Indiana’s exhibition against Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf offered an early look at what could become the Hoosiers’ calling card in 2026-27: the frontcourt.
That’s where Aiden Sherrell made the biggest imprint Wednesday. The Alabama transfer finished with 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting, added a team-high three blocks and tied for the team lead with six rebounds. He looked comfortable operating in multiple spots, whether Indiana was using him in pick-and-roll action or letting him pop out for shots.
“Our thing with Aiden is we want him to be that guy that just does everything and getting him to be in that position where he’s got the ball a lot on the perimeter, he’s got the ball inside, he can take advantage of mismatches. I think you saw a little bit of it tonight.
… There’s really not a lot he can’t do,” IU head coach Darian DeVries said after the game. “Our thing for him is just to be that dominant guy every night.
That’s what we’re challenging him to be, is every night out we know that we’re going to be able to rely on him.”
Sherrell wasn’t the only big man who gave Indiana reason to feel better about its interior options. Samet Yigitoglu, the SMU transfer IU has been looking for in recent years, brought size and physicality, finishing with six points and five rebounds. He only showed a slice of what he can do, but even that was enough to hint at why Indiana has wanted this type of player for so long.
The Hoosiers have tried to piece together frontcourt combinations in recent seasons, hoping to find the right mix. Wednesday didn’t answer every question, but Sherrell and Yigitoglu gave Indiana something it has lacked: a pair of bigs who could fit together and matter.
Another player who stood out was freshman Prince-Alexander Moody. It’s always risky to read too much into preseason action from a first-year player, but Moody made a strong first impression. He drew multiple ovations from the crowd and finished with 13 points on 5-for-11 shooting, along with five steals.
“What I love about him, he just plays hard. That’s No.
1,” DeVries said. “That’s what gets you production.
That’s what gets you on the floor. And he certainly showed that tonight.”
Moody brought energy, activity and a willingness to make plays. He also showed a vocal edge that isn’t usually part of a freshman’s package this early. Whether he becomes a rotation piece this season is still to be determined, but he already looks like the kind of player fans gravitate toward.
“His motor, his talk - so to speak - is nonstop, on and off the floor. He’s fun.
He loves the game. He loves competing,” DeVries said.
“It was great to see him out there. And I thought he gave us a great spark off the bench.
I thought the last couple of weeks his play has really improved as well. He’s getting more confident in what he’s doing and understanding it.”
Indiana’s 3-point percentage - 27.5 percent - won’t jump off the page in a good way, and Bryce Lindsay was a big reason for that after going 1 for 6 from deep. But the bigger picture was more encouraging than the number itself. IU’s guards helped generate open looks, and that’s the part that matters most this early.
Lindsay, Darren Harris and Markus Burton all looked steady in the backcourt, even with Jaeden Mustaf unavailable. They showed the kind of passing and shot-creation Indiana needs from its guards, both for themselves and for others. The shots didn’t always fall, but the process was there.
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