The Indiana Hoosiers enter the transfer portal window with a lot of needs.
Indiana's graduating class accounted for nearly 78% of the minutes played and 84.1% of the scoring from this past season, and three players have already decided to test the portal waters. That leaves Darian DeVries and his staff with a lot of work to do in re-structuring Indiana's roster for the 2026-27 season.
Former top Indiana target on the market again, and Darian DeVries needs to act
DeVries learned a lot about life in the Big Ten this season. By his own admission, the first year Hoosier head coach was surprised by the size and physicality of Big Ten power forwards and centers. Indiana lacked the size and athleticism to keep up with opposing players at the 4 and 5 positions in 2025-26, which played a big role in IU missing out on the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season.
DeVries is looking to change that during the offseason.
Darian DeVries needs to find a true center in the transfer portal
The biggest need for DeVries and the Hoosiers in the transfer portal is a true center. Perhaps a big power forward will do, but in the Big Ten, it helps to have a reliable and dynamic center to turn to down low on both ends of the floor.
The Indiana offensive attack was far too one-dimensional this season, and an inside-out game was hard to come by. Lamar Wilkerson was left to carry the load in the back court, and while he put together a strong season ranking second in the Big Ten scoring 20.9 points per game, a true post presence would have complimented his game extremely well.
Furthermore, having a true center to control the glass would help IU in a major way next season. This past season, the Hoosiers finished the regular season ranked 13th in the Big Ten with 32.4 total rebounds per game.
In addition, IU ranked dead last in the conference with 8.2 offensive rebounds per game. That isn't going to cut it in the Big Ten. Getting those second chance opportunities is vital, and the Hoosiers were simply left with far too many one-and-done trips.
DeVries has already stated that building the front court is a top priority for the offseason. Plenty of solid options are available, and Hoosier fans are hoping he delivers in a big way.