Kentucky
Decisions on deck Kentucky setting the bar for two top targets
Mr. Basketball Luke Ertel after Indiana All-Stars’ win over Kentucky
Luke Ertel named game MVP with 21 points, eight assists, eight rebounds for Indiana All-Stars
INDIANAPOLIS – Baron Walker had a far-fetched thought after the Indiana All-Stars’ game against Kentucky on Saturday night that actually might make some sense in this crazy transfer portal college basketball world.
“I wish we could just form a college and be a college team if we could,” Walker said.
Indiana All-Stars’ coach Todd Woelfle, told of Walker’s idea, said he would pay money to watch that team play. He had a front-row view on Saturday night as Indiana swept Kentucky with a 94-80 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in front of 4,702 fans.
It was not easy. Indiana looked like it might follow a similar path from Friday night’s 106-83 win in Lexington, Ky., when Indiana took command in the second half after leading by three points at halftime. Indiana took a 49-43 lead into the locker room on Saturday, then quickly pushed out to a 15-point advantage with a spark from Noblesville’s Walker, a Butler recruit.
This time, Kentucky had an answer. More specifically, Kentucky Mr. Basketball Jake Feldhaus had an answer. The 6-8 Feldhaus, a South Florida recruit who finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds, sparked a comeback that allowed Kentucky to tie the score, 70-70, with 6:25 remaining.
Kentucky, which had not won a game in the series on Indiana soil since 1996, had the momentum.
“I think when it was 70-70, those kids bonding during the week and coming together, even though it was a short period of time, got them over the hump,” Woelfle said. “Everybody put their egos aside and just wanted to win. What a great group of kids.”
Indiana got back on track with a nifty pass from IndyStar Mr. Basketball Luke Ertel to Crown Point’s Dikembe Shaw, who somehow flipped the ball off the backboard and in as he was fouled. After Walker and Ertel each hit two free throws, the Indiana All-Stars delivered a couple of knockout blows on a dish from Brady Scholl to Brennan Miller for a dunk and a 3-pointer from Ertel.
Just like that, Indiana led 81-70. And no more concern about losing to Kentucky at home for the first time in 30 years.
“I was just happy to get one to go,” a relieved Ertel said. “I was shooting it terrible all week, so to get that one three to go, I was pretty excited.”
Even when he is not making shots at a high rate (he was 1-for-6 from the 3-point line on Saturday), the Purdue-bound Ertel can impact games in many other ways. He still finished with 21 points on 7-for-16 shooting overall and added eight assists and eight rebounds to earn MVP honors.
“He does so many things,” Woelfle said of Ertel. “He always defends and gives you his best effort. He never puts his head down. And that’s what separates good from great. There’s a reason, even if he didn’t score a ton of points the last two nights, why he’s Mr. Basketball. He’s a phenomenal person, first.”
Walker added 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists for the Indiana All-Stars and Lawrence North’s Miller also finished in double figures with 14 points and eight rebounds. Silver Creek’s Dane Caldwell was another player who provided a spark in limited playing time with nine points in 11 minutes.
Up and down the lineup, the All-Stars received contributions from all 11 available players (Fishers’ Kai McGrew and Ben Davis’ JaShawn Ladd were out with injuries). Even more than meshing on the court, the 2026 Indiana All-Stars seemed to genuinely enjoy one another.
“Honestly, no,” Ertel said when asked if he knew it would be that way coming into the week. “Usually there’s some drama or people jealous of each other or people complaining. But that wasn’t really the case at all this week. That shows why we went 3-0. We have a great group of guys.”
The win clinched the 13th sweep for Indiana in the past 17 years and pushed Indiana’s all-time record to 109-46 against Kentucky since the series began in 1940. Indiana has won 45 of 52 games since 2000.
The Indiana players ran back to the locker room together one final time after the buzzer sounded and meeting a midcourt with a yell of “Indiana!” They will now go their separate ways, as soon as Sunday for Ertel, Walker and others. In some ways, the Saturday of the Indiana All-Star series has the feel of the last day of school.
“These relationships that we just built the last five days are going to take us way further,” Walker said. “It’s such a great group of guys … I could go down the list, just being able to play with some of them for the first time. It’s a blessing just to be part of this. I won’t really realize it now, but when I’m older and basketball is done, that’s when I’ll remember it. Just very blessed and grateful for the opportunity.”
*Carmel’s Evan Harrell and Pike’s Komari Booker were named the Wooden/MCL Citizenship Award for 2026 as presented by the IndyStar Indiana All-Stars.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
DEMOSSVILLE, Ky. (WKRC) – More than 100 volunteers and community partners gathered Saturday morning in Pendleton County for the second annual Boo Project Stream and Environmental Cleanup Day.
The event began at 8 a.m. at Grassy Creek Christian Church in DeMossville, where volunteers met before heading out to assigned cleanup locations throughout the Grassy Creek area.
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Participants worked to remove trash, tires, and other debris from local streams, roadsides, and public spaces. The cleanup focused on protecting waterways including the Licking River, South Fork Licking River, and other streams used by residents and visitors for paddling, fishing, and outdoor recreation.
The event was organized by the Boo Singleton Project and supported by local volunteers, businesses, civic organizations, Pendleton County Emergency Management, the Pendleton County Solid Waste and 109 Board, the Kentucky Waterways Alliance, and other community partners.
Organizers said the annual cleanup honors the legacy of Boo Singleton, a longtime community volunteer whose commitment to service inspired others to give back to the county.
Last year’s inaugural event drew more than 100 volunteers who helped remove debris from areas in and around the city of Butler. Organizers said those efforts improved the appearance, safety, and environmental health of the community.
This year’s cleanup continued that mission while supporting long-term efforts to keep Pendleton County’s waterways and roadsides clean for residents, visitors, wildlife, and future generations.
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The project has also helped lead to the creation of the Pendleton County Waterways Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit organization established to support ongoing cleanup and conservation efforts throughout the county.
Footage from a truck-driving preacher’s dashboard camera captured what appears to be a kidnapping attempt. Anthony J. Moore was driving in Aiken County, South Carolina, last Friday when a woman with her hands cuffed behind her back ran into his path. (Anthony J. Moore via Associated Press)
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