'Where else would you want to play': LaPorte becomes the epicenter of high school boys hoops

LAPORTE — When Brett Binversie was in his LaPorte home watching La Lumiere play in the 2017 Dick's National title game against Montverde Academy, it wasn't former Lakers stars Brian Bowen's 3-pointers, Jaren Jackson's inside moves or Tyger Campbell's dazzling passes that caught his attention.

It was the lack of atmosphere.

The game, between a Michiana powerhouse and another from Florida, was played at Christ the King High School in the middle of Queens. And the ambience of the arena didn't fully reflect that.

Nicholas Otis, LaPorte's City Manager, felt it, too and gave Binversie a call. The duo knew a game of that prestige, with the amount of talent on the court, deserved a special environment.

They both agreed that LaPorte's historic Civic Auditorium could provide it.

“When you looked at the gym it was almost empty," Binversie, who has been the manager of the Civic Auditorium for seven years, recalled of that title game. "Not the look or the feel of The Civic and Hoosier Hysteria. We were looking at the gym and there is absolutely no reason why we can’t have something like this at The Civic.”

Five years later, The Civic, and LaPorte, will be the epicenter of the high school basketball world, as the venue hosts the U.S. Marines NIBC LaPorte Invitational, a three-day basketball showcase with eight of the country's top programs.

Bishop Walsh School (Cumberland, Md.), IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.), Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.), Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah), Montverde Academy and La Lumiere will each play three games, beginning on Jan. 6 and running through Jan. 8. Three of the games are being aired on ESPNU.

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Six nationally ranked teams. A combined 22 of the top 100 recruits in the Class of 2022 (three in the top 10). Four top 50 recruits for 2023. And commits to top programs like Duke, Kentucky, Baylor, Kansas, Indiana, Michigan and even Notre Dame.

Yeah, this is big time.

“We got what we consider a super tournament," Binversie said.

So how did LaPorte, a city with around 20,000 residents, secure the prized event?

The seed was planted shortly before La Lumiere's 2017 national title, when former coach Shane Hierman had conversations about hosting a game against Andrew Wiggins' team, Huntington Prep (West Virginia) at The Civic. At the time, there was too short of a notice to get it done.

But 2022 turned out to be the right time. Now, LaPorte will have the spotlight all to itself.

“Large towns and large communities, and we showed that LaPorte and Indiana can compete with anyone," Binversie said. "It is not just Indianapolis. South Bend, LaPorte, we are all part of a larger group and we just feel like it was a great get for us."

The Civic was made for this

Inside of the historic Civic Auditorium, all 1,382 spectator seats are still in their original states, as they were when the building was built in 1929. Top-hat holders are still connected to the bottoms of many of the chairs.

On one end of the basketball court is a theatre stage for when the building hosts concerts, and above it sits the original painted art from when Samuel and Fannie L. Fox donated the place to LaPorte for free.

The tradition and nostalgia can be felt throughout the place in its brown "Hoosiers"-like tones and Hinkle Fieldhouse appearance.

"Like we always say, it is a building for the people, by the people," Binversie said.

In its heydey, The Civic hosted LaPorte High School games through the late 1970's, before the new school building was built. Over the last decade, the Slicers have played a couple of throwback games in the building, too.

Its baselines have been walked by basketball legends, including John Wooden, who had one of his South Bend Central teams upset by a unheralded LaPorte squad, inside the Auditorium's corridors. The Globetrotters have played games here, too and it still hosts local recreation basketball league games during the week.

This local cathedral breathes basketball. It was made for a prestigious high school basketball event like this.

“We think it is a great fit for our community and really helps highlight the greatness of LaPorte," Binversie said. "The greatness of the Civic Auditorium and where else would you want to play high school basketball than Hoosier Hysteria in the state of Indiana."

Approaching The Civic's centennial celebration, the city is keeping its crowned jewel up with the times, while keeping its historic values. LaPorte Mayor Tom Dermody allocated between $4-5 million of state tourism funding for renovations, which also went towards preparations for next week's event.

The first step was adding new LED lighting throughout the Auditorium, which not only makes the court space brighter, but was needed for ESPN's broadcast. New air conditioning, more handicap accessible areas and even a new roof are part of current and future plans to keep The Civic going strong.

“What better way to use it for tourism than giving dollars that needed to be spent, that we did not have, we can now justify it by increasing the light capacity," Dermody said. “You are going to see a brand new facility inside that will last 100 years, that maybe without these federal funds, we would not be able to upgrade.”

'Let's go for it'

To bring this event to LaPorte, the city went toe-to-toe in a bidding war with some locale giants on the east coast. Numerous spots in Florida, including IMG's Bradenton location, New York, New Jersey and even Evansville were interested in hosting the event in 2020.

LaPorte, amongst many others, backed away when the COVID-19 pandemic started to spread across the country.

When life started returning to normal, LaPorte threw itself back in the ring.

At the center of LaPorte's bid to bring this event to the city was its Mayor in Dermody, as well as its City Manager in Otis, two former LaPorte High School student-athletes who would do everything to win.

Dermody was a three-sport athlete with the Slicers, playing football, basketball and baseball, before moving on to play baseball collegiately at Purdue. Otis was an all-state hooper, before playing college ball at Belmont. And don't fool yourself, those competitive juices are still there today.

“We hate to lose here and when we saw this opportunity we said, ‘Hey, let’s go for it,’" Dermody said. "We obviously know sports, but really all together, whether it is basketball or whatever, if we see there is an opportunity for our residents to enjoy, and the regional area, can come see talent that they may see for the next four years."

From the start, LaPorte was a city that was completely behind its administration's efforts to bring some high-quality hoops to the people.

Jack Arnett, the Executive Director of the LaPorte Convention and Visitors Bureau, was the first to step to the plate, making a $35,000 financial commitment. The bulk of that money went to housing, team meals, study halls, meeting rooms and transportation to practice facilities and games.

All of the teams will be staying at the Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa in Michigan City, which was fully prepared for this type of capacity due to hosting many opponents that come to South Bend to play Notre Dame in football.

Some of the money also went to sponsorships for local high school teams, so they could be involved as well. Along with that contribution, local business sponsors from around LaPorte chipped in to help fund other bidding aspects.

Financially set. Logistically ready. Historic basketball court booked.

Let's do this.

“That is what LaPorte is," Dermody said. "LaPorte is the people and they love this community. When they saw something of this magnitude that could come to LaPorte, and the coolest thing is ESPN and having them here for three days, everyone jumped on board."

For a city that has seen population decline in three consecutive years, according to World Population Review, and a poverty rate over 19% the economic ramifications for an event this big could also be a game changer.

"It is a big deal, there is no doubt about it," Arnett said. "Any time you bring in a national media outlet like ESPN, that puts us on the map.

"Certainly at this time of year when our hotels are struggling a little bit, it is a slow time, so to be able to get all of the folks that will be following these teams, their entourage that come with them and the spectators that will be coming, we feel like that will be a nice hit locally."

And it could be for many years to come. Currently, ESPN has a two-year contract with LaPorte, so the event will return to the The Civic in 2023. And the people who brought it to town in the first place are hoping to keep it there.

“We are looking to extend that, if that works out for all parties," Arnett said. "This is something we can build on.

"Folks will get us identified with hosting this and it will get bigger and better."

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: LaPorte, Indiana hosts high school NIBC basketball invitational