Entering Year 2 of the Darian DeVries era, the Indiana Hoosiers are looking to turn things around in a major way. Indiana went 18-14 overall with a less-than-ideal 9-11 mark in Big Ten play last season, and a late-season collapse led to the Cream and Crimson missing out on the NCAA Tournament.
Over the offseason, DeVries brought in a group of transfers that enter the season ranked as the No. 5 portal class in the country according to On3. The class is led by two players who figure to have a major impact on Indiana's success on the hardwood this season. If the Hoosiers get back to the NCAA Tournament, it will be thanks in large part to Markus Burton and Aiden Sherrell.
PG Markus Burton
Point guard Markus Burton was one of the top names on the market in the spring. At the time of his portal commitment to Indiana via Notre Dame, Burton was ranked as the No. 22 overall player and No. 7 point guard in the portal by 247Sports. He enjoyed a great three-year career with the Fighting Irish, and was one of the top scorers in the ACC. Burton's scoring prowess figures to replace plenty of the scoring production that Lamar Wilkerson brought to the table this past season.
Burton is a 6'0" 190-pound point guard who originally hails from Mishawaka, IN. His first offer out of high school was Drake, who was coached by DeVries at the time. As a freshman at Notre Dame in 2023-24, Burton led all ACC rookies in scoring with 17.5 points per game and earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors. He increased that number to an impressive 21.3 points per game as a sophomore, which led the entire ACC. He also shot 44.2% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc.
Unfortunately, Burton's junior season was cut short after just 10 games due to an ankle injury. He was impressive in those 10 games, putting up 18.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 48.9% from the floor. He figures to be Indiana's No. 1 point guard this season, and is poised for a strong campaign.
PF Aiden Sherrell
Aiden Sherrell is the biggest get of Indiana's portal haul this offseason. Owning a 6'11" 255-pound frame, the Alabama star was ranked as the No. 11 overall player and the No. 5 power forward in the portal by 247Sports at the time of his commitment to IU back on April 15.
Playing in all 34 games for the Crimson Tide this past season, Sherrell averaged 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 53.9% from the floor. He is also an elite rim protector, as he finished 2nd in the SEC with 2.2 blocks per game last season. The Hoosiers lacked that presence down low in DeVries' first season, finishing 13th in the Big Ten with 2.7 blocks per game.
No matter how you slice it, Sherrell's arrival in Bloomington brings some much-needed size and athleticism to the Hoosier frontcourt. Furthermore, Sherrell's skill set could be a great complement to Samer Yigitoglu's game. Together, Sherrell and Yigitoglu, a 7'2" transfer center from SMU, can form a dynamic duo in IU's frontcourt in 2026-27.
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