The North Central Conference was formed in the principal’s office at Kokomo High School on March 29, 1926.
Basketball dominance soon followed. Schools like Anderson, Frankfort, Kokomo, Logansport, Muncie Central, New Castle, Richmond and Tech – all charter members of the new conference, along with Lebanon and Rochester – became synonymous with Indiana high school basketball. Lafayette Jeff and Marion joined a few years later, adding to the championships and tradition.
The North Central Conference gyms were the largest … and the basketball the best.
The heyday of the conference waned with the times. Population dropped in North Central Conference cities that relied heavily on the automotive and manufacturing industries. The conference shifted as some schools left and others joined. Suburban schools grew larger and more competitive.
But every year, for the nearly 100 years of the conference’s existence, at least one boys’ basketball team won a sectional title. Many years, especially in the single-class era, it was multiple teams. It was unusual if a North Central Conference team was not playing deep in the tournament.
This season, for the first time since the conference was formed, the North Central Conference did not produce a sectional champion. Kokomo came the closest, losing 59-56 to Harrison (West Lafayette) in the championship of Class 4A Sectional 7 of at Lafayette Jeff. Harrison was part of the NCC for 10 years but was voted out in the spring of 2023, along with McCutcheon.
Marion also lost in the sectional championship, falling 74-60 to New Haven in Class 3A Sectional 22.
There has been recent success in the NCC and plenty of hope for the future.
The NCC is just a six-team league currently instead of the 10 or eight teams it was previously, leaving fewer opportunities for a sectional title. Kokomo (18-7) won the league with a 4-1 record but was missing star sophomore D.J. Nash at the end of the season due to a foot injury. Anderson (16-8) and Lafayette Jeff (16-8) also produced winning records. Muncie Central finished 12-12 led by sophomore Jaxson Johnson.
Kokomo reached the 4A state finals in 2023 and played in the regional final a year later, led by IndyStar Mr. Basketball Flory Bidunga.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: For first time in 100 years, North Central Conference without a sectional champion
Reporting by Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
