USU Eastern Athletics

Luke Panttaja, a redshirt freshman from Pocatello, Idaho, brings an impressive high school career and strong competitive background to the USU Eastern men's basketball program. During his career at Century High School, he earned Second Team All-State honors and set several school records. He broke the single-season assists record during his junior year and then broke his own record as a senior. He also set school records for most three-pointers in a season, most assists in a game with 12 and most steals in a game with eight. Panttaja scored 40 points in a single game, the second-most in school history, and recorded the second-best single-season free throw percentage in school history.

Panttaja is the son of Nicole and Ralph Panttaja and is the middle of five children. His father played college basketball at Western Colorado University, while his brother, Isaac, played college basketball at Southern Virginia University. His sister, Milania, currently competes in beach volleyball at the University of Southern Mississippi. Athletics have been an important part of the Panttaja family and have played a significant role in Luke's development.

Outside of basketball, Panttaja enjoys staying active and spending time outdoors. His favorite activities include pickleball, swimming, boating and beach volleyball. He looks forward to continuing his basketball career at USU Eastern while staying active and spending time with his family and friends.