Indiana’s exhibition arrives with a few things already becoming clear in practice: Markus Burton is running the show, Bryce Lindsay looks very much like a scoring threat, and several newcomers are pushing for real minutes.
Burton, the 6-foot, 190-pound point guard, has been the most reliable player getting downhill. He kept finding ways into the paint with the dribble and repeatedly created angles to feed centers Samet Yigitoglu and Aiden Sherrell.
His speed and quickness stand out, but so does the control. When the ball is in his hands, he looks fully in command, and there’s no mystery about where he stands in the lineup.
Burton is IU’s starting point guard, and that part is settled. The former Notre Dame guard, who led the ACC in scoring as a sophomore, gives the Hoosiers a major boost at the position.
Lindsay, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound combo guard, brings a different kind of punch. His calling card is shot-making, and that reputation is built on real volume: a career 38 percent 3-point shooter on 477 attempts.
He also showed he can handle some backup point guard duties. In practice, he looked comfortable with the ball, used his head and shoulders well to deceive defenders, and delivered a few sharp lob passes out of short rolls from the bigs.
The 3-ball came and went, but when he got rolling, it was obvious. He looks like a strong candidate to start.
Sherrell, a 6-foot-11, 255-pound power forward, already has a clear defensive identity. He led the SEC in blocked shots as a sophomore at Alabama, and his rim protection and shot blocking remain his biggest impact skills.
But there’s more to the story now. He hit 3s in multiple situations during practice, and word around the campfire is he has been shooting it very well from deep lately.
That has shown up in the practices Peegs.com watched this month. He also worked on dribble moves and passing out to shooters for 3s, and he showed good hands when stepping out on the perimeter to defend.
Yigitoglu, the 7-foot-2, 280-pound center from SMU, looked every bit the big man. He was working on making passes to shooters for 3s after taking two- and three-dribble moves, and he appears to be in better shape than he was last season.
His screens are massive. And when he and Sherrell go at it, it’s a show.
They battle hard enough that it feels worth the price of admission.
Darren Harris, a 6-foot-5, 195-pound wing, has been one of the better floor-spacing looks in practice. He has the kind of 3-point shooting ability that can change a possession, and he looked more like the Darren Harris from his Team Takeover/Paul VI days.
He had a strong cut for a score off a Yigitoglu pass in 5-on-5 and knocked down multiple catch-and-shoot 3s. He also looks like a contender to start.
Trent Sisley, the 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward, has continued to show improvement. He looks better laterally on perimeter defense than he did before, and he shot the ball well from 3-point range again.
At this point, he looks like the first frontcourt player off the bench. Across the practices Peegs.com has watched, Sisley has looked legitimately improved from his freshman season.
Jaeden Mustaf, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound wing, brings energy and athleticism to the defensive end. He adds a physical presence on the wing that IU did not have last year.
He will need to clean up some of the drives that run him into too much defensive congestion, which can hurt his scoring chances. Even so, he is a very versatile defender.
Prince-Alexander Moody, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard, stood out as the freshman who looked most ready defensively. He positions himself well and moves well on that end for a first-year player.
He also knocked down a catch-and-shoot 3 from well behind the arc in 5-on-5. There’s a maturity to the way he carries himself and plays.
Right now, he looks like a freshman who can get minutes and very well could be in the rotation. He went head-to-head with Burton some at point guard in 5-on-5, and he did not look out of place in a high-major practice.
Vaughn Karvala, a 6-foot-7, 190-pound wing, is still working on being more consistent when squaring up defensively. Offensively, he can really fly in transition.
He hit a pull-up jumper in 3-on-3, got a nice tip-in, and his rebounding looked good for a freshman in this practice. In high school, he could get hot from the arc.
Trevor Manhertz, a 6-foot-8, 185-pound wing, has more development ahead of him, especially with his handle against active defenders on the perimeter. He did make a strong defensive play against Sisley inside during 1-on-1s, hit a pull-up 3-pointer in 3-on-3, and grabbed a competitive rebound in 5-on-5. He’ll need time to add strength, but over his college career his shooting from distance should become a weapon.
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