Indiana’s 2026-27 roster gives Darian DeVries something the Hoosiers didn’t really have a year earlier: options. A lot of them.
That matters after a 2025-26 season in which Indiana leaned too hard on Lamar Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries. The roster was thin, the burden was heavy, and opponents could simplify the scouting report.
Make Wilkerson and DeVries choose between forcing contested looks or giving it up. Either way, Indiana usually came out on the short end, which helped explain the NCAA Tournament miss.
This group should look different. DeVries is set to have depth, talent, and enough lineup flexibility to keep teams guessing. Here are three combinations he could turn to in different stretches of games, each with its own clear identity.
One possibility is a fast, downhill group built to stress defenses in space: Markus Burton, Prince-Alexander Moody, Jaeden Mustaf, Vaughn Karvala and Aiden Sherrell.
That five would have plenty of juice in transition. Burton or Moody could push the pace, Mustaf would be a natural target on the break, and Karvala gives Indiana a rim-running, lob-catching presence who can also drift to the wing and stretch the floor.
In the halfcourt, all four perimeter players can get to the basket, while Sherrell adds another option as a trailer, a floor-runner or a drop-off target. The shooting is there, too, enough to keep help defenders from loading up.
And on the other end, it has the look of a serious defensive unit.
Another lineup leans into size without sacrificing balance: Markus Burton, Bryce Lindsay, Trevor Manhertz, Aiden Sherrell and Samet Yigitoglu.
Any group with Sherrell and Yigitoglu in the frontcourt should be strong on the glass and tough to score on at the rim. That part is obvious.
What makes this version interesting is the spacing and decision-making around them. Burton and Lindsay bring playmaking, Sherrell can step out and hit from deep, and Manhertz adds a freshman who plays with feel and poise.
His ability to serve as a connector would be a big part of what makes this unit click.
The third option is the most switchable and maybe the most awkward for opponents to guard: Prince-Alexander Moody, Jaeden Mustaf, Darren Harris, Trent Sisley and Aiden Sherrell.
Moody, at 6-foot-4, would be the shortest player on the floor. Beyond him, Mustaf, Harris and Sisley all have the kind of size that could let Indiana switch across most positions, even if ultra-quick lead guards might give Sisley some trouble. Sherrell still gives the Hoosiers an interior anchor.
Offensively, this group could create problems everywhere. Mustaf might draw an undersized two-guard, Sisley could end up against a slower forward, and the mismatch possibilities run all the way across the lineup. Harris’ three-point shooting would help pull defenses apart, opening space for the others to attack the rim.
In Other News...
Power Four Coach Takes Another Shot At Indiana's Rise
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz used his turn at SEC Media Days to take another swipe at the Big Tens non-conference setup, voicing frustration that those teams are not required to line up an autonomous four opponent before league play begins. The comments landed as part scheduling complaint, part broader jab at a conference that has spent the last few years hearing plenty about its football rise, including from programs outside the league that would rather point to the calendar than the scoreboard.
For Indiana fans, the larger point is hard to miss. The Big Ten has had the SECs number in recent postseason matchups and has won the last three national championships, while the SEC has not reached the title game in that span. Even with the conference moving to a nine-game league schedule this season, the argument over strength of schedule is still being settled on the field, and Drinkwitzs latest shot only adds another layer to that familiar debate. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Got Its First Real Freshman Rotation Tease
Indianas exhibition win over Collge Jean-de-Brbeuf offered the first real glimpse of what the backcourt might look like once the games count, and it came from a freshman who wasted little time making himself noticeable. In 17 minutes, he showed the kind of burst and activity that can change the feel of a second unit, mixing playmaking with enough defensive disruption to stand out in a game Indiana controlled from start to finish.
The bigger takeaway for the Hoosiers is how quickly the guard rotation could become interesting if that early showing carries over. With Markus Burton set to handle the lead role, Indiana has been looking for someone to settle in behind him, and this was the kind of debut that at least hints at a freshman ready to claim real minutes. The athleticism was obvious, the pressure on the ball was constant, and the next step is seeing whether that energy translates once the competition stiffens. [Read more 🡒]
New Look Hoosiers Get First Real Test Representing Team USA
Indianas summer basketball trip now has a little more weight to it than a typical tune-up. The Hoosiers are headed to Lima, Peru, where they will represent the United States at the FISU America Games from July 20 through Aug. 1, giving Darian DeVries an early chance to see how a reshaped roster handles real competition together. With a mix of transfers, returning pieces and incoming freshmen, this is less about polishing one lineup and more about learning what the new-look group can become.
The first test comes quickly with group play against host Peru, and the path only gets more interesting from there as Indiana works through the opening round before the elimination stage begins. The roster makeup is part of the intrigue, with several new faces joining the program and a small core of holdovers helping bridge the transition. For a team trying to establish an identity under a new coach, this trip offers a useful first look at chemistry, depth and how much progress has already been made. [Read more 🡒]