Purdue Signee Luke Ertel Among Finalists for Prestigious Basketball Award
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Incoming Purdue point guard Luke Ertel has been named a finalist for Indiana's most prestigious basketball honor. The Mt. Vernon superstar is one of five candidates to win the state's Mr. Basketball award.
Kyle Neddenriep of The Indianapolis Star named the five finalists for the award on Wednesday. The Indiana Mr. Basketball winner will be announced later this week. The finalists include:
- Luke Ertel, Mt. Vernon
- Brennan Miller, Lawrence North
- Brady Scholl, Northridge
- Dikembe Shaw, Crown Point
- Noah Smith, Plainfield
Ertel had a remarkable season at Mt. Vernon as a senior, leading the team to a 28-3 record and its first state championship in boys' basketball. The guard also put up ridiculous numbers during the 2025-26 high school basketball season, averaging 24.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game.
Ertel played at a high level all season long, but he really showcased his ability in the final two weeks of the IHSAA tournament, as the Marauders won two semi-state games and the state championship.
In Mt. Vernon's first semi-state win over Decatur Central, Ertel posted 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on the way to a 66-46 victory. Later that day, Mt. Vernon defeated New Albany 77-69 on the shoulders of the guard's triple-double, scoring 22 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists.
One week later in the State Championship Game, Ertel's 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists pushed Mt. Vernon to a 52-50 win over Crown Point.
Awards and achievements piling up for Ertel
These past few weeks have really belonged to Ertel. Not only did he guide Mt. Vernon to a state championship, but he was also the winner of the high school three-point contest in the State Farm Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships during the Final Four weekend.
Ertel became the third Boilermaker to win that shootout at the high school level, joining Fletcher Loyer and Ryan Cline.
Ertel has also received plenty of recognition over the weeks. In addition to his name being listed among the five finalists for the Indiana Mr. Basketball award, he was also named the Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year.
He may be starting his freshman season at Purdue in 2026-27, but he'll carry some high expectations with him into West Lafayette. He is expected to battle sophomore guard Omer Mayer for the starting point guard spot next season.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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