East Chicago Central coach Alaa Mroueh couldn’t overstate Dominique Murphy’s impact.

“What Dominique did this year was much bigger than basketball,” Mroueh said.

Mroueh described a visit that Murphy, a 6-foot-6 senior guard/forward, made to a city elementary school with his teammates.

“We had to get escorted out by security because they were all over us, all over him,” Mroueh said. “It was like he was a superstar.

“He helped reignite the pride of Cardinal basketball right in front of everyone’s eyes.”

Murphy, the 2024-25 Post-Tribune Boys Basketball Player of the Year, led East Chicago Central back to regular-season success and, more notably, postseason glory.

Murphy averaged 22.6 points and 8.3 rebounds this season. On Friday, it was announced he’s an Indiana All-Star, and he had already been selected to the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association’s All-State Supreme 15.

But as Murphy discussed those achievements, he tried to put himself in context.

“I feel like I had a good season,” he said. “All of it contributed to my team winning. Without my team, there is no me. It all just contributed to my team winning.”

To win, Murphy rose to the occasion, increasing his scoring to 25.3 points in the postseason. He helped the Cardinals (21-9) win their first regional title since 2007, when they were the Class 4A state champions. They then won their Class 3A semistate semifinal and pushed eventual state champion South Bend St. Joseph in the semistate final.

“We accomplished a lot,” Murphy said. “Of course, we wanted to go all the way and win it all. But you can only do so much.”

Murphy did plenty. In the process, he became the leading scorer in program and city history. He finished with 2,048 points in his career, moving past the 1,829 scored by the iconic E’Twaun Moore, who propelled the Cardinals to that 2007 state title before starring at Purdue and playing in the NBA.

“It means a lot,” Murphy said of setting the record. “It’s a big accomplishment. Being from the city, hearing about this record for so long and now I’m the owner of it, it means a lot.”

Murphy said he was informed toward the end of his sophomore season that the record could be in his sights.

“I learned I was on track to break it,” he said. “But I really didn’t think too much of it because I’m not going to think about that while I’m trying to go out here and win the game.”

Indeed, Murphy then led East Chicago Central to a 2024 sectional title, its first since 2017.

“All of that success accumulates, and he had a big part to do with it,” Mroueh said.

The Cardinals went a combined 43-14 in the past two seasons. They hadn’t won more than 12 games in a season since they went 15-10 in 2016-17.

“We were down for so long,” Murphy said. “So to be back up, it means a lot.”

Murphy excelled from the early stages of his career. He was an Indiana Junior All-Star and was picked for the inaugural Futures Game. But there’s no question he reached another level this season.

“He was much more mature on the court,” Mroueh said. “He just played like a veteran. He played at his own pace. It looked like he’s been there before. It looked like he’s been out there for three years, four years.”

Murphy’s playing career should continue for many years to come. He’s in the process of “surveying his options” for next season in a “crazy college landscape,” Mroueh said.

Wherever Murphy lands, his time with the Cardinals won’t be forgotten.

“Dom’s put in the work, and he’s built a legacy at East Chicago Central,” Mroueh said.