Indiana’s clearest path to unlocking its 2026-27 roster might be the simplest one: get out and run.
That wasn’t really the identity in 2025-26. Indiana had a half-court team built around Lamar Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries, both at their best when the possession slows down, and lead guard Conor Enright wasn’t exactly built to race the floor.
The numbers reflected that reality. The Hoosiers finished No. 324 nationally in fastbreak points at 7.25 per game, and their adjusted tempo sat No. 249 out of 365 teams, according to KenPom.
The next version of this roster looks very different, and it should push the staff toward a different style.
Darian DeVries has spent eight seasons as a head coach, and only one of his teams at Drake - the 2018-19 group - finished in the top 100 in tempo, landing at No. 94.
But he has also never coached a roster with this much speed and transition juice. This group is loaded with players who can turn a rebound, turnover or long miss into instant offense.
Markus Burton is one of the most obvious candidates to thrive in space. He didn’t often play in an up-tempo system at Notre Dame, but his speed, vision and feel all point to real fastbreak value.
Bryce Lindsay brings a different kind of pressure. The Villanova transfer can push the ball himself, something he recently showed in Peru, and he can also spot up on the wing and punish defenses as a transition shooter. Duke transfer Darren Harris gives Indiana another player who can do that same job.
Then there’s Jaeden Mustaf, who looks tailor-made for a faster game. The transfer has already played in a quick system at Georgia Tech, which ranked No. 25 in adjusted tempo in 2025-26, and he brings a rare mix of speed, vertical burst, strength and instinct in the open floor. His quick, creative post-gather moves make him especially dangerous once the defense is scrambling.
Freshman Prince-Alexander Moody should add another layer off the bench. He can run the break, and he’s especially useful in grab-and-go situations after rebounds, which fits a player who is also a tough rebounder. Moody can finish for himself or set up teammates once he gets downhill.
The frontcourt pieces fit, too. Aiden Sherrell spent last season at Alabama, the fifth-fastest team in the country, and he’s already an experienced rim-runner.
Samet Yigitoglu, the 7-foot-2, 270-pound big, is not going to be the main engine in transition, but he can keep pace; SMU ranked No. 122 in adjusted tempo in 2025-26. And when Yigitoglu is off the floor - especially if Sherrell shares the front line with sophomore Trent Sisley - Indiana should have even more chances to play on the move.
Whether DeVries and his staff fully lean into that style remains to be seen. But the roster is pointing them in one direction, and it’s hard to ignore: this Indiana team looks built to live in the open floor.
In Other News...
Purdue's New AD Just Handed Indiana Fans Fresh Rivalry Fuel
Tommy McClellands introductory press conference as Purdues new athletic director had the kind of line that can travel fast across a state line. In a setting meant to introduce a new administrator, he took a shot at Indiana with the remark, If you dont want to win championships, go to Indiana, a jab that landed with a mixed reaction from the audience and instantly pushed the old rivalry back into the spotlight.
For Indiana fans, it was the sort of public needle that keeps Purdue-Indiana animosity humming in both football and basketball. Rivalry trash talk is nothing new around these programs, but it usually comes from the usual places, not from the fresh face running the other schools department. McClellands comment gave Hoosier supporters an easy new talking point, and it ensured his debut in West Lafayette will be remembered for more than introductions. [Read more 🡒]
Purdues New AD Just Gave Indiana Fans A Reason To Laugh
Tommy McLellands introductory press conference as Purdues next athletic director was always going to get attention, but the moment that really traveled came when the Rice hire made a pointed remark aimed at Indiana. McLelland is set to replace Mike Bobinski in January 2027, and his first public day in the role quickly became about more than his background as Rices athletic director since 2023.
For Indiana fans, it was the kind of stray line that turns a routine administrative introduction into rivalry fodder in a hurry. Purdue had hoped to spotlight the future of its athletic department, but McLellands jab gave Hoosier supporters an easy counterpunch and another reminder that even off the field, the states biggest sports tension never stays quiet for long. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Still Has One Big Sell For Top In-State Guard
Jason Gardner Jr. has already drawn a crowded list of suitors, but Indiana still has a natural edge that no other program can match. The four-star 2027 guard from Fishers High School is a top-60 prospect with eight schools in the mix, and for the Hoosiers, the conversation starts with geography, familiarity and the chance to keep one of the state's best young players home.
The fit is easy enough to see on the floor, too, because Gardner brings the kind of guard skills Indiana can always use as it looks ahead to its next roster build. The larger question is what that roster will look like by the time he arrives, and whether Indiana can turn its in-state appeal into something more concrete before the rest of the field closes in. [Read more 🡒]