Indiana didn’t waste any time showing what this group can be.
In a 91-57 season-opening win over Eastern Illinois on Monday night at Assembly Hall, the Hoosiers looked comfortable from the jump and gave Year 2 of the Darian DeVries era an early jolt of momentum. Before the focus shifts to Thursday’s matchup with Bellarmine, there was plenty to pull from the opener.
The biggest shift may be up front. DeVries spent the offseason trying to fix Indiana’s size and athleticism at the 4 and 5 spots, and the additions of 6-foot-11 power forward Aiden Sherrell and 7-foot-2 center Samet Yigitoglu already look like important moves.
Sherrell finished with 9 points and 6 rebounds despite a 3-for-11 shooting night, while Yigitoglu added 8 points on 4-of-5 shooting and grabbed a team-best 7 rebounds. The two also combined for 3 blocks, and there’s a real chance they become one of the Big Ten’s best frontcourt pairs.
Indiana also got the kind of backcourt punch it needs from Markus Burton and Bryce Lindsay. Burton, the Notre Dame transfer point guard, led the team with 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting, added 2 rebounds and handed out a team-high 5 assists.
The offense is expected to run through him, and this was exactly the kind of debut Indiana wanted to see after he suffered a season-ending injury at Notre Dame last November. Lindsay, a Villanova transfer coming off the bench, was right behind him with 14 points.
He shot 4-for-9 overall and 3-for-5 from deep, carrying over the momentum he built in the exhibition games.
What stood out most, though, was how many different Hoosiers chipped in. Indiana didn’t lean on one scorer to carry the night, and the ball moved well enough to produce a balanced box score.
Trevor Manhertz scored 11, Aiden Sherrell had 9, Samet Yigitoglu and Jaeden Mustaf each finished with 8, Darren Harris and Trent Sisley scored 7 apiece, Sam Alexis added 6 and Clemens Sokolov had 2. Only two players reached double figures, but the distribution told the story: Indiana spread the offense around and found open looks without overloading one player.
Manhertz, in particular, made a strong case for a bigger role right away. The 6-foot-9 freshman scored 11 points in just 15 minutes, going 3-for-6 from the floor and 2-for-5 from three. His length and shooting give Indiana another option to stretch defenses, and it will be worth watching how DeVries uses him moving forward.
There was one setback in the opener, too. Freshman Prince-Alexander Moody, who had put together a strong offseason and was expected to make an immediate impact, did not play.
He was in street clothes and on crutches on the sideline, and Alex Lasley of On3 reported that Moody is expected to miss “an extended period of time” with a knee injury. It’s a tough loss for the freshman, and Indiana will be hoping for a quicker return once he’s healthy.
In Other News...
Indiana Backcourt Depth Already Facing A Troubling Early Setback
Indianas backcourt depth took an early hit in practice when freshman guard Prince-Alexander Moody suffered a knee injury and is expected to miss an extended period while he undergoes further evaluation. Coach Darian DeVries said Moody will be out for quite some time, a tough development for a player who was expected to help stabilize the guard rotation this season.
For a Hoosiers team trying to build out its perimeter options, the timing makes the setback sting even more. Moody was one of the freshmen penciled in to supply depth and energy in the backcourt, and now Indiana has to wait for a clearer picture before it knows how much of that plan will need to be adjusted. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Playoff Push Suddenly Centers On One Troubling Josh Hoover Question
Curt Cignettis decision to replace Josh Hoover at halftime in an overtime win over Minnesota added a new layer to Indianas playoff push, because the Hoosiers have been leaning on a quarterback whose recent play has not looked quite as sharp as it did earlier in the season. Hoover has been dealing with an unspecified injury, and the dip in his passing accuracy over the last few games has become hard to ignore as Indiana tries to keep its momentum rolling.
The concern now is less about one rough stretch than what it might mean for the stretch run ahead. Former college quarterbacks Danny Kanell and Joel Klatt both weighed in on Hoovers physical condition and confidence, and their comments only sharpened the sense that something is off. For Indiana, the bigger question is whether Hoover can get back to full form in time to keep the Hoosiers on track. [Read more 🡒]
Philip Rivers Could Leave Alabama For A Job That Changes Two Programs
Philip Rivers has surfaced as a leading candidate to replace Dave Doeren at NC State, a development that would send the former NFL quarterback from a high school sideline in Alabama to one of the more intriguing openings in the ACC. Rivers, the former NC State standout, is currently coaching at St. Michael Catholic High School, where his son Gunner Rivers plays quarterback and has already committed to the Wolfpack.
The appeal is obvious even with the obvious leap of faith. Rivers has no college coaching experience, but some around the sport see the move as the kind of bold swing worth taking for a program looking to reset quickly. For NC State, it would be a homecoming with immediate recruiting implications, and for Rivers, it would mean leaving a familiar setup in Alabama for a job that could reshape both his coaching path and his sons next stop. [Read more 🡒]