Indiana basketball adds 2026 four-star small forward recruit

Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball and head coach Darian DeVries have added their second commit for the class of 2026 in four-star small forward Vaughn Karvala.

Karvala's three finalists were Indiana, California and Xavier. Karvala is a 6-foot-6 wing ranked no. 47 nationally in the 2026 class by 247Sports. The Wisconsin native is the 18th highest-rated small forward and 6th highest ranked player in the state of Arizona.

Karvala also had offers from: Alabama, Arizona State, Creighton, Colorado State, Iowa, Iowa State, Marquette, Missouri, Ole Miss, Syracuse, Villanova, Washington and Wisconsin.

Karvala will play his senior season in Arizona at Bella Vista Prep in the EYBL Scholastic League.  He’s a long athletic wing and a high-level 3-point shooter who should fit well in coach Darian DeVries’ system, as he is similar in play to Darian's own son Tucker DeVries a senior on the IU men's basketball team.

As a junior at Oregon H.S. (Oregon, Wiscosin) Karvala averaged 26.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 53.5% from the field overall including 41.9% from three point range.

Here’s a scouting report on Karvala from Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports:

“Karvala is loaded with glaring upside. He’s a big, nearly 6-foot-7 wing with a pretty shooting stroke from downtown. He runs well, covers the court, and can rise-up explosively to play above the rim. The key is putting it all together consistently and efficiently in order to impact winning to the highest degree.

“While this was a breakout grassroots season for Karvala, he averaged 14 points per game on just 38% shooting from the floor and 34% from behind the arc, while attempting roughly two-thirds of his total from three. There’s no question that Karvala is a projectable shooter. He has a smooth release and showed versatility in his shot-making – on the move, running to the arc in transition, and being particularly good off the dribble. There were times though when his shot could get a little flat or when he could disappear altogether for stretches and not impact the game quite as much as someone with his talent should.

“As he continues to adjust to playing against high-level competition, he needs to learn to assert himself consistently and find other ways to impact the game when he isn’t getting looks from downtown. Simultaneously, he has to build up his body, finish through contact more consistently at the rim, defend with consistent competitive physicality, and improve his decision-making abilities with the ball (0.8 assists vs. 2.2 turnovers). The bottom line though is that he has extreme tools and could be in the very early stages of putting them all together.”

He joins four-star 6-foot-4, 210 pound shooting guard Prince-Alexander Moody from Bishop McNamara (MD) in coach Darian DeVries 2026 Indiana recruiting class.