In Year 1 of the Darian DeVries era in Bloomington, the Indiana Hoosiers lacked size and physicality at the 4 and 5 positions. In the Big Ten, that lands you in trouble.
In early March, DeVries stated that addressing Indiana's front court would be a top priority for the offseason. The college basketball transfer portal opened up on Tuesday, and DeVries has yet to make any substantial progress with front court players on the market.
A trio of guards will be visiting Bloomington this weekend, but Hoosier fans are waiting for DeVries to find some size and athleticism at the 4 and 5 spots for next year's team.
An ideal candidate just hit the market, as UConn freshman center Eric Reibe officially entered the transfer portal on Friday.
UConn center Eric Reibe enters the transfer portal
Reibe is a 7'1" center who appeared in all 40 games for the Huskies this season and averaged 5.9 points and 3.3 rebounds while playing 13.8 minutes per game. The Hannover, Germany native also posting a strong field goal percentage of 65.8%.
With Tarris Reed out of eligibility, Reibe figured to be in line for a much larger role for Dan Hurley's squad next season. However, he is now testing the portal waters and looking for a new opportunity.
NEW: UConn 7'1 center Eric Reibe has entered the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports. https://t.co/YgSgGF11hp pic.twitter.com/KNjO6sWcSy
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 10, 2026
Reibe hitting the portal presents a massive opportunity for DeVries and the Hoosiers. Coming out of The Bullis School in Maryland, Indiana was among Reibe's top choices during his initial recruitment.
Indiana has a second chance to land 7-footer Eric Reibe
Back in 2024, then-IU head coach Mike Woodson made a strong push to land Reibe. The 7-footer was a McDonald's All-American and was ranked as a top-30 prospect in the 2025 recruiting class. He was plenty interested in Indiana, as he took an official visit to Bloomington September 20, 2024.
Furthermore, Indiana was among Reibe's five finalists during his recruitment process. The Hoosiers were in the running along with Kansas, Oregon, Creighton, and UConn. Despite IU's efforts, Reibe committed to Hurley and the Huskies on October 16, 2024 but is now looking for a new home after one season in Storrs.
Indiana did not have a true center on the roster this past season, which is something that Hoosier fans want to see changed for 2026-27. The Hoosiers finished dead last in the Big Ten with just 8.2 offensive rebounds per game, and improving that number drastically will be a big key for DeVries in Year 2. Reibe has plenty of potential, and could help Indiana in the rebounding department on both ends of the floor.