Indiana got the kind of exhibition it wanted Sunday at Hinkle Fieldhouse, and maybe the kind it needed most.
The Hoosiers rolled past Butler 96-68 in Indianapolis, using a dominant interior performance, a crowded guard rotation and a real road atmosphere to get a first look at where the second year of the Darian DeVries era stands. It was Indiana’s first of three exhibitions and its only true road game before conference play.
The clearest takeaway came in the paint. Indiana looked bigger, stronger and far more capable of controlling the glass than it did last season.
With Samet Yigitolu, Aiden Sherrell and Sam Alexis setting the tone, the Hoosiers piled up 42 points in the paint and owned the boards 53-33. They had a 17-7 edge on the offensive glass, turned that into 25 second-chance points and held Butler to just five.
And it wasn’t only the front line. Trevor Manhertz and Jaeden Mustaf each grabbed eight rebounds, part of an all-game physical presence that showed up in the post, on the glass and around the rim. Indiana’s guards were bigger than Butler’s, its bigs were able to impose themselves, and the roster construction finally looked like it matched the demands of the Big Ten.
Manhertz, in particular, kept popping.
The 6-foot-8 freshman was the only newcomer to work into the main rotation, and he made a case for more minutes right away. In 20 minutes, he posted seven points, eight rebounds and an assist, going 2-for-6 from the field and 2-for-5 from 3-point range. He also finished with a team-best plus-minus of +20.
“He knows every play,” Indiana head coach Darian DeVries said of Manhertz. “He can tell guys where to go.
He knows where to go. So there’s just a complete trust there.
He makes good decisions with the ball. He’s got great length, so he utilizes that on the defensive end, blocks shots, and rebounding.
So, I really love the progress he’s made.”
That kind of trust matters, and Manhertz earned it with how naturally he fit into the flow of the game. One exhibition doesn’t crown anyone, but he looked like more than just a depth piece.
Indiana’s backcourt, though, may be the trickier puzzle.
DeVries said it plainly: “I wish I could start with six guys.”
That’s the problem - and the luxury. Markus Burton, Mustaf and Bryce Lindsay all looked like players who could start on a good team.
Burton came out blazing, scoring 11 of Indiana’s first 13 points and finishing with 13 on 5-for-6 shooting. Mustaf didn’t shoot it well, going 2-for-10 while scoring seven, but he still flashed his versatility with eight rebounds.
Lindsay added six points on 2-for-7 shooting along with three rebounds and three assists.
Each brings something different. Burton attacks as a twitchy scorer.
Mustaf brings physicality and versatility. Lindsay plays with patience and can heat up.
Indiana now has to sort out how those pieces fit together, and how often they should be on the floor at the same time.
The setting mattered, too.
Hinkle Fieldhouse was packed, and the atmosphere felt far closer to a regular-season game than a throwaway exhibition. Butler and Indiana fans filled the building, students were loud, and the usual game-night energy was there from the start. For a team that won’t see another true road game until Dec. 7 in Iowa City, that mattered.
“It was terrific,” DeVries said. “We wanted a true road game because we don’t have one in a non-conference.
So, we wanted to be in an atmosphere. I love the fact that it was our first game.
So it was a chance for us as a staff to really see how guys are going to react in adverse conditions.
“I love the fact that Butler made a run, cut it to three at halftime and we had to respond. So, those are such invaluable things to get out of the exhibition game.”
That response became part of the value, because the game did what exhibitions are supposed to do: expose things.
Indiana dealt with foul trouble, had some issues in transition defense and didn’t force enough turnovers in the first half. The Hoosiers settled in and cleaned things up after halftime, but the point of the night wasn’t perfection. It was information.
On that front, the trip to Butler gave Indiana plenty to work with.
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Cignetti said the concept came from that Kansas era and specifically from a fourth-and-1 idea that had become one of the calling cards of Kotelnickis record-setting offense. For Indiana, it was a reminder that big moments can come from borrowed ideas as much as bold execution, and the larger question now is how often the Hoosiers can keep turning that kind of creativity into game-changing touchdowns. [Read more 🡒]
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Indiana Showed Real Promise In One Area Fans Still Cant Ignore
Indianas exhibition win over Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse offered a useful early look at what this group can already do well. The Hoosiers controlled the boards, with Aiden Sherrell pulling down nine rebounds, and they also showed some promising perimeter touch in a 96-68 victory that gave plenty of reasons for optimism before the games start counting.
Still, the same outing also reminded everyone of a familiar concern. Multiple players found themselves in foul trouble, and that kind of issue can quickly limit rotations and disrupt rhythm once the competition tightens, even as Indianas shooting from deep and contributions from Darren Harris and Markus Burton point to a team with more offensive balance than it has had in recent years. [Read more 🡒]