Mount Vernon Guard Luke Ertel Wins Gatorade Indiana Boys Basketball Player of the Year

Gatorade named Mount Vernon senior guard Luke Ertel the 2025-26 Indiana Boys Basketball Player of the Year on Friday, adding a statewide capstone to a season in which the Purdue commit has carried the Marauders to a 25-3 record and the Class 4A South Semi-State.

Ertel averages 24.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game for Mount Vernon, numbers that reflect a guard who routinely controls all three phases of a possession. He enters the postseason with 1,684 career prep points and was previously named to the 2025 Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Supreme 15 Underclass All-State team. The award, now in its 41st year, is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee using evaluations from coaches, scouts, and media. Ertel joins a program alumni list that includes Jayson Tatum, Cooper Flagg, and Cameron Boozer.

Matt McKay, Pro Insight Founder and CEO, assessed Ertel's impact bluntly: "Luke can turn a game's momentum whether as a scorer, shooter or facilitator. His basketball IQ and gritty toughness consistently shine through, no matter the environment."

The recognition arrives with Mount Vernon in the middle of a deep tournament run. The Marauders, ranked fourth in Class 4A, faced Decatur Central in the semi-state semifinals Saturday morning at New Castle Fieldhouse, with tipoff scheduled for 10 a.m. Mount Vernon captured back-to-back regional championships, beating Pike in the regional final at Southport High School on March 14 to reach this stage.

Ertel's candidacy extended beyond box scores. He carries a weighted 3.98 GPA, serves on the Hancock County Youth Leadership Council, and has volunteered with the Formula Zero Clinic and a basketball camp for children with special needs. He has also contributed through multiple community service initiatives at his church.

As Indiana's state winner, Ertel is now eligible for the national Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year award, selected from state honorees across all 50 states and Washington D.C. The two most recent Indiana winners, Greenfield-Central's Braylon Mullins and Kokomo's Flory Bidunga, were also voted IndyStar Mr. Basketball during their respective seasons.

Ertel has signed a written letter of athletic aid to play at Purdue University in the fall. Before that chapter opens, he and the Marauders had one more game to win Saturday in New Castle.