PRIOR TO PURDUE
• One of the top high school guards in the country, Ertel committed to the Boilermakers in August before his junior season at Mount Vernon High School.
• Ranked in the top 50 of all three major recruiting networks, including 38th by 247Sports. At the time of his commitment, Ertel was ranked around 150th.
• Stopped playing football and focused on basketball before his junior season and took off.
• Was named Indiana Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year after leading Mount Vernon High School to its first state title in school history in 2026. He averaged 24.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting almost 40 percent from 3-point range.
• Was a MaxPreps third-team All-American and 1-of-25 finalists for the Naismith Award, given to the nation’s top high school player.
• Tallied 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the State Championship game over Crown Point, a 52-50 Maurauders’ victory.
• Rallied Mount Vernon to victory in the Regional Finals win over New Albany, posting a triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
• Was named the winner of the “Crossover Award” at the Iverson Classic, presented by former NBA great Allen Iverson.
• Won the State Farm High School 3-Point Shootout at the Final Four in April, scoring 24 points (of a possible 30) in the final round to win the title.
• Averaged 22.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists as a junior, leading Mt. Vernon to a 21-6 record and a Regional Championship.
• Broke the single-game junior scoring record in last year’s version of the Indiana All-Star Game, scoring 36 points to go with nine rebounds and four assists.
PERSONAL
• Pursuing a master’s degree in Sports Management.
• Brother, Michael, was a 2017 Indiana All-Star and played basketball at Louisiana-Monroe and UAB.
• Chose Purdue early over offers from Wake Forest and Butler, but had started receiving interest from Indiana, Iowa and South Carolina.