Darian DeVries had the Indiana Hoosiers well-positioned to make the NCAA Tournament in February, but then the wheels fell off. Indiana dropped six of its last seven games, and those struggles proved to be too much to overcome as IU was left out of the March Madness field for the third consecutive season.
However, help is on the way for Darian DeVries in Year 2 of his tenure in Bloomington.
A homegrown twist makes Flory Bidunga one to watch for Darian DeVries and Indiana
Indiana's incoming 2026 recruiting class features a trio of top-80 prospects, and IU's lone 2027 commit continues to build excitement.
Chase Branham is rated as a 4-star prospect and is ranked as the No. 26 overall player in the country for the 2027 class. Branham recently led Logan-Rogersville High School to a Missouri state title, scoring 31 points in the semifinal game and 15 points in the title game.
He is now competing against the top players in the country in the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team minicamp in the Hoosier State. Furthermore, his recent comments have Hoosier fans fired up for his upcoming collegiate career in Bloomington.
Indiana commit Chase Branham aiming to bring the Hoosiers back to glory
Branham knows that the Indiana basketball program isn't where it wants to be right now. But he wants to change that.
"I want to get Indiana back to where it was; that's the main goal. I want to be that guy, be in the candy stripes, known for being the Indiana guy."Chase Branham
"I want to get Indiana back to where it was; that's the main goal. I want to be that guy, be in the candy stripes, known for being the Indiana guy."
— Trevor Andershock (@INBBallSource) April 4, 2026
Indiana-bound Chase Branham is competing in this weekend's USA Basketball minicamp: https://t.co/DObKz6lqsL
This is what Hoosier fans want to hear. Missing out on the NCAA Tournament in eight of the last 10 seasons is simply unacceptable for such a storied program like Indiana - that's why there have been three coaching changes in that span.
But incoming players like Branham are hungry to change the narrative. Hearing him say he "wants to be the Indiana guy" is exactly what Hoosier fans love to hear.
DeVries and his staff face a major roster overhaul during the offseason, and with the transfer portal set to open on Tuesday, he figures to be busy. Branham won't suit up for the cream and crimson until 2027, but his energy and enthusiasm have IU fans eager to see him at Assembly Hall.