IU basketball opened its doors to the media for practice Thursday afternoon.
The Daily Hoosier was in attendance for a first look at the rebuilt 2026-27 roster.
Below are some quick notes on each scholarship player who participated.
Of course this was just one 90-minute session, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to draw any significant conclusions.
This is just an opportunity to serve as your eyes and ears for one afternoon in June. We’ll refine and expand these thoughts in later open sessions.
Aiden Sherrell (6-foot-11, Alabama) looks like a versatile defender. He has quick feet and very long arms. He will allow IU to switch more on the defensive end, and his length will bother guards and wings. On offense he sets up a lot on the perimeter and should give Indiana a pick-and-pop option like they haven’t had in a while. Sherrell doesn’t hesitate to let it fly from three. He can do a lot from those perimeter catches, including backing his man down and straight-line drives when he has the angle. He’s physical. He battles. If there was one player who caught my eye the most, it was Sherell. He looks like a future pro.
Markus Burton (6-foot, Notre Dame) gets to the paint. This particular day wasn’t his best finishing when he got there, but Burton has a body of work at the high major level that leaves you unconcerned. The paint touches are what matter. That will set up both him and his teammates for scoring opportunities. Coming off a December injury he probably still needs to shake off some rust, which he’ll have plenty of time to do this summer and fall.
Darren Harris’ (6-foot-5, Duke) quick release is what stands out more than anything. He’s one of those shooters who just needs a hint of space and the ball is out of his hands. He has a great opportunity to step into the Lamar Wilkerson role in the offense.
Samet Yigitoglu (7-foot-2, SMU) is exactly who you think he is. He’s big, he’s physical. The hope is he becomes highly efficient in the paint. The lob and put-back opportunities will be there. He’ll certainly give IU a paint presence on defense. When he was going against Sherrell he made him work. Could he hit an occasional three? He’s just 1-of-6 in two college seasons. But his shot mechanics are respectable. He might let a few fly.
Jaeden Mustaf (6-foot-6, Georgia Tech) plays under control and has a nice pace to his game. That allows him to get into paint and finish through contact. You can see him utilizing that strength when defenses focus on Burton’s drives or Indiana’s shooting and post threats. He adds a nice dimension in that regard, and showed some vocal leadership too.
Trent Sisley (6-foot-8, sophomore) is the lone returning player from last year’s team. You could tell he was comfortable with the flow of practice, and perhaps playing a bit looser and more confident. Sisley made just about every three he took during live competition, and he added a fadeaway that appeared to be from the Tucker DeVries repertoire. He looked like the early freshman season version of himself who made an impact on multiple games with cuts, effort and shooting.
Prince-Alexander Moody (6-foot-4) looks like he belongs. It’s just one day, but you see a freshman contributor out there. He definitely has the look of a confident shooter with deep range, and he made most of his shots from long range on this day. Moody looks dialed-in and wired to compete. He seems unfazed by the transition to college.
Vaughn Karvala’s (6-foot-7, freshman) speed and athleticism should translate. He dunks in situations where you’re not necessarily expecting it, including some eye-catching finishes. Moody called him the best freshman athlete in the country. He sprints ahead for transition threes, and he looks like he’ll be a good shooter. His mechanics are certainly on point. It will be interesting to see how Big Ten size impacts his thin frame, especially on drives and defense.
Trevor Manhertz (6-foot-8, freshman) will need some time to get stronger and adjust to the speed of the game at this level. But you can see the foundation of a skilled wing with good positional length. He’s a good shooter but wasn’t making them on this day. We’ll keep an eye on that. It was probably just an off day.
Justin Monden (6-foot guard, Maryland Eastern Shore) should really help Burton and the other guards prepare. While he’s not expected to have a big role during games, Monden has the speed and athleticism to make the practices more productive.
German center Clemens Sokolov is not yet with the team.
Just because it was interesting to note, IU President Pam Whitten was in attendance for a portion of the practice. Well known as a sports fan, she sat and watched quietly for around 30 minutes.
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