Fans of Indiana basketball are hungrier than ever for a March Madness run. The Hoosiers have missed the NCAA Tournament in eight of the last 10 years, and after an underwhelming first season of the Darian DeVries era, the pressure is building for DeVries to put together a solid campaign in 2026-27.
Michigan coaching shock would give Indiana basketball some much-needed relief
DeVries has made some impressive moves in the transfer portal and has a solid recruiting class coming in. But Indiana still has a lot of work to do. With roster construction still incomplete, there are some reasons to worry among Hoosier basketball fans right now.
1. Will Indiana's portal haul fit together?
This is the second consecutive offseason in which DeVries has had to build Indiana's roster up from scratch. Last year, Indiana's roster consisted of 10 transfers and three incoming high school recruits. the pieces never realy fit together, which resulted in an underwhelming 18-14 season.
Soon-to-be sophomore forward Trent Sisley is the only returning player from last year's team. So far, DeVries has compiled a transfer portal class of six players and has three recruits coming from the high school ranks. Those moves have Hoosier fans hopeful, as Indiana's portal class is ranked No. 3 in the country by On3. Furthermore, Indiana's incoming recruiting class of 4-star forward Vaughn Karvala, 4-star CG Prince-Alexander Moody, and 4-star SF Trevor Manhertz is ranked as the No. 12 recruiting class in college basketball by 247Sports.
Indiana's portal class seems to have a fine balance of scoring prowess, athleticism, size, and physicality. Notre Dame transfer Markus Burton gives the Hoosiers a bonafide scoring stud who can create offense on every possession. Additions on the wings with Villanova transfer Bryce Lindsay, Duke transfer Darren Harris, and Georgia Tech transfer Jaeden Mustaf all bring different skill sets that complement each other well. Down low, Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell and SMU transfer Samet Yigitoglu have the potential to be among the best frontcourt combinations in the Big Ten.
On paper, the talent appears to be there. Now it's up to DeVries and his staff to make it all come together.
2. Finding an identity
Going along with the concern of Indiana's infusion of new talent gelling together, it's imperative that the Hoosiers figure out who they are. Establishing a team identity will play a crucial role in DeVries' second season in Bloomington.
In the past, DeVries-led teams have known how to put up points in a hurry. At Drake, DeVries constructed rosters that moved the ball well, played with pace, and emphasized early shot-hunting and high-volume three-point shooting. Indiana fans didn't see much of that open and free playing style this past season. Instead, the Hoosiers looked more like five individuals doing their own thing as opposed to a unit of five players working together on both ends of the floor.
The portal class that DeVries put together last offseason never united as planned, which led to Indiana being a bit directionless in DeVries' first season. Needless to say, if the Hoosiers want to get back to the NCAA Tournament, finding a team identity is one of the first steps that needs to be taken.
3. Does Indiana have enough frontcourt depth?
Following last season's disappointing campaign, DeVries stated that building up IU's frontcourt would be a top priority for this offseason. He has done that by bringing in SMU center Samet Yigitoglu and Alabama power forward Aiden Sherrell. Those were two of the most sought-after bigs on the market, and now they have plenty of potential to shine in Bloomington. However, there is still something missing.
Yigitoglu has struggled with foul trouble throughout his collegiate career. He fouled out of six games this past season, including three of SMU's final four games. On average, he was called for 4.5 fouls per 40 minutes according to KenPom.com, which led to him playing 28.9 minutes per game. With that in mind, DeVries may need to find a backup center for when Yigitoglu is unavailable.
Sherrell could step up to serve as IU's center with Yigitoglu on the bench, but his skill set is more fitting of a strong power forward rather than a true center. Sisley is more of a stretch-4, and his 6'8" frame is a big step down from Yigitoglu's 7'2" frame. Mahertz is Indiana's tallest incoming recruit at 6'8", and it seems unlikely that he is asked to play the 5 during his true freshman season.
Thus, Indiana's frontcourt depth could be in trouble. There is still time to make an addition or two, as players in the portal can commit to a new team at any time. There's no denying that Indiana's frontcourt is in much better shape than it was last season, but the lack of depth at this moment is still worrisome.
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