4 days ago
Luke Ertel leads Indiana Juniors: 'That's why he's going to Purdue. That's not an accident'
CHARLESTOWN – Luke Ertel took the floor for Sunday's IndyStar Indiana Junior All-Stars game against Kentucky as the only player on either side committed to a college.
That fact might make some players take their foot off the gas or take the game a little less seriously. That thought never occurred to Ertel, the 6-3 Purdue recruit and Mt. Vernon junior.
'I just love playing basketball,' he said. 'I love competing. If that's playing hard, then that's playing hard.'
Ertel put together a fantastic performance, finishing with 36 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds in the Junior All-Stars' 119-108 victory over the Kentucky Juniors. Indiana jumped out to a double-digit lead early and pushed ahead by as many as 36 points in the second half, though Kentucky did get within nine in the final two minutes.
Every time Kentucky even thought about getting close, Ertel seemed to have an answer. He was backed by Fishers' Kai McGrew's 23 points and eight rebounds and 16 points and five assists from Crown Point's Dikembe Shaw.
'It was pretty easy to come together and let everybody have their turn,' Ertel said. 'Just getting the ball and kind of feeling it out and playing. We all play with AAU teams, so we're all used to playing with good players.'
The Indiana Juniors shot 21-for-48 from the 3-point line, including Ertel's 6-for-14. Noblesville's Justin Curry finished with 10 points and six rebounds, Charlestown's Anthony Fresh had 10 points, Princeton's Edwin Holmes had nine points and four rebounds and Bloomfield's Blake Neill had nine points on 3-for-3 shooting from the 3-point line.
Ertel played 34 minutes of the 40-minute game. That was not really the plan for Juniors coach Todd Woelfle (Terre Haute North), but the lead would shrink when he did rest him.
'I want to take him off the court, but I can't,' Woelfle said. 'His motor is incredible and he is just a winner. He was representing the state of Indiana today. They talked about it in the locker room beforehand and I thought they all came out and did that, but he was the catalyst. Not only does he score but he shares the basketball and he's an excellent defender.'
Parke Heritage guard Treigh Schelsky said Ertel's confidence was a conversation topic when he was sitting on the Juniors bench with a few of his teammates.
'His IQ is so high,' Schelsky said. 'Obviously he can handle the ball and run the show and run the point. That's why he's going to Purdue. That's not an accident. But a few of us were talking about his confidence. I think that's what sets him apart. How hard he plays just shows that no matter who you are, you can go out there and give 100% effort. He's the epitome of that.'
∎ Curry said Crown Point's Shaw had a message to the team before Sunday's game.
'He kept saying, 'In 49 states, it's just basketball but this is Indiana,'' Curry said. 'He really brought us together and we were able to really play together and put on a show.'
Curry, who played against Ertel during the season (Noblesville won 50-46), said it was nice to be on the receiving end of his assists.
'He's got that motor,' said Curry, who recently picked up an offer from Nevada. 'He always knows how to keep going and get that bucket and also knows how to find his teammates. I think all of us skilled guys on this team have that. We all have a motor and all want to win.'
∎ Schelsky said it was a credit to the Juniors that 'it wasn't a chuck-fest' like some All-Star games can turn into.
'Most of us knew each other or knew of each other to being with so that helps,' he said. 'The coaches were great getting us together. We were laughing, having a good time. I thought we played well together. It was fun for me. I enjoyed it.'
∎ Silver Creek's Kasen Daeger did not play due to injury. From the original Junior All-Star selections, core Junior Steven Reynolds III was also a scratch due to his transfer from South Bend Washington to Texas after his father was hired as a women's assistant at Texas-Arlington. Avon's Keriawn Berry was moved into the core group and Ben Davis' JaShawn Ladd was moved to play in Wednesday's game instead of Sunday.
∎ Demarcus Surratt, a 6-3 guard from Frederick Douglass, put on an impressive show for the Kentucky Juniors. He finished with 27 points on 10-for-14 shooting, including 5-for-8 from the 3-point line. He's going to be a good one.
∎ The girls Indiana Junior All-Stars cruised to a 106-64 victory in the early game. Indiana spread the wealth with five players scoring in double figures, led by 14 points and six rebounds from Silver Creek's Brooklynn Renn. Kennedy Holman of Hamilton Southeastern added 13 points and five rebounds, Mya Epps (Homestead) and Joslyn Bricker (Warsaw) each had 12 and Mollie Ernstes added 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting from 3.
∎ For those that have not visited, the Charlestown gym is outstanding. It opened in 2010 after the Pirates outgrew Dunn Arena, where they played since 1955. The neat part is that has the underground bowl feel of a gym like New Castle or Edinburgh or White River Valley but with the amenities of a gym built in the past 20 years. Very nice. Schools building new gyms should follow Charlestown's lead.
∎ Indiana All-Stars week continues with the Futures Game on Monday at Fishers. Admission is $10 per person. Tickets are available at the door. The girls start at 6 p.m., and the boys follow. The Junior All-Stars will play the Indiana All-Stars on Wednesday at Greenfield-Central (same ticket price and schedule). The All-Stars games vs. Kentucky are set for Friday at Lexington Catholic (girls at 5:30 p.m.) and Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (girls at 5 p.m.).
