Scouting Report Luke Ertel

Purdue landed its first punch toward its 2026 recruiting class on Tuesday as Mount Vernon (Fortville) junior-to-be guard Luke Ertel ended his recruitment before it really even began by committing to the Boilermakers 24 hours or so after making an unofficial visit Monday.

Below, our comprehensive scouting report on the versatile guard, based on numerous events we’ve covered, including national adidas events dating back to Ertel’s freshman year, plus Purdue team camps, Indiana high school basketball tournaments and all-star events. (Ertel missed most of his sophomore season due to a foot injury.)

THE BASICS ON LUKE ERTEL

Ertel is a 6-foot-2 point guard who could conceivably be more of a combo guard at Purdue, as his offensive skill set and defensive tools would jibe with matchups that would come at either position, similar to past Purdue combo guard Eric Hunter, to name one example. But Ertel’s tenacity as an on-ball defender would also align well with everything Matt Painter has traditionally asked of his point guards on defense from a ball-pressure perspective.

He will be Mount Vernon’s point guard in high school play, but did move around a bit for Indiana Elite’s 17U team during its 3SSB circuit runner-up season this summer, often playing alongside fellow point guard Mark Zackery, a Notre Dame football recruit. Zackery’s speed and quickness were important complements to Ertel, particularly in the open floor, particularly against pressure. Indiana Elite was pressured fairly often since it was often up big in second halves and because it made sense to try to disrupt an offense that often wanted to get 7-footer Malachi Moreno established in the halfcourt.

The same two-point guard dynamic could be true at Purdue, where Ertel could play point guard or alongside another point guard. Secondary ball-handlers have become so important in college basketball, especially against pressure, as Purdue exemplified last season with Lance Jones playing with Braden Smith.

LUKE ERTEL ON OFFENSE

Again, the skill set fits at either backcourt position. At point guard, Ertel has shown he can get the ball where it needs to go, as he complemented Indiana Elite senior-to-be stars Malachi Moreno, Braylon Mullins and Trent Sisley nicely, Moreno in particular requiring some post-entry savvy from everyone around him. (Ertel was playing up a class, but was with his age group.)

The lefty may not be elite quick, but has shown some know-how in getting past defenders to finish in the paint — he does hit the lane with abandon — or to get to his reliable Eric Hunter-ish pull-up jumper. But his scoring potential moving forward lies most in his jump-shooting, where he was a 50-percent-ish three-point shooter for Indiana Elite during its unbeaten spring, playing off the high-gravity players around him nicely and always being ready to shoot on moderate volume.

Figuring Purdue will have some attention-demanding players around Ertel come ’26, having shot-makers all over the court is critical. P.J. Thompson made a killing during his Purdue career transitioning from point guard to off-ball shooter once the ball left his hands. There may be some parallels to be drawn there, too, if Purdue can get or develop the same kind of horses to put with Ertel that Thompson played alongside.

LUKE ERTEL ON DEFENSE

As the college game and its rules have changed, Purdue’s become an offensive program, one of the best in America actually, but that doesn’t mean Painter has changed his view on defense, particularly the on-ball variety.

That’s the area where you didn’t have to see Ertel play very much to know this was the sort of player Painter would be all over. Sure enough.

Ertel may not be the fastest or most laterally quick defensive presence, but he is a grinder, very aggressive, very physical and a true disruptor. His hands-on D are quick and his effort consistent, well-suited for the 90-some-feet pressure that’s long been a staple of Purdue’s scheme.

At the same time, Ertel does have enough size and strength and will to be very difficult to screen, lending itself well to not guarding on the ball, but on the wing, too. He wouldn’t be the tallest or longest wing defender but he’d be tough, physical and sticky, a bit of a poor man’s Chris Kramer. He’s won’t be as big or as sudden as Kramer was years ago but he’d likely be wired similarly.

Additionally, Ertel is an excellent positional rebounder, never shy about venturing into crowds to go get the ball. There’s been real value there for Purdue when its on-ball defender can rebound, because his positioning to meet the ball situates that player for the occasional offensive rebound. Think Jon Octeus and Braden Smith in that sense.

INTANGIBLES

Again, this is where the “Purdue guy” thing comes in, as Painter covets “winning qualities” more so than a lot of coaches (inexplicably).

Toughness, grit, competitiveness, all part of Ertel’s DNA. He comes from a robust basketball background. His father played at Butler and brother Michael was a standout at Louisiana-Monroe, then UAB.

And, football.

Ertel was Mount Vernon’s starting quarterback as just a freshman before the foot injury that cost him all but a half dozen basketball games last year compelled him to concentrate on hoops. Then, he looked like a player who in time might have been an “athlete” sort of college football prospect one day. Receiver, safety, linebacker, some such thing. Forty-yard dashes and such would have ultimately told the tale.

But the football part of Ertel does show up some in basketball.

Purdue’s only had a few basketball recruits under Painter with meaningful football backgrounds and two of them were Kramer and Caleb Swanigan, two of the most competitive and toughest players he’s had. It can help shape a player.

UP-SIDE POTENTIAL

Ertel is on the older side for his grade and fairly well developed physically at this stage, though he could get a developmental bump now that he’s past the foot injury that more or less cost him a quarter of his high school career.

Emphases for Ertel in a college training program — and keep in mind he still has two years of high school — will probably involve speed and lateral quickness, standard fare as college training has shifted more toward sports performance instead of raw power in most cases. Strength is a consideration for every player coming into college, but it probably won’t be a deficit for Ertel upon enrollment.

HOW LUKE ERTEL FITS IN

Purdue doesn’t have a 2025 commitment yet and a five-man 2024 class hasn’t put on a uniform yet, so it’s hard to know what the roster will look like in 2026.

But we do know that Smith and Loyer will have departed and the backcourt then will be a blank slate.

CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris look like they’re going to be multi-year stalwarts for Purdue, and Ertel joins them as versatile defensive-minded guards who can shoot. That is a real asset Boilermaker coaches are stock-piling. And there will be minutes available right away.

But it also stands to reason to suggest it would be ideal to counterbalance things with some quickness and speed and perhaps more of a pure-point guard, creator-type element.