ROSEMONT, Ill. – One man is no longer Indiana Men’s Basketball’s plan heading into the 2026-2027 season.
The Hoosiers were described as “one-dimensional” a year ago, as Lamar Wilkerson led the squad in scoring, averaging 20.9 points per game, and at times last year looked like the only bright spot on Darian DeVries’s first team at Indiana. Wilkerson is gone now, and Indiana is a new-look roster yet again, bringing in 11 new faces, seven of which are transfers. This year, the Hoosiers have multiple scoring options, and DeVries knows his squad is built with intent to contend with the upper echelon of the Big Ten Conference.
“There’s just a lot more versatility, and a lot more depth,” DeVries said Thursday at Big Ten Media Days. “One night it could be one of seven guys to go get 20, so we can really spread that out.”
The depth is most noticeable in the frontcourt. Indiana brought in a standout forward from the SEC, adding 7-foot Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell, who averaged 11.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Sherrell is the highest-rated transfer portal addition the Hoosiers made in the offseason; the junior took a massive leap in production last year in Tuscaloosa, and DeVries raved about his presence.
“There’s definitely an emphasis right now about having that size and rebounding.” DeVries said. “We were able to get big, especially at the 4 and 5, with Aiden; he still has the skill to give us the spacing that we love to. For us, it was a perfect fit.”
The Hoosiers continued to solidify the paint with the addition of 7-foot-2 center Samet Yigitoglu from SMU, who brings the size necessary to compete at the highest level in the conference. Finally, Indiana brought back Sam Alexis for his fifth season of college basketball, albeit after a lengthy court process; Alexis is currently eligible for 2026. For an Indiana squad that ranked 13th in the Big Ten in total rebounding last year and second-worst in the conference in offensive rebounding, a fresh look in the frontcourt gives DeVries a lot of optimism for 2026.
“We have more size; we are more able to secure defensive rebounds,” DeVries said. “Now, if a guy’s not on, we have other guys that we can go to on the bench. It gives us way more opportunities to survive an off night.”
The Hoosiers have also retooled the backcourt with the key arrivals of Markus Burton, who averaged 18.5 points per game at Notre Dame last season, along with Darren Harris from Duke, Jaeden Mustaf from Georgia Tech, and Bryce Lindsay from Villanova. The new-look Hoosiers seem to be leaning towards Burton, Sherrell, and Yigitoglu as the early starters. As the Hoosiers navigate the exhibition slate, it will be worth noting who steps into the final two starting roles, as Lindsay, Mustaf, and Harris have yet to separate themselves in the preseason.
Burton, an Indiana native, only played in ten games for the Irish last season, and in three seasons in South Bend earned two All-ACC selections and ACC Rookie of the Year plaudits. DeVries knows he has a capable weapon, with Burton carrying most of the scoring burden for the Hoosiers.
“Markus Burton scores. That’s the option he brings,” DeVries said. “He’s an elite-level scorer; he can get to the rim. He has an incredible mid-range. We call that his superpower.”
Harris has caught the coaching staff’s eye, too.
“The biggest thing you’re going to see from Darren Harris is just his ability to shoot the ball,” DeVries said of the transfer guard. “He’s very similar to Lamar last year; like when he hits one or two, there are three, four, or five coming very quickly.”
Finally, you can’t talk about this 2026 Indiana team without mentioning the group of freshmen coming into Bloomington. DeVries’s first full high school recruiting class contains four players, the most since 2022. The class includes three top 115 players in the country: Vaughn Karvala, Trevor Manhertz, and Prince Alexander-Moody.
The freshman trio had a productive off-season, easing into college basketball with Indiana’s summer trip to Peru. The fresh faces got early playing time and still have plenty of room to grow in DeVries’s eyes.
“Our freshmen have shown some great moments. They’ve also shown some freshman moments,” DeVries said Thursday. “What I love about them, they are incredibly coachable. They come to learn. They have a smile on their face every day; they just love competing.”
Questions still remain around this Indiana roster. Two starting spots need to be filled, and 11 new faces still need to get acclimated in Bloomington. Indiana fans can rest easy knowing the roster has the necessary depth to avoid forcing one player to carry the squad. With more size inside, more perimeter shooting, and a freshman class still finding its footing, Indiana enters the season with options it lacked a year ago. Questions will be answered when the exhibition slate starts on Sunday, as the Hoosiers travel to Hinkle Fieldhouse to take on Butler at 6:30 p.m. ET live on WISH-TV.
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