IU basketball gave fans a quick sneak peek at the 2026-27 edition of the Hoosiers on Friday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Below are some quick notes and observations from the open scrimmage.
We won’t mention every player because we’ve covered them extensively during summer practice and the Peru trip.
Consider this a quick overview of what stood out above and beyond the summer.
— The small number of fans who attended were treated to some competitive basketball. There was trapping, full court pressure, heavy half court ball pressure, contests at the rim, and physicality.
If you know anything about Darian DeVries, you know his guys go hard when they’re on the court. They didn’t waste this opportunity. This was no “Hoosier Hysteria” type of scrimmage. The team worked on getting better.
— Aiden Sherrell is a good shooter. He’s a true inside-out threat. He has good instincts as a rim protector too. You probably already knew all of this, but Friday night just provided another glimpse. His size really stood out too. Did you know IU lists him at 7-feet now? He’s at least close to that, but clearly every bit of his listed 250 pounds. He looks strong. If he’s playing the four, Sherrell is going to be a force, including on the offensive glass going against smaller fours.
— Samet Yigitoglu’s ability to seal his man in the paint and then finish over him with a soft touch is a real weapon, and a luxury IU hasn’t had in years. Dare I say it reminds me a bit of Zach Edey? Not saying he’ll have anywhere near Edey’s impact, but he knows how to use his massive frame. Yigitoglu looked more fit and athletic than the summer practices we watched. And he played with more physicality. His motor stood out. He’s going to get a lot of putbacks on the offensive glass.
— Fans are really going to like Jaeden Mustaf. He’s tough-minded, physical, and at 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, he can be disruptive on defense, and get to his spots off the bounce offensively. He’ll be a guy who does the dirty work and makes the gritty type of high-impact plays on both ends.
— Bryce Lindsay is a let it fly from anywhere sniper. I’m reminded of Devonte Green often when I watch him. He took multiple threes from 25 feet out and beyond. By my unofficial count he made five threes. He’s going to have some huge games, and probably some head-scratchers too.
— Speaking of Mustaf, Lindsay and Darren Harris, which two start among those three will be interesting to watch when IU faces Butler next Sunday. You can make a case for all three, but there are only two spots along with Markus Burton, Sherrell and Yigitoglu.
— For anyone wondering, Sam Alexis was there and played. He’s been practicing all along as he navigates his legal battle to play a fifth year. I got a quick laugh when IU introduced him as a fifth-year senior, since that’s central to his entire push to play this year. The “fifth-year” was almost like a yeah, we see you NCAA. Alexis showed off some solid footwork and a soft touch. He’s pretty much the ideal third leg in the big man rotation. He can really help this team.
— This was our first chance to see freshman center Clemens Sokolov from Germany. He’s listed at 7-feet and 265 pounds. That seems directionally accurate. He has legit size. Still, he was bullied a bit by the 7-foot-2 Yigitoglu. The biggest question might be Sokolov’s athleticism. He needs to develop there. Sokolov does appear to have a soft shooting touch and a good foundation to build from. He could help IU in a pinch, but you probably won’t see him a great deal as long as Yigitoglu, Sherrell and Alexis are all healthy.
— We have to note, Drew Snively is a very talented walk-on. He made several noticeable plays. Probably scored 8-10 points. He could be playing college basketball somewhere on scholarship.
— When IU worked on doubling the post, multiple big men struggled to get the ball out. That looks like it’s still a work-in-process, and it will matter when the Hoosiers play high major competition.
— It was a small moment, but freshman guard Prince-Alexander Moody got pulled 30 seconds into the scrimmage. It looked like DeVries was taking an opportunity to teach his young player something. Moody went back in and made some threes. He’s going to be able to help this team.
— Freshman wing Vaughn Karvala was out with an injury. It doesn’t appear to be anything major. He was on site and walking around normally. We don’t expect him to be out long. This is a much healthier team than last year at this time. 12 of 13 scholarship players saw the floor. Some may recall in 2025 IU was down to eight scholarship players and decided to end the scrimmage early when Jasai Miles started cramping.
For highlights from the action, GO HERE:
Highlights: IU basketball’s 2026 Cream and Crimson scrimmage
For complete coverage of IU basketball, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- You can follow us on X: @daily_hoosier and find us on Facebook and Instagram
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
