Indiana’s push for one of the nation’s top big men is down to the final three.
Five-star center Darius Wabbington has trimmed his list to Indiana, Illinois and Arizona, according to Sam Kayser of League Ready. The 6-foot-11, 255-pound prospect out of Phoenix has already taken official visits to all three schools over the past month, starting with Indiana before moving on to Illinois and then Arizona.
Wabbington is rated No. 13 overall in the 2027 class and No. 2 among centers in 247 Sports’ composite rankings. He’s also listed as the No. 9 overall prospect in the @SCNext 100.
Indiana still has a few more steps left in the process, but Wabbington’s place on the shortlist is a major development for Darian DeVries and his staff. If he lands in Bloomington, he would become the first five-star recruit of the DeVries era and the first top-15 prospect to commit to the Hoosiers since Mackenzie Mgbako in 2023.
That’s the kind of talent that changes the ceiling of a class in a hurry. Indiana already has Chase Branham, the No. 30 player in the 2027 class, committed, and adding Wabbington would give the Hoosiers a headliner with real star power.
The fit is obvious. Wabbington brings three-level scoring, playmaking for a player his size and the kind of versatility that can bend an offense. He can give Indiana another post option, another creator and another threat who can stretch the floor and keep defenses honest.
There’s also a bigger picture here. Indiana may not need a huge haul in the 2027 cycle, with only two fifth-year players on the 2026-27 roster, but a commitment from Wabbington would make Bloomington even more appealing to other prospects. And if DeVries can keep Aiden Sherrell and Samet Yigitoglu around for another season, the Hoosiers could end up with one of the Big Ten’s best frontcourts.
That’s where Wabbington’s value really pops. He’s the type of player who makes lineup decisions harder in the best possible way. Pair him with Sherrell or Yigitoglu, and Indiana would have a front line with size, skill and real flexibility.
His official visit schedule is not done, either. Wabbington still has trips lined up later this fall to North Carolina and Texas.
In Other News...
Rutgers Gave USC A Real Fight And Indiana Fans Should Notice
Rutgers opened its 2026 season with a loss to UMass and still sits at 1-3, but the Scarlet Knights have shown enough fight in recent weeks to make people pay attention. Against Boston College and then USC, Rutgers was competitive in ways that matter for teams around the Big Ten, with quarterback Dylan Lonergan, running back Antwan Raymond and wide receiver KJ Duff each helping keep the offense moving.
For Indiana fans, the bigger takeaway is less about Rutgers record and more about the style of game it brought to USC. The detailed breakdown of that matchup showed the Scarlet Knights finding answers on offense and making the Trojans work for everything, which is the sort of performance that can travel in conference play. Even if the final result still leaves Rutgers in a hole, the recent stretch suggests this is not a group opponents can afford to take lightly. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Fans Have A New Recruiting Weekend To Obsess Over
The recruiting calendar is already giving Indiana fans another reason to keep one eye on the scoreboard and the other on the travel schedule. Chase Branham, the future Hoosiers guard, is in Las Vegas this week for the Wootten 150 basketball camp, while several other top Indiana targets are spread across the Border League event, where a number of highly regarded prospects with Hoosiers offers are also competing.
For Indiana, the appeal is obvious: these fall runs offer a fresh look at players the staff is still sorting through, and a chance to watch them in a setting packed with talent. Darius Wabbington, who has already taken an official visit to Bloomington, is among the names to keep tracking as he works through his college options, which gives this weekend a little extra weight for a fan base that has been waiting for the next recruiting wave to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces One Big Road Test Beyond Rutgers This Week
Indianas first road trip of the season arrives with the kind of early Big Ten stakes that can tell you a lot about where a team is headed. At 4-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play, the Hoosiers have looked efficient on offense, piling up big gains both through the air and on the ground while Rutgers has had trouble keeping opponents out of the end zone and away from turnovers. The matchup gives Indiana a chance to show its start can travel, which is always the first real test for a team trying to turn a hot opening into something more lasting.
The bigger question for Indiana may be how it manages the backfield if Turbo Richard is not ready to go after a recent injury. Richards status is still uncertain, and that puts extra weight on Lee Beebe Jr., who would be expected to handle a major share of the work if needed. For a team that has built momentum with balance and efficiency, the road game becomes a little more complicated if one of its key runners is limited, and how the Hoosiers answer that challenge could say plenty about their depth moving forward. [Read more 🡒]