After enduring an 18-14 regular season which included a 9-11 mark in Big Ten play, Darian DeVries was unable to lead the Indiana Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament in his first season in Bloomington. With a class of six players out of eligibility and six more players testing the transfer portal waters, DeVries was faced with a lengthy roster rebuild this offseason.
Indiana could get a surprise boost if Darian DeVries can land this former SEC commit
With soon-to-be sophomore Trent Sisley as the lone returner from last year's team, DeVries has been busy dipping into the transfer portal to construct Indiana's 2026-27 roster. The moves he's made so far have been impressive, and IU's roster seems to be in a much better spot now than it was at this point last offseason.
As it stands, Indiana's portal class consists of six players:
- Jaeden Mustaf, SG (Georgia Tech)
- Darren Harris, G (Duke)
- Markus Burton, PG (Notre Dame)
- Samet Yigitoglu, C (SMU)
- Aiden Sherrell, PF (Alabama)
- Bryce Lindsay, G (Villanova)
Here are five things all Indiana basketball fans need to know about IU's portal additions so far.
1. The size has arrived
After the season concluded, DeVries stated that addressing the frontcourt was a top priority for the Hoosiers this offseason. Indiana lacked size and physicality at the 4 and 5 positions, and that is a recipe for disaster in the Big Ten. DeVries addressed those needs by adding Alabama power forward Aiden Sherrell and SMU center Samet Yigitoglu earlier this month.
Sherrell owns a 6'11" 255-pound frame, and was one of the best power forwards on the market. He averaged 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 53.9% from the floor for the Crimson Tide last season.
Indiana lacked a true center on last year's roster, but that will not be the case next season with the addition of Yigitoglu. The 7'2" center averaged 10.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game over the course of 29 games with SMU this past season. Together, Sherrell and Yigitoglu have a chance to become one of the most dangerous frontcourt combinations in the Big Ten next season.
2. High-major experience was a point of emphasis for Darian DeVries
At this time last year, DeVries' focused on bringing in all-league mid-major players through the portal. His approach to the portal has shifted drastically this offseason. Now DeVries is targeting former 4 and 5-star prospects who spent time with Power 4 programs either being steady contributors or fighting to find minutes on loaded rosters. In fact, all six of IU's portal additions have multiple years of high-major experience. They also all have multiple years of eligibility remaining.
3. Aiden Sherrell headlines IU's portal class
The highest-ranked player in Indiana's portal class is power forward Aiden Sherrell. He comes to Bloomington as the No. 15 overall player and No. 5 power forward on the market according to On3's College Basketball Transfer Portal Player Rankings. As one of the top bigs in the portal, Sherrell garnered plenty of attention from Power 4 programs across the country in the portal. His commitment to the Hoosiers is a massive get for DeVries as he enters Year 2.
4. IU's transfer portal class in earning high praise
DeVries' portal moves are drawing plenty of attention from the college basketball world. As it stands, Indiana's transfer portal group is ranked as the No. 1 portal class in the country according to On3. Furthermore, CBS Sports' John Rothstein is impressed by Indiana's upgraded talent base this offseason. He has the Hoosiers pegged as a top-25 team entering the start of next season. After making the NCAA Tournament in just two of the last 10 years, it certainly seems that the Hoosiers are arguably the biggest winners of the offseason so far.
5. More moves are coming
While DeVries has Indiana's roster in a solid place, more moves should be on the way. IU's 2026-27 roster currently features 10 players. That means there are still multiple spots yet to be filled. The transfer portal has closed, but players currently in the portal can commit to a new team at any time. Don't be surprised if DeVries adds 3-5 more players via the portal in the coming weeks.
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