Fans of Indiana basketball have been let down for the greater part of the last decade. The Hoosiers have failed to make the NCAA Tournament in eight of the last 10 years, which has IU fans desperate for a strong turnaround in Year 2 of the Darian DeVries era in Bloomington.
There is reason for optimism, as DeVries has spent the early days of the offseason bringing in a talented group of transfers. The portal additions of PG Markus Burton (Notre Dame), SG Jaeden Mustaf (Georgia Tech), G Darren Harris (Duke), SG Bryce Lindsay (Villanova), C Samet Yigitoglu (SMU), and PF Aiden Sherrell (Alabama) give Indiana a well-rounded core group of players that have complementary skill sets.
March Madness has become March Access for Darian DeVries and Indiana
Furthermore, all six of those players have multiple seasons of high-major experience, which is a stark contrast from DeVries' portal approach last offseason. Those portal moves are receiving plenty of hype, as IU's portal class is ranked No. 3 in the country by On3.
As great as DeVries' haul of transfers is looking, Indiana's 2026-27 roster looks even better when looking at the incoming recruiting class.
Indiana's talented incoming recruiting class raises the ceiling of what's possible next season
Indiana's incoming recruiting class features a trio of 4-star players: SF Vaughn Karvala, SF Trevor Manhertz, and CG Prince-Alexander Moody. All three players are included in the updated Rivals Top-150 Recruiting Rankings, and all have the potential to make immediate impacts during their respective true freshman seasons.
Speaking with the media on Thursday, DeVries discussed his high hopes for IU's incoming group of prospects. "I'm really excited about them," DeVries said. "I think all three of those guys have a chance to come in and contribute."
Darian DeVries on the incoming freshman: "I'm really excited about them. I think all three of those guys have a chance to come in and contribute." #iubb
— Kyler Staley (@kylerstaley) May 7, 2026
Karvala is the highest-ranked player in the group, as he comes to Bloomington ranked as the No. 61 overall player in the Rivals Top-150 Rankings. He owns a 6'6" 175-pound frame and can do a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor. Karvala is also extremely athletic and can stretch the floor with reliable three-point shooting.
Manhertz comes in ranked as the No. 75 overall prospect in the Rivals Top-150. At 6'8" 185 pounds, he has the biggest frame of the three IU commits. Indiana's frontcourt got a major facelift with the additions of Yigitoglu and Sherrell, and rising sophomore Trent Sisley will be back next season. Thus, it will be interesting to see how DeVries utilizes Manhertz in the frontcourt rotation.
Combo guard Prince-Alexander Moody's scoring prowess gives IU fans a lot to be excited about. He can score in a variety of ways, and given the fact that the Hoosiers are losing each of their top-seven scorers from last season, the door could be open for Moody to see substantial minutes early on next season. Burton figures to be the starting point guard, but Moody could be a solid backup option at that position. Moody is ranked No. 101 on the Rivals Top-150 Rankings.
As it stands, Indiana's 2026-27 roster has a solid mix of transfer additions and talented incoming freshmen. All six transfers have proven high-major abilities, and if Karvala, Manhertz, and Moody can find steady production and be reliable forces, then Indiana's ceiling gets even higher for next season.
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