The Indiana Hoosiers still have one roster spot available for the upcoming 2026-27 college basketball season. Darian DeVries has previously stated that the spot has been left open intentionally, and that he is open to the idea of a late roster addition.
On Friday, a stunning decision from a U.S. District Court judge in Colorado gave athletes in the high school class of 2022 a fifth year of eligibility. The ruling granted a preliminary injunction to plaintiffs challenging the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility rule, and dozens of players who thought they had previously exhausted all of their eligibility now have a path back to college athletics for the 2026-27 season.
Former Hoosier Sam Alexis is among those players receiving another year of eligibility. Could he be coming back to Bloomington and filling that final roster spot? That remains to be seen, but the move would make a lot of sense for three key reasons.
Much-needed roster continuity
In today's era of the transfer portal, roster turnover is the new norm in college basketball. However, finding a good balance between incoming and returning talent can also play a big part in a team's success. Being too reliant on one or the other can sometimes be a risky game.
As it stands, sophomore forward Trent Sisley is the only returning player from last year's team. The vast majority of Indiana's roster is made up of new faces, but bringing in Alexis could help bring some familiarity. Alexis is familiar with DeVries' coaching style and offensive system, and performed well last season by averaging 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game over 32 games and 23 starts.
You can never have enough depth
Last season, the Hoosiers lacked the size and athleticism in the frountcourt that is needed to thrive in the Big Ten. DeVries appears to have learned from his mistakes, as he brought in 6'11" power forward Aiden Sherrell from Alabama and 7'2" center Samet Yigitoglu from SMU in the transfer portal. With Sisley back and newcomers Trevor Manhertz and Vaughn Karvala also chipping in, Indiana's frontcourt appears to be in much better shape than last season.
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But you can never have enough depth. Bringing Alexis' 6'9" frame back into the mix would provide great depth to Indiana's frontcourt rotation. Alexis led the Hoosiers with 60 total offensive rebounds and 1.9 offensive boards per game that last season on an IU team ranked dead last in the Big Ten with just 8.1 offensive rebounds per contest. Sherrell and Yigitoglu figure to lead the way in that category this year, but Alexis is more than capable of helping out in a major way.
Alexis has already played with the current roster
Interestingly enough, Alexis has already gotten a chance to play with the new roster. He participated in the FISU America Games in Peru with the Hoosiers last month, and put together a handful of impressive outings. He also showed great chemistry with all the new faces on the team.
A couple of Sam Alexis’ nice plays while teammates with the current Indiana players in the FISU America Cup games in Lima, Peru. #iubb pic.twitter.com/cLXnc7BHbG
— Jeff Rabjohns (@JeffRabjohns) July 31, 2026
If there is mutual interest between Alexis and Indiana for a potential reunion, his experience at the FISU America Games could allow him to jump in without missing a beat.
All in all, bringing Alexis back to Bloomington would make a lot of sense. It will be interesting to see if it indeed does become a reality.
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