Indiana basketball is spending July in a place it usually never is: in the middle of real games, and winning them in a hurry.
Playing for the USA at the FISU America Games in Peru, the Hoosiers have rolled through the field with three lopsided victories to reach the championship game. They opened by crushing the tournament hosts 115-36 in pool play, then followed that with a 120-63 win over the US Virgin Islands to take Group B. On Saturday, Indiana kept the pressure on in the semifinals and beat Chile 107-40 to move on to the title game, where the opponent will be the same US Virgin Islands team from earlier in the week.
After the first win, Indiana picked up a surprise reinforcement in Sam Alexis, who contributed to last year’s IU team. Head coach Darien DeVries spoke after the opening victory over Peru, and Inside the Hall posted highlights after each game as the action streamed on YouTube. Updated stats are also available.
The basketball news didn’t stop there. Indiana also learned about two more notable non-conference games before Big Ten play begins.
The biggest addition is a Nov. 17 matchup with Arkansas and John Calipari at Madison Square Garden in New York. That game joins already announced dates with Syracuse on Nov.
9, Kentucky on Nov. 20, and Missouri on Dec. 18 as the major tests ahead of conference play.
The Hoosiers are also taking advantage of the NCAA’s allowance of three exhibition games. Indiana added a road exhibition at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse on Oct. 11, giving the program another tune-up before the season starts.
That game joins previously announced exhibitions against North Carolina on Oct. 18 and Western Kentucky on Oct. 25 in Evansville. The North Carolina and Syracuse games will be played in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, while the Kentucky matchup will be in Lucas Oil Stadium on Nov.
On the football side, Curt Cignetti added another big recruiting win. After landing elite wide receiver Monshun Sales, Indiana picked up a commitment from 2028 quarterback prospect Lukas Prock, a top-100 national player in his class. Prock chose the Hoosiers over Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State.
There was also more preseason football coverage this week as Inside the Hall continued its position-by-position look at the roster. This installment focused on the offensive tackles, interior offensive line, and tight ends.
Beyond the two main revenue sports, the Back Home Network had multiple shows on the air during the week, and the Hoosier Roundup included a staff addition for women’s basketball. Sammy Smith joined the program as the team and recruitment analyst, and field hockey also signed a future recruit.
In Other News...
Another Indiana Commitment Just Sent A Bigger Message About Cignetti
Indianas recruiting momentum keeps building, and the latest sign of it came from the quarterback position. Lukas Prock, a four-star prospect in the 2028 cycle, has already given Curt Cignetti another early win on the trail, a move that says as much about where Indiana is headed as it does about the player himself.
Procks commitment fits the broader pitch Cignetti has been making: that the program has a direction, a standard and enough stability to convince top talent to buy in early. Indiana has been stacking notable recruiting victories lately, including the addition of five-star receiver Monshun Sales and a wave of blue-chip 2027 prospects, and Procks decision only adds to the sense that the Hoosiers are starting to look like a place where elite recruits expect the growth to continue. [Read more 🡒]
Several Hoosiers Are Making A Statement Before Indiana Heads Home
Indianas trip to Lima has turned into a useful summer showcase, with IU basketball representing the United States and rolling through the FISU America Games without a loss. The Hoosiers won Group B, then backed it up with a lopsided semifinal win over Chile, putting together a clean run that has given the program a chance to see several players make an early statement before the group heads back to Bloomington.
Aiden Sherrell has been one of the steadier producers in the event, averaging 16 points and seven rebounds through three games, while Prince-Alexander Moody has added a balanced line with scoring, playmaking and perimeter shooting. Indiana has one game left in Peru, and the way these performances carry over into the final will be worth watching once the Hoosiers return home. [Read more 🡒]
Marcus Freeman Just Admitted Indiana Football Changed Everything In State
Indiana footballs title run has already started to ripple well beyond Bloomington. The national championship trophy made a stop at IUs satellite campus in South Bend, a fitting backdrop for a program that just delivered the first national title by an Indiana team since 1988 and suddenly has the states football conversation turned in its direction.
Marcus Freeman has noticed, too. In a recent interview, the Notre Dame coach acknowledged Indianas success and the influence it can have on the sport, a notable nod from a rival whose program has long loomed large in the state. The timing matters for IU, which has also picked up commitments from notable recruits as the momentum around the program continues to build. [Read more 🡒]