Purdue Basketball: Boilermakers Land Commitment From In-State Guard in 2026 Class

Luke Ertel, a 6-foot-2 guard from Mount Vernon High School, announced his commitment to Purdue on Tuesday. He's a member of the 2026 recruiting class.

Mt. Vernon Luke Ertel (12) is introduced as the game begins as New Palestine plays Mt. Vernon High School / Gary Brockman-For IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Purdue men's basketball program received some good news on Tuesday, landing a verbal pledge from in-state prospect Luke Ertel. The Mount Vernon High School (Fortville, Ind.) made the announcement a day after taking an unofficial visit to campus.

Ertel is the first player in the 2026 recruiting cycle to commit to Purdue. He posted two images to his X account, saying, "Staying in the Black and Gold."

Other schools to show Ertel interest included Butler, Wake Forest, Indiana and South Carolina.

Staying in Black and Gold 🚂🖤💛 #committed pic.twitter.com/PuDvHy2aZ6

— Luke Ertel (@ErtelLuke) August 27, 2024

Ertel received an offer from Purdue earlier this summer after a conversation with coach Matt Painter. It didn't take him long to decide that he wanted to spend his college career in West Lafayette.

As a sophomore at Mount Vernon, Ertel averaged 13.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals per contest last year. The Marauders finished the season with a 15-9 record, losing a 58-56 heartbreaker to New Palestine in the sectional round of the IHSAA boys basketball tournament.

Not only is Ertel a solid basketball player, he's a great athlete. He's also the quarterback on Mount Vernon's football team, so he'll bring a lot of toughness with him to West Lafayette.

Purdue is coming off a 2023-24 campaign in which it finished 34-5 and reached the National Championship Game for the first time since 1969. Over the last two seasons, the Boilermakers have won a pair of Big Ten regular season titles, won one conference tournament championship and earned a trip to the Final Four.

With Purdue's recent success, Painter's life has been a little bit easier on the recruiting front.

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