Indiana left Hinkle Fieldhouse with a comfortable 96-68 exhibition win over Butler on Sunday night, and the first preseason look offered an early snapshot of what Darian DeVries’ roster might look like when things start getting real.
The Hoosiers got 13 points apiece from Markus Burton, Samet Yigitoglu and Darren Harris, while Aiden Sherrell led the way on the glass with nine rebounds. Beyond the final score, three names stood out in particular.
Markus Burton wasted no time showing why Indiana wanted him in the fold. After transferring in from Notre Dame following three seasons there, he came out aggressive and efficient, knocking down his first five shots and drilling three 3-pointers in the opening half. All told, he scored 13 points in just 10 minutes before foul trouble changed the rhythm of his night.
Burton also showed a willingness to attack the lane and punish transition chances, finishing a couple of easy layups after getting downhill. But the whistle caught up to him.
He picked up two fouls in a one-minute stretch with seven minutes left in the first half, then returned only to collect his third a minute into the second half. A technical foul later in the game ended his night early.
In the frontcourt, Indiana looked like a team with real size and some actual fit. Sherrell and Yigitoglu both arrived through the transfer portal, and DeVries clearly believes they can anchor this group. At 7-foot-2 and 7-0, respectively, they give the Hoosiers a massive interior pairing, and Sunday showed why that combination has so much appeal.
Yigitoglu handled the scoring load inside, opening 5-for-6 from the field in the first half. Sherrell did the dirty work on the boards, grabbing seven rebounds before halftime and even forcing a jump ball midway through the opening period. Their chemistry isn’t brand new either; the two had already begun building it during IU’s trip to Canada this summer.
Behind them, freshman Trevor Manhertz is already making noise in the rotation. He joined the Hoosiers a year early after reclassifying from the Class of 2027, and he looked comfortable alongside the second unit, especially in the paint with fifth-year Sam Alexis. Manhertz was active on the boards, piling up eight rebounds in 20 minutes, and his shot selection leaned heavily outside the arc - five of his six attempts came from 3-point range - as he finished 2-of-6 from the field.
For one preseason game, that was enough to reveal a few things: Burton can score fast, the frontcourt has size and balance, and Manhertz may already be pushing for a real role.
In Other News...
Khobie Martin Could Solve An Indiana Backfield Problem Soon
Indianas backfield has been pieced together for much of the early season, and Khobie Martins absence has been a big part of that. The running back suffered multiple breaks in his right forearm in the first quarter of the season opener, and Indiana had initially expected him back around midseason. Since then, the Hoosiers have had to shuffle bodies to get through the position, including moving freshman linebacker Henry Ohlinger into the running back room because of the injuries.
Curt Cignettis latest update offered a more encouraging picture, with Martin now nearing a return to action. For a position group that has been stretched thin, getting closer to full strength matters, especially as Indiana tries to stabilize its rotation and regain some depth. Martins comeback would not solve everything at once, but it would give the Hoosiers a much-needed option in a spot that has been under pressure since opening night. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Biggest Ohio State Concern Just Became Hard To Ignore
Curt Cignetti had plenty to sort through after Indianas road win at Nebraska, and much of the conversation quickly turned to what comes next. The Hoosiers escaped Lincoln with a victory, but Cignetti pointed out the kinds of issues that tend to matter even more against a team like Ohio State, from missed defensive assignments to a running game that never really got comfortable because of the game conditions and Nebraskas defense.
The focus now shifts to a matchup that demands cleaner football, and Cignetti did not shy away from noting the scale of the challenge. He singled out Buckeyes receiver Jeremiah Smith as an exceptional player, a reminder that Indianas margin for error is going to be thin when the nation's elite show up on the schedule. The Hoosiers have reason to feel good about the win they just earned, but they also know the next test will expose every lapse that was manageable a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces One Harsh Reality Ahead Of Ohio State
Indianas recruiting progress is real, and it is showing up in the way its roster stacks up against the rest of the Big Ten. The Hoosiers have upgraded their talent base for 2025 and 2026, but a position-by-position look at the 247Sports composite data still makes clear how far they have to go to match the kind of depth Ohio State has built over time.
The gap is not just about the top-end names, either. Ohio States roster simply has more highly ranked recruits and far fewer players without rankings, which is the sort of difference that tends to show up when the teams finally line up on the field. For Indiana, the trip into that matchup offers a useful snapshot of progress, but also a blunt reminder that recruiting climbing is not the same thing as closing the distance. [Read more 🡒]