Indiana’s run through the FISU America Games ended the way it started: with Indiana looking a level above the competition. The Hoosiers rolled through four games in Peru and came home with gold for Team USA, piling up four blowout wins along the way.
That kind of trip naturally comes with a long list of positives. Still, the bigger takeaway is that the event also offered a few early hints about what Indiana might look like once the games start to matter.
The sample was small, the opponents were limited, and the margins were huge. But there were enough moments to leave three real questions hanging over the Hoosiers.
The first one is about how far Indiana’s commitment to selfless basketball will carry once Big Ten play arrives. Last season, Indiana ranked No. 38 nationally in assists per game at 16.6, and Darian DeVries and his staff have made it clear they want the ball moving and the defense chasing.
That showed up in Peru. Indiana swung the ball well and kept making the extra pass.
The catch is obvious: it’s a lot easier to keep firing the ball around the perimeter when the scoreboard is tilted by 40 points. The real test comes when the shot clock is tighter, the defense is set, and a good look is sitting there in front of you.
Will the Hoosiers still make the extra swing? Will they keep shotfaking a semi-open three, driving the lane and creating something even better for a teammate?
That’s the part that matters.
The second question centers on Markus Burton. His overall line in Peru - 27 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists across four games - is the kind of stat line that jumps off the page. But the shooting numbers were rough: 44.0 percent from the field, 16.6 percent from three and 66.7 percent from the free-throw line.
There are obvious reasons not to overreact. Four games is nothing, and players do hit slumps.
The competition also wasn’t the same as what Burton has seen over the past three seasons, when his game was built to pick apart complex but fairly predictable defenses. In Peru, the looks and rotations were different enough that he may not have gotten the reactions he expected, which can lead to turnovers that look worse than they are.
But there’s another layer here too. Burton has never played next to this much high-level talent, and Indiana has plenty of it. It’s fair to wonder whether he’s still figuring out how to fit with new teammates, when to push, when to distribute and how to feed the right guy at the right time instead of carrying everything himself like he did at Notre Dame.
The third question is on the defensive end, where Indiana had some shaky stretches even against clearly overmatched opponents. The level of competition at the FISU America Games was, as the source material puts it, subpar.
Even so, Indiana defenders were beaten off the dribble too often. Opponents weren’t just sneaking by with a step advantage; they were flat-out getting past Hoosier defenders.
Aiden Sherrell helped clean up plenty of that damage. He was there to block shots or make opponents think twice before taking them.
But the perimeter defense still deserves a hard look. Indiana doesn’t appear loaded with elite on-ball stoppers, and if the Hoosiers had trouble containing players in this setting, the Big Ten is going to stress that part of the roster in a hurry.
There is some context to all of it. It’s not easy to stay fully locked in when the outcome is basically decided from the opening tip.
Still, a little more defensive pride would have gone a long way. Freshman Prince-Alexander Moody was working, and that stood out.
Even with the concerns, the overall read remains pretty simple: Indiana should be fine. Moody is a competitor.
Burton plays hard and is smart. Jaeden Mustaf has the physical tools to be a shutdown defender.
Darren Harris has the defensive IQ to hold up, even if he isn’t the most athletic.
But basketball has a way of punishing even one weak link. If one Hoosier can’t survive defensively, the whole group will be forced into constant rotation and recovery. That’s how you end up living in shootouts, relying on offense to carry the night.
In Other News...
Big Ten Commissioner Just Said What Indiana Fans Already Knew
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti spent part of his latest remarks doing something Indiana fans have wanted from the wider college football world for a while now: acknowledging that last seasons run was real, not a fluke. Petitti said he was not surprised by the Hoosiers success, pointed to the way Curt Cignetti changed the program, and noted how much more energy and belief has followed around Bloomington since the turnaround took hold.
For a fan base that has lived through plenty of skepticism, hearing the league office frame Indianas rise as deserved carries some weight. Petitti also pointed to the kind of signature moments that made the season impossible to ignore, from the win over Ohio State in the league title game to the kind of plays that turned a good story into a national one, leaving little doubt that the Hoosiers have changed the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
DeVries Leaves One Crucial IU Roster Decision Hanging
As Indiana wraps up its trip to Peru, the roster picture still has one small but meaningful wrinkle. Darian DeVries confirmed the Hoosiers have one open scholarship spot, leaving them with 12 of the allowed 13 as the staff heads into its next evaluation period and decides whether the group needs one more piece before the season moves on.
The final move is still being weighed, and the options are not limited to one lane. Indiana has also left the door open to another international addition, a reminder that DeVries is still shaping this roster with some flexibility after the trip, even if the last decision is the one that could define how complete the team feels when it leaves Peru behind. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Came Back From Peru With Real Reasons For Optimism
Indianas trip to Peru gave the program something more useful than a trophy case souvenir. Representing Team USA at the FISU America Games, the Hoosiers went 4-0 and closed the event with a gold medal, but the bigger takeaway was the way several players handled expanded roles against international competition. For a team looking ahead to the 2026-27 season, that kind of live evaluation matters, especially when it comes from players who can help shape the next core.
Bryce Lindsay showed more than just his shooting touch, adding playmaking and slashing to his profile as he averaged 4.5 assists per game. Aiden Sherrell also flashed a broader offensive package, mixing in three-point shooting, downhill drives and midrange pull-ups, while Trent Sisley looked every bit the efficient connector Indiana needs with his work as a cutter, rebounder and rim-runner. The tournament did not answer every question, but it gave Indiana a clearer sense of which pieces can travel well once the competition gets a lot tougher. [Read more 🡒]