Purdue Commit Luke Ertel Leads Mt. Vernon to Class 4A Regional Title

Mt. Vernon has advanced to the semi-state round of the 2025 IHSAA boys' basketball tournament following a blowout victory over Brownsburg on Saturday. Purdue commit Luke Ertel had another big hand in the Marauders success in the regional matchup.

Ertel, a member of Purdue's 2026 recruiting class, scored a team-high 19 points in a 74-40 victory at the Southport Regional (Class 4A). It was the first victory for Mt. Vernon in the regional round of the tournament in 12 years.

Saturday's performance from Ertel marked another big-time showing in a big-time game. Last week, the future Boilermaker dropped 36 points and hit some clutch shots in an 83-76 win over Greenfield-Central in a sectional championship game that went to double-overtime.

Now, Mt. Vernon heads to the semi-state round of the IHSAA tournament, one victory away from competing for a state championship. The Marauders will play Lawrence North in the semi-state matchup.

This season, Ertel is averaging 22.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game at Mt. Vernon. He was the first player in the 2026 class to commit to Purdue.