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    Tuesday, October 21

    Puerto Rico in focus: Thoughts on IU basketball forward Trent Sisley

    Mike SchumannBy IU Basketball 7 Comments
    Photo credit - Indiana Athletics

    The Daily Hoosier spent a week in Puerto Rico in connection with IU basketball’s summer tour, and had several opportunities to see the team in action.  Since nothing was televised or streamed, we are going to go player-by-player to share our thoughts on what we saw, and what to expect from Indiana’s 2025-26 roster.

    Next up is senior forward Trent Sisley, who arrived in Bloomington this summer as a true freshman via Montverde Academy and Santa Claus, Ind.

    SISLEY BY THE NUMBERS

    MPG – 22.0
    PPG – 11.3
    FG% – 58.3%
    3FG% – 60.0% (10 attempts)
    FT% – (no attempts)
    RPG – 3.0
    APG – 1.7
    TOPG – .7
    SPG – .7
    BPG – .7

    WHAT STOOD OUT

    Right off the bat what stood out is Sisley’s early role on this team.  He was one of the first players off the bench in each game, and a regular in the rotation.  At least in August, he was clearly ahead of Josh Harris on the depth chart.  Perhaps when Nick Dorn is healthy that will mix things up a bit, but Sisley still looks like he’s going to play meaningful minutes.  Indiana is relatively thin in the front court.

    What we saw and wrote about at IU’s open practice — that Sisley doesn’t look like a freshman — translated to games against a Mega Superbet squad with respectable talent and length.  Sisley will be able to withstand the physicality and athleticism in the college game right away.

    Obviously Sisley’s three-point shooting pops off the page.  To be fair, he was 3-of-3 against the lesser opponent in game one, but still 3-of-7 over the final two games.  Most of his threes came from the corner, a spot where he appears to be very confident.  Those shots will likely be available for Sisley this year.  He’s put a lot of work into his jump shot over the last few years, and arrives in college as a legitimate shooting threat.

    Also with Sisley, the effort level is never going to be in question. He has a great motor. There was one play in the third game where the ball was loose about 20 feet away from him.  He took off full speed, dove head first, landed on the ball, and went flying into the IU bench.  This was an August exhibition game, but his competitive instincts took over.

    Is he going to be a year one star?  Probably not.  But can Sisley contribute at the high major level as a true freshman?  I don’t think there’s any doubt.

    NEED TO SEE MORE

    Sisley looked the part of a high major college basketball player at open practice.  He looked the part against respectable competition in the final two games in Puerto Rico.  How will he fare when IU plays Marquette, Louisville and Kentucky early in the season?  And in the Big Ten?  Those aren’t questions you ask just about Sisley, but about any freshman.  His year spent playing at Montverde seems to have helped prepare him for those moments.

    At around 6-foot-7, Sisley would probably work best as a high major three.  He’s clearly developing in that direction, but he’ll be tested in different ways when playing either the three or the four against top competition.

    And the long 30-plus game grind can wear down some college freshman.  Sisley will no doubt have his share of highs and lows along the way.

    QUOTABLE

    “Trent has done a really good job this summer,” IU coach Darian DeVries said in Puerto Rico.  “Like a lot of freshmen, you come in and you’ve got a lot to learn and a lot to grow into.  But I think his adjustment to college basketball has been really good.  He’s done a nice job of continuing to grow and getting better and better, and I think that’s something he’s going to continue to do.  He puts a lot of time and work into it, and what you saw is  a product of all the work he’s put in this summer.”

    MORE COVERAGE

    Puerto Rico in focus: Thoughts on IU basketball’s offense, defense and other big picture observations

    For complete coverage of IU basketball, GO HERE. 

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