Luke Ertel tops Indiana basketball recruits as composite rankings shift

Luke Ertel still sat alone at the top of Indiana’s composite recruiting board, but the June 26 Rivals Industry update showed how crowded the race got behind him. The formula blends ratings and rankings from the major recruiting services, and in Indiana it turned the state’s 2026 class into a clear snapshot of consensus, not just one outlet’s opinion.

E.J. Hazelett of Franklin Central led the pack behind Ertel at 86.67, while Kai McGrew of Lawrence North and Dikembe Shaw of Crown Point were both at 84.67. Nick Shrewsberry of South Bend Saint Joseph followed at 82.33. That narrow spread tells the story of the class better than a simple single-service board: once the industry average is applied, the second tier looks tightly bunched, with several players separated by only a couple of composite points.

The composite also highlights which prospects look safest across the board and which names still invite more debate. Hazelett and Shaw both showed up strongly on On3’s separate Indiana recruits board with 88 ratings, a sign that they are not just surviving in the blended formula but holding up in individual evaluation as well. McGrew’s placement, meanwhile, shows the value of broader national agreement, since his name stayed near the top of the state picture even as his school listing has shifted from Lawrence North on the composite page to Fishers on the Indiana All-Stars roster. Shrewsberry’s spot in the same cluster reinforces that the top of Indiana’s class extends beyond one school or one metro pocket.

Ertel’s hold on No. 1 was no surprise. The Indiana Basketball Coaches Association voted the Mt. Vernon senior Indiana Mr. Basketball on April 9, and the award fit a season that ended with Purdue-bound Ertel averaging 24.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists on a 28-3 team. Mt. Vernon capped that run with a 52-50 win over Crown Point in the Class 4A state championship game, where Ertel delivered 26 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. He also left Mt. Vernon with school records for career points, season points, career 3-pointers and season 3-pointers.

That championship backdrop matters because it links the state’s top composite name to a postseason run that already carried statewide validation, while also putting Shaw on the opposite sideline in the title game. The April 16 Indiana All-Stars roster added another layer, placing Ertel, McGrew, Shaw and Shrewsberry among the state’s most trusted senior names. ESPN’s Indiana rankings also include Noah Smith of Plainfield, Gan-Erdene Solongo of La Lumiere, Keriawn Berry of Avon and Jonas Muya of Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, showing a class deeper than the composite’s first five.