Purdue Signee Luke Ertel Posts Triple-Double on Record-Breaking Night
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The spotlight continues to shine on 2026 Purdue signee Luke Ertel. The Mt. Vernon guard broke his school's all-time scoring record on Saturday night and did it in impressive fashion in a 69-50 win over Hamilton Southeastern.
Ertel put on a showcase on Saturday, recording a triple-double with 22 points, 17 rebounds and 11 assists in Mt. Vernon's 19-point victory, improving to 14-2 on the season. In the process, the point guard became the school's all-time leading scorer.
With nine games remaining in the regular season, Ertel has scored 1,397 career points. The previous Mt. Vernon record was 1,390 points, set by Tim Miller in 1998, per Kyle Neddenriep of The Indianapolis Star.
Luke Ertel breaks Mt Vernon all time scoring record! Hardest working player I’ve ever been around! #boilerup #MV #mrbasketball pic.twitter.com/rJSIGoeuvo
— Brady Days (@coachdays82) January 24, 2026
Saturday's triple-double performance against Hamilton Southeastern was a fitting end to a tremendous week for the high school senior. On Tuesday, Ertel led the Marauders to a 64-52 victory over Avon, scoring 33 points and making seven shots from behind the three-point line.
This week, Ertel also received major recognition, as he was one of 25 players named to the Naismith Trophy Boys High School Player of the Year Midseason Team. He is also one of the top contenders for the Indiana Mr. Basketball award at the end of the 2025-26 high school basketball season.
Mt. Vernon is scheduled to play again on Friday, Jan. 30 against New Castle. The Marauders will then travel to West Lafayette to play Harrison on Saturday, Jan. 31.
Ertel's senior year statistics
There is a reason coach Matt Painter and the Purdue coaching staff were so high on Ertel so early in his high school career. The in-state guard has been incredibly productive at the prep level and has only improved over the last two seasons.
Through 16 games of Mt. Vernon's season, the senior guard is averaging 25.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. His team owns a 14-2 record and there are still nine games remaining in the regular season.
Ertel is also shooting the ball at a solid clip from every level of the floor. His field goal percentage is at 47% and he's converting threes at a 37% mark. The senior guard is also an 85% free throw shooter.
According to 247Sports, Ertel is a four-star prospect in the 2026 class and is ranked as the No. 41 player in his cycle. When he signed with Purdue in the summer of 2024, he was a three-star guard and rated outside the top 100 prospects.
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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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