/36.3/78.9 shooting splits.</p> <p><strong>Lafayette Central Catholic Player to Watch:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="870267" first="Clark" last="Barrett"] (2022)- A Marian football signee, Barrett brings athleticism and physicality to the Knights roster. He is the only player at the state finals averaging a double-double with 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Barrett could be a real matchup problem in this one.</p> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> North Daviess has been the team ranked towards the top of the polls all season. LCC plays a tougher regular season schedule with a lot of Class 3A and 4A opponents, but they had a little "easier" road in the tournament until the Semi-State against Gary 21st Century. These two schools contrast in every way possible. A rural public school versus a city private school. One team that relies on outside shooting versus another that likes to score around the basket. A team with one 6’5" players on the roster against a team with three 6’5" starters. The Cougars will try to control the pace of play and slow the game down. Mullen has the skill to take over the game, but it could be difficult against the size and athleticism LCC will throw at him. In the end, I expect the Knights size to be the difference. Barrett and fellow senior Clark Obermiller will be too much for North Daviess to handle. Sophomore big man Albert Schwartz could be the X-Factor as well.</p> <p><strong>Lafayette Central Catholic 54 North Daviess 42</strong></p>