To say that IU basketball is off to a good start with its 2026 roster rebuild would be an understatement.
Second-year coach Darian DeVries has filled six of his nine roster openings, and the early returns indicate the Hoosiers have one of the nation’s best transfer portal classes.
On3’s algorithm measuring net roster improvement via the portal, comparing transfers in vs. out, says Indiana has the nation’s No. 1 class. 247Sports’ model, measuring only additions, says IU is No. 2.
Those rankings have misled IU fans in the past.
But here are two things that are not misleading.
The current 10 players on Indiana’s roster, including all six transfers, will arrive with multiple years of eligibility remaining.
And all six transfers arrive with high major experience, including five with extensive experience as high major starters.
With so many seniors, DeVries’ first Indiana team was always going to be a one-hit wonder, if an 18-14 team can fit that description.
But every single player currently slated to be on the 2026-27 team has at least two years remaining. Sure, they’ll all have the option to enter the portal a year from now, and some probably will do just that. But there’s now also a real chance for DeVries to build something over the course of multiple seasons.
Notre Dame transfer Markus Burton is next season’s likely starting point guard. He has 68 starts under his belt, all with the Irish. Burton will be a senior this upcoming season, but he appears to have a favorable fact pattern for obtaining a fifth year via a medical hardship waiver related to his 10-game 2025-26 campaign that ended prematurely due to injury.
Villanova transfer Bryce Lindsay started 31 games this year and he has played in a total of 41 games with a high major team. He too is likely to obtain a medical waiver — if he doesn’t already have one. He was listed as a redshirt sophomore this past year by Villanova. So he should have two years remaining as well.
Alabama transfer power forward/center Aiden Sherrell has played in 70 games with 34 starts, all with the Crimson Tide. He has two years of eligibility left.
Georgia Tech transfer wing Jaeden Mustaf has played in 55 games with 33 starts, all with the Yellow Jackets. He has two years remaining as well.
SMU transfer center Samet Yiğitoğlu has played in 66 games, all starts with SMU. He has two years remaining.
Duke transfer guard Darren Harris is the lone exception when it comes to experience. He hasn’t started a game, but has played in 57 contests over the last two years — all with a Duke program that won 70 games over that span with a roster stacked with NBA-caliber talent.
In addition to the six transfers, Indiana returns Trent Sisley, who played in 30 games this past season and has three year of eligibility remaining. And the Hoosiers have three freshmen coming in (Vaughn Karvala, Trevor Manhertz, Prince-Alexander Moody) who all obviously have four years ahead of them.
All of this guarantees nothing, of course.
But it is clearly a roster that sharply contrasts DeVries’ first at Indiana, when he had seven transfers from the mid-major ranks and six seniors among his top-seven scorers.
Now DeVries appears on track to have a much better team in year two — with a real opportunity to build something special in year three.
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