The moves that Darian DeVries has made in the transfer portal so far this offseason are garnering plenty of praise.
The six new players that DeVries has added to Indiana's 2026-27 roster through the portal make up the No. 1 transfer portal class in the country according to  On3's College Basketball Team Transfer Portal Rankings.
Furthermore, Rodney Knuppel of Busting Brackets has Indiana as the No. 1 portal winner so far this offseason.
There's a lot to like about IU's 2026 portal haul thus far, but there is one component of the class that has Hoosier fans fired up the most.
Darian DeVries' portal moves don't feel like quick fixes
Last offseason, DeVries approached his first portal window in Bloomington targeting experienced all-league players from the mid-major level. Of the 10 players he brought in, zero players had multiple seasons of experience at the high-major level and only four had multiple years of eligibility remaining.
Those moves could be qualified as quick fixes. Now, after a disappointing 18-14 season that resulted in missing out on the NCAA Tournament, none of those ten players are coming back to Bloomington next season. That left DeVries and his staff with a ton of work to do in rebuilding Indiana's 2026-27 roster from the ground up.
But DeVries has learned from his previous strategy and made the necessary adjustments to find a portal class that possesses a strong mix of high-major experience and future eligibility. In fact, all six of IU's incoming transfers all have multiple years of high-major experience and all have multiple years of eligibility remaining.
Furthermore, this year's portal class feels more complete.
Notre Dame transfer Markus Burton gives the Hoosiers a bonafide scoring stud who can create offense on every possession. Additions on the wings with Villanova transfer Bryce Lindsay, Duke transfer Darren Harris, and Georgia Tech transfer Jaeden Mustaf all bring different skill sets that complement each other well. Down low, Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell and SMU transfer Samet Yigitoglu have the potential to be among the best frontcourt combinations in the Big Ten.
Michigan's latest portal commit spells bad news for Darian DeVries and Indiana
At least on paper, all of those moves seem to mesh well. There's a mix of scoring prowess, rebounding, rim protecting, physicality, and shot-making that gives Indiana fans a lot to be excited about. Unlike last year's portal class where DeVries seemed to be grasping at straws, there is now a real foundation in place.
Add in the fact that all six portal additions have multiple years of eligibility remaining, and Indiana's sustainability for 2026 and beyond seems to be in a lot better shape than it was at this time last year.
DeVries has a few more roster spots to fill, so be sure to follow along with the latest developments using our 2026 Indiana Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker.
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