Darian DeVries and the Indiana Hoosiers intentionally left one roster spot open throughout the summer. DeVries has remained steadfast in his openness to a late roster addition, and now that spot has been filled by a familiar face.
On Sunday afternoon, Sam Alexis announced that he will be returning to Indiana for one more season of college basketball. The move is significant for many reasons, and has the potential to pay off in the best way possible for DeVries and company.
Sam Alexis returning to Indiana for the 2026-27 season
Alexis' return to Bloomington is made possible thanks to the stunning decision from a U.S. District Court judge in Colorado on Friday night. The ruling from Judge Charlotte Sweeney granted a preliminary injunction to plaintiffs challenging the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility rule.
In short, athletes in the high school class of 2022 who thought they had previously exhausted all of their eligibility now have a path back to college athletics for the 2026-27 season. Alexis was among those athletes to receive additional eligibility, and now he has officially announced his intent to return to the Hoosiers.
Joe Tipton of On3 was the first to report the news. “Let’s do it again Hoosier Nation,” Alexis posted to his Instagram account.
NEWS: Indiana forward Sam Alexis is returning to Indiana for his fifth year of eligibility following the recent injunction, he told @On3.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) August 2, 2026
The 6-9 senior averaged 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game this past season. https://t.co/MJyCTvk44K pic.twitter.com/H2YKBKCIjp
After spending two seasons at Chattanooga and one season at Florida where he was apart of the Gators' National Championship team in 2024-25, Alexis put together a strong campaign with the Hoosiers last season. In total, the 6'9" forward appeared in 32 games with 23 starts and averaged 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.
He now joins Trent Sisley as the only returning players from last year's team.
Sam Alexis brings valuable depth to Indiana's frontcourt
Along with being familiar with DeVries' coaching style and offensive system, Alexis' return to Bloomington brings Indiana some much-needed frontcourt depth in 2026-27. Last year, the Hoosiers lacked the size, athleticism, and depth at the 4 and 5 positions that is so valuable in the Big Ten.
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But DeVries has re-shaped Indiana's frontcourt in a major way. He brought in 6'11" power forward Aiden Sherrell from Alabama and 7'2" center Samet Yigitoglu from SMU through the transfer portal. Together, they have the potential to be among the best frontcourt combinations in the Big Ten. Sisley also figures to be a major player, and incoming freshmen Vaughn Karvala and Trevor Manhertz can also contribute. Adding Alexis to the mix gives IU plenty of frontcourt depth––which is something they desperately missed last season.
One area where Indiana struggled mightily last season was on the offensive glass. Specifically, the Hoosiers ranked dead last in the Big Ten with just 8.1 offensive rebounds per contest. But Alexis did his part.
On the season, Alexis led the Hoosiers with 60 total offensive rebounds and 1.9 offensive boards per game that last season. For comparison, the next closest player was Reed Bailey with 35. Alexis' return, along with the presence of Sherrell and Yigitoglu, figures to lead the Hoosiers to a much better season when it comes to offensive rebounding.
All in all, this is an ideal fit for a familiar face. With this frontcourt group, Indiana is well-positioned to take a big step forward in Year 2 of the DeVries era. Welcome back to Bloomington, Sam!
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