After watching Indiana win five games over the last two weeks all by more than 30 points, it would be easy to overreact and conclude the Hoosiers are bound for greatness in 2026-27.
Let’s be completely clear – none of those games provided a glimpse of what Indiana will face in the Big Ten this season, or even what they’ll see against mid-major teams.
But the summer of 2026 has provided a unique opportunity.
The Daily Hoosier has seen this new-look IU basketball squad play those five games plus three more closed practices. Even with all of the new faces, we’ve got a good sense for what to expect from coach Darian DeVries’ second team in Bloomington.
Here’s a summary of the five scholarship underclassmen after observing them extensively over the last six weeks.
Trent Sisley – The constants from the summer — Sisley is stronger, more confident, and he’s shooting the ball better. His competitive wiring and motor are never in doubt. Sisley will probably never be a high volume scorer, at least not on a consistent basis. The offense isn’t going to run through him, and he’ll make the right basketball decisions when he does have the ball. He’s more of a glue guy — and that’s something every team needs. The interesting thing to watch unfold will be his role. Is he a three or a four in high major games? Matchups and his impact off the bench game-by-game might determine his minutes. But the bottom line — he’s an asset to the program in many ways.
Prince-Alexander Moody – Watching Moody this summer eliminated any concerns about this team needing a third primary ball handler. Along with Markus Burton and Bryce Lindsay, Moody is ready to go. And he’s versatile. At 6-foot-4 he provides some positional height IU is missing at the one, but he can also slot in at the two or three. Moody is skilled, plays at a nice pace and can get to his spots off the bounce, has good court vision, and he’s a good shooter. For a freshman, he’s physically solid. He exudes confidence, and he’s going to play plenty in year one. The road will be bumpy, of course, but Moody appears to be ready to compete against high major competition.
Vaughn Karvala – At 16.3 per game, he led the team in scoring in Peru. No one saw that coming. The path to playing time as a freshmen seems more clear, even if he still doesn’t project to have a massive role in year one. He’s a very good athlete. He plays hard. He can shoot threes well, at least in catch-and-shoot and trailing in transition scenarios. Karvala can provide a spark off the bench. His shooting splits in Peru pop off the page — 71.4% overall, 57.9% from three, 80% from the stripe. What remains to be seen — He’s very thin. How well can he hold up against high major physicality, and how well can he defend against those teams? His development should be accelerated by going against Indiana’s starters every day in practice.
Trevor Manhertz – From the standpoint of mechanics, Manhertz has the best looking perimeter jump shot on the team. Down to the spin on the ball, every aspect of his shot is pure. And at around 6-foot-9, he’ll be able to get that shot off with just a little space. He shot 50% from three in Peru. Of course in scouted games, he’ll quickly get tagged as a shooter and will need to prove he can do more offensively. He’ll also need to show he can deal with high major size and physicality. Manhertz averaged nearly five rebounds a game in Peru, but he doesn’t stand out as much in practice going against the starters. But with great length, the potential is there as he keeps getting stronger.
Clemens Sokolov – The 7-foot freshman from Germany has not yet joined the team and thus remains a complete wildcard. No one is expecting him to arrive on campus and carve-out a big role, but at the very least, it certainly doesn’t hurt to add more size to practice. He’ll provide a fourth player to the mix who is 6-foot-10 or taller.
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