Purdue Signee Luke Ertel Unstoppable, Leads Mt. Vernon to Holiday Tourney Title
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Luke Ertel closed out 2025 on a high note. The Mt. Vernon star and 2026 Purdue signee assembled three stellar performances over the weekend, leading the Marauders to a championship in the Homestead Holiday Hoops Tournament.
Ertel's big weekend began on Friday, as Mt. Vernon found itself in a thriller against South Bend St. Joseph. The Marauders needed double overtime to get a victory over the Huskies. The future Boilermaker scored 36 points, leading his team to an 85-78 win on Friday night.
Mt. Vernon advanced to play Zionsville in the semifinal round on Saturday. Ertel scored 19 points in a low-scoring 50-37 affair to advance to the championship game later that day. The Marauders would face Homestead — the tournament host — for the title.
Ertel closed out the weekend with another outstanding effort, scoring 25 points, dishing out seven assists, and collecting seven rebounds in a 59-39 victory to win the Homestead Holiday Hoops Tournament crown.
Across three games, the four-star guard and future Boilermaker averaged 26.7 points per game, and his team went 3-0 in the event. Mt. Vernon improved to 10-2 on the season, with the only losses coming to Fishers (57-48) and Crown Point (60-56).
Ertel and the Marauders had a busy end to December. Mt. Vernon played five games from Dec. 23 through Dec. 27. It posted a 4-1 record in that span, participating in two tournaments.
Mt. Vernon won the Homestead Holiday Hoops Tournament and finished as the runner-up in the Hall of Fame Classic at New Castle.
The Marauders will get some time to catch their breath, not playing again until Jan. 9, traveling to Greenfield-Central.
What Painter likes about Ertel
When Ertel signed his National Letter of Intent, Purdue coach Matt Painter was asked what he liked about the Mt. Vernon guard and what he brings to West Lafayette.
Painter had plenty of positives to say about the senior guard.
"I don't know if I've ever seen a high school guy that we've taken with more intestinal fortitude. Just a determined player, tough, hard-nosed, gets after it, picks you up full court, birddogs the basketball," Painter said. "He's really improved his arsenal in terms of shooting the basketball. Not just catching and shooting, but getting to his pull-up, getting to bodies, bouncing off bodies, being able to make floaters and runners. He's put a lot of time into his game."
When Ertel committed to Purdue in the summer of 2024, he was ranked in the 100s on most recruiting websites and was considered a three-star prospect. Over the last year, he's jumped up to No. 42 on 247Sports' rankings and is considered a four-star talent.
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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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