Indiana gets hopeful boost in recruiting race for 5-star Darius Wabbington

Over the summer months, a key recruiting target that Darian DeVries and the Indiana Hoosiers have been pursuing is 5-star big man Darius Wabbington. He is one of the most coveted prospects in the 2027 recruiting cycle, and is ranked as the No. 12 overall player and No. 2 center in the country according to 247Sports.

Wabbington's official visit schedule is already underway, and he has already made his way to Bloomington. He visited the Hoosiers back on September 3, and was in attendance to watch Indiana's 52-16 win over North Texas on the gridiron. Shortly after his Indiana visit, Wabbington ruled Louisville out as a contender. Now, another school seems to be crossed off his list.

The competition is thinning for 5-star Indiana target Darius Wabbington

Over the weekend, multiple outlets reported that North Carolina is no longer pursuing Wabbington on the recruiting trail. Wabbington's father told David Sisk of Tar Heel 247 that North Carolina made the decision, and thus, the Tar Heels are no longer in the mix. The move narrows down Wabbington's list of contenders, which could help Indiana.

Back in July, Wabbington announced his list of six final contenders that included the likes of Indiana, North Carolina, Arizona, Kentucky, Louisville, and Texas. He announced his calendar of visits to most of those schools, but those plans have since been altered a bit. Wabbington was slated to visit North Carolina in late October, but obviously that visit will no longer take place with this latest development.

In addition to UNC leaving the fight, Wabbington already ruled Louisville out a few weeks ago. That means his current competitors seem to be Indiana, Arizona, Kentucky, and Texas. However, the Illinois Fighting Illini are garnering Wabbington's attention, as he moved up his visit to Champaign from October 23 to this past weekend. Now it seems that Brad Underwood and company are becoming legitimate threats in Wabbington's recruiting showdown.

Darius Wabbington has a chance to be Darian DeVries' first 5-star commit at Indiana

Darian DeVries has made some solid moves on the recruiting trail. The incoming 2026 class has plenty of promise with a trio of 4-stars in Prince-Alexander Moody, Vaughn Karvala, and Trevor Manhertz, while the 2027 class already has two commits in 4-star Chase Branham and international center Felix Kiehlneker.

Darian DeVries makes recruiting priorities perfectly clear with Felix Kiehlneker commit

But while DeVries has started making some headway when it comes to recruiting, he has yet to land a signature commit that moves Indiana back among the big boys. Wabbington could be the recruit to change that.

There is a lot to like about Wabbington's skill set. Along with owning a solid frame at 6'10" 245-pounds, he can handle the ball with guard-like skills. While also being effective down low, Wabbington thrives at scoring off the dribble and can even stretch the floor with reliable shot-making from the outside. That is the kind of versatile skill set that DeVries loves to feature on his rosters.

Wabbington's recruiting process is heating up, and it will be interesting to see how the next few months unfold. At this point in time, look for Wabbington to take the rest of his official visits before making any sort of commitment decision.

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