Indiana’s offseason makeover has brought size to Bloomington, but Darian DeVries isn’t buying the idea that the Hoosiers sacrificed shooting to get it.
The second-year IU coach said the roster still has plenty of firepower from deep, and he pointed to one newcomer in particular as a player who has already stood out in summer workouts. With Lamar Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries gone after combining for 521 three-point attempts last season, Indiana has a lot of long-range production to replace. Still, DeVries sounded confident about the group he has assembled.
“I like this group’s shooting,” DeVries told Andy Katz. ” I think we have great depth there as well.
I think Darren Harris has looked really good in our workouts so far this summer. He’s done a lot of things similar to Lamar in our workouts.
So that’s exciting because we all know how Lamar could fill it up.”
That matters because IU leaned heavily on the three last season. More than half of its field-goal attempts, 50.5%, came from beyond the arc, the highest rate in program history by a wide margin. The Hoosiers ranked 14th nationally in three-point volume and hit 34.7% from long range, their second-best mark since Tom Crean was coach.
But this year’s roster looks different. DeVries made a point of adding Big Ten size, bringing in 7-foot-2 Samet Yigitoglu and 6-foot-11 Aiden Sherrell. With those two in the frontcourt, plus slashers like Markus Burton and Jaeden Mustaf, it would not be surprising if Indiana doesn’t match last season’s 28.3 threes per game.
Even so, DeVries listed several players who can stretch the floor. Burton and Bryce Lindsay both drew mention as proven shooters, with career marks of 33.2% and 37.7% from three, respectively. He also said freshmen Prince-Alexander Moody, Vaughn Karvala and Trevor Manhertz have been making shots this summer.
Harris is the name that jumps out most as a possible Wilkerson-type boost. He has made 28 college threes so far in two seasons, so the volume is nowhere near Wilkerson’s yet.
But DeVries’ comments suggest the staff sees real upside there. Harris also told The Daily Hoosier last month that he noticed the confidence the coaches had in Wilkerson, who averaged 20.9 points per game last season and became just the second IU player to make 100 threes in a season.
DeVries also singled out Mustaf and Sherrell, saying they have been shooting “very well” and “incredibly well,” respectively. Mustaf, a 6-foot-6 Georgia Tech transfer, has hit 37.2% of his threes across two college seasons, though he has done it on just 86 attempts.
Sherrell, meanwhile, arrived in Bloomington with the idea that he could develop into a pick-and-pop option. He has made 33.6% of his threes on 122 attempts over two seasons at Alabama.
There’s plenty of projection in all of this, but the outline is clear enough. If Harris takes a jump, if Mustaf and Sherrell keep knocking them down, if Burton and Lindsay stay steady, and if a freshman or two chips in, Indiana’s shooting could still be a real strength even with the roster’s new size.
In Other News...
Respected IU Board Member Walks Away As Bigger Concerns Grow
James Fielding, an Indiana University alumnus and three-term member of the IU Foundation board, is stepping away after deciding not to seek a fourth term, a move that lands at a sensitive moment for the university. Fielding said his concerns have grown around how the administration has handled questions from the board, along with the broader pressures now shaping higher education, and he pointed to frustrations over diversity and inclusion efforts as part of that unease.
Fielding also tied his departure to the shifting political climate around IU governance, where state actions have altered who holds influence inside the universitys leadership structure. Even as he leaves the board, he said he plans to keep supporting IU through other philanthropic channels, a sign that his break is with the institutions direction rather than the school itself. [Read more 🡒]
Trevor Manhertz Just Gave IU Fans An Early Reason To Watch
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Manhertz said the biggest change so far has been the physicality of college basketball, but he also sounded encouraged by the support system he has found on campus. He pointed to the coaching staff and to teammates such as Trent Sisley and Markus Burton as people helping him settle in, and the upcoming international run should give him and IU an early chance to build chemistry in a real game setting before the seasons bigger questions arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Recruiting Momentum Is Starting To Take Shape This July
Indianas first July evaluation period is already giving Darian DeVries and his staff a chance to get around and see the next wave of targets in person. The Hoosiers were at the adidas 3SSB event, where they took in a busy slate of games and continued the early work of building out relationships with prospects across multiple classes, a process that matters even more with a new staff trying to establish itself quickly.
The trip also included a look at Indiana commit Chase Branham, giving the Hoosiers a live check on a player already in the fold while the rest of the board keeps coming into focus. With DeVries and his assistants expected to keep moving from event to event through the evaluation period, the bigger question is how many of those in-person sightings turn into real traction once the summer circuit settles down. [Read more 🡒]