Former Mt. Vernon standout out Michael Ertel participates in the Dizzy Runs.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
FORTVILLE — Former Mt. Vernon standout, Michael Ertel, has played high-level basketball at many places and has had a variety of unique experiences when it comes to the sport.
He was an All-Star at Mt. Vernon, had the chance to play in the NCAA tournament during his college days, and has had the opportunity to play professionally in various countries around the world.
This summer, he added another experience to that list.
Ertel was chosen to play for Team Eberlein Drive in the The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a 64-team tournament with a $1 million grand prize.
“It’s been a super cool experience,” Ertel said. “First and foremost, just to be with some new guys and other professional players and coaches. We’ve been traveling around, so just to see how other guys prepare and think the game, that’s been my favorite part.”
Leading up to the start of the tournament, Ertel had no plans to play, but a call from the team searching for extra players convinced him to join.
“A week before it started, I was just chilling at home and wasn’t going to play for anybody. They called me and said that they needed somebody local, and I was like ‘Sure, might as well’ since I just had to go down the street because they were practicing in Indianapolis,” Ertel said. “I did it, and it’s been a great experience so far.”
The local practices and games were the key to Ertel joining the team. With Eberlein Drive playing in the Butler University Regional, the trip was a short one, something that was important to Ertel.
Playing professionally overseas most of the year, the summer months are Ertel’s time to spend with family, and he didn’t want to give that up. The practices and games being held in Indianapolis were the perfect fit.
“That’s the big reason why I joined at first. It was right next to home, and I could still be with my family. Playing overseas, this is pretty valuable time for me to be home,” Ertel said. “With them being in the Butler Regional, I could still be at home and just go practice for a few hours a day with the guys. That was the big reason why I decided to do it and a big reason why I think they asked me to join.”
Ertel will be heading back overseas at the end of August to continue his professional career after signing a deal with Arriva Twarde Pierniki Toru in Poland’s Orlen Basket Liga. Poland will be the third country, along with Finland and France, that Ertel has played in.
“I’m really excited. Poland is a very good league and the city I’m going to is supposed to be really nice,” Ertel said. “I‘m excited to get going. It’s a new start and just a blessing to be able to play basketball.”
Until then, his sights are set on The Basketball Tournament where he and Eberlein Drive competed in the semifinals last night in Philadelphia against the University of Houston alumni team, Forever Coogs.
To get to that spot, they stormed through the Butler Regional.
In the round of 64 they defeated Team Arkansas 79-76, in the round of 32 they defeated the Butler alumni team, All Good Dawgs, 88-73, and in the regional final they defeated the Indiana University alumni team, Assembly Ball, 82-79.
Ertel had three points in the opening-round win and had two points, one steal, one assist and three rebounds in the win over the Butler alumni team.
The team traveled to Houston for their quarterfinal game and knocked off the Penn State alumni team, Happy Valley Hoopers, 85-71. Ertel recorded a steal in that win.
The championship will be held on Sunday at 2 p.m. on FOX.
