Darian DeVries is set to enter his second season at the helm of the Indiana basketball program, and expectations continue to rise. Indiana is a proud program with a rich history of success, and after a decade of letdown, Hoosier fans are hungrier than ever for another March Madness run.
DeVries ended his first season in disappointing fashion, as Indiana went 1-6 down the stretch and missed the NCAA Tournament after looking like a tournament lock in mid-February. Now, DeVries needs to ensure that he leads IU to a much better campaign in 2026-27.
Indiana fans have been skeptical about DeVries' ability to their desired results in Year 2, and he won't do himself any favors by orchestrating another underwhelming campaign. With the Hoosiers in the midst of summer workouts, Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson is giving DeVries a vote of confidence.
Scott Dolson sees a bright future ahead for Indiana under Darian DeVries in 2026-27
Appearing on Big Ten Network earlier this week, Dolson discussed how he views the state of the Indiana basketball program with DeVries leading the way. His comments focused on the foundation that was built in Year 1 and building on that in Year 2.
"I think we put the foundation in...We've got a foundation, a blueprint, just like we do with football and really all of our sports. I think Darian really did a good job of assembling the staff, evaluating throughout the year what are our needs were. We added a GM towards the end of the year, which was a big move for us...I feel like now we've got a firm foundation to build on and I'm super excited about the future."Scott Dolson
"I feel like now we've got a firm foundation to build on, and I'm super-confident about the future."
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) July 1, 2026
🗣️ @IUHoosiers AD Scott Dolson on @IndianaMBB entering Year 2 under Darian DeVries#B1GToday pic.twitter.com/ySMlV708F2
While it's clear that Dolson has plenty of praise for the job DeVries has done so far, Hoosier fans are hungry for more. Dolson mentions the addition of a GM for the IU basketball program toward the end of last season, and the Hoosier faithful are hoping that's a move that pays off in the best way possible.
Adding GMs has become commonplace in today's era of college basketball, and really college athletics in general. NIL and transfer portal has completely changed how programs address roster construction, and new Indiana Director of Basketball Ryan Carr has a big responsibility moving forward.
Carr's role with the Hoosiers focuses on roster building. He reports directly to DeVries and plays a massive role in what Indiana's roster looks like. This offseason, Carr and DeVries brought in a talented portal class that is giving Indiana fans new hope. The class is currently ranked as the No. 7 transfer class in the country by 247Sports, and the frontcourt additions of power forward Aiden Sherrell from Alabama and center Samet Yigitoglu from SMU give the Hoosiers the size and athleticism at the 4 and 5 positions they desperately missed last season.
Scott Dolson has high expectations for Year 2 of the Darian DeVries era
Dolson doesn't state any specific goals for the upcoming season, but it's clear that he expects improvements. Dolson states that the foundation is in place, and now it's go time.
For Hoosier hoops fans, that means not only qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, but making some March Madness noise. The tournament is set to expand to 76 teams, and with that in mind, qualifying for the Big Dance may be the bare minimum requirement for DeVries in Year 2.
Indiana has missed the NCAA Tournament in 8 of the last 10 years, and missing out on the action again would be a tough pill to swallow for the Cream and Crimson.
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