Indiana spent last season trying to make do in the middle, and the cracks showed up fast. Sam Alexis, at 240 pounds, was the sturdiest body in the rotation in 2025-26, but that still left the Hoosiers getting pushed around on the glass and coming up short when they tried to score with any regularity in the paint.
That lack of an interior presence shaped the offense in a big way. Indiana’s most reliable post-up options were often Tucker DeVries or Lamar Wilkerson, which left the attack leaning heavily on the perimeter and without much balance inside.
Darian DeVries saw the issue clearly, and he said on “The Sideline with Andy Katz” on Tuesday that it became a major offseason priority.
“As you go through Big Ten play, the thing that stood out was just the physicality of the league and the size that you have to have,” said head coach Darian DeVries on ‘The Sideline with Andy Katz’ on Tuesday. “
And we made that, certainly, a priority as we went into the offseason, add some depth there and make sure we have a front line that can match some of that girth and physicality throughout the year.”
That’s where Samet Yigitoglu comes in. The 7-foot-2, 270-pound transfer was added to help solve exactly those problems, alongside Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell.
“He’s just a big guy,” said DeVries to Katz. “He loves it.
He loves bringing that physicality. He loves being down in the interior, rebounding.
He loves all that stuff. He’s a great screener.
“The thing I’ve liked so far this summer is [that] he’s a great passer. He’s really played well out of some of the high-post action we love to do… I’m excited about him.
When he walks through the door, he’s legit. He’s big. 7-foot-2 and plus.
Excited to have him with us this year.”
Indiana had a “dirty work” presence in Alexis last season. He brought energy, hunted loose balls, set the kind of screens that wear on a defense and played with the toughness needed to hang in the Big Ten. But at 6-foot-9, his role had limits.
Yigitoglu brings a different kind of answer. At 7-foot-2, he gives Indiana a real force inside the arc. He can handle the physical stuff, but he also adds scoring around the rim and a defensive presence that should keep the Hoosiers from getting bullied in the paint the way they were a year ago.
There’s another layer, too. If Yigitoglu can be a useful passer from the high post, he adds another wrinkle to an offense that already has plenty of moving parts. And with DeVries praising his screening, he could also create cleaner looks for Markus Burton in the pick-and-roll.
On his own, Yigitoglu addresses several of Indiana’s biggest issues at once: rebounding, rim protection and interior size. Pairing him with Sherrell gives the Hoosiers a frontcourt that might not just survive in the Big Ten, but actually control games there.
In Other News...
Monshun Sales Just Turned Up The Pressure On Indiana Football
A major recruiting decision is coming into focus for Indiana football, and it has everything to do with Monshun Sales, the highly ranked Lawrence North wide receiver who has become one of the most important names in the Hoosiers' 2027 class. Sales has set his commitment announcement for Friday, July 17, and he will reveal his choice live on The Pat McAfee Show, putting a national spotlight on a recruitment that already carries plenty of weight for Curt Cignetti's program.
Indiana is in the mix with several bluebloods, but this one matters beyond the usual recruiting drama because Sales is the kind of prospect who can change how a class is viewed before it even takes shape. If the Hoosiers can land him, it would send a message on the trail that they can win battles for elite talent close to home and beyond, which is exactly why the coming announcement has turned into a pressure point for Indiana as much as a decision for Sales. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Entered A Recruiting Fight Hoosiers Fans Will Notice
Indiana is in the mix for one of the more coveted quarterbacks in the 2028 class, as Lukas Prock of The Hun School of Princeton has trimmed his focus to a small group of finalists. The four-star prospect is already drawing national attention, with more than 30 Power Four offers and a profile that has him among the quarterbacks everyone in the recruiting industry is tracking.
For Indiana, the encouraging part is that Prock has said the Hoosiers are among the programs standing out most to him right now, alongside Ohio State and Notre Dame. He has preferred to wait until after his junior season to make a decision, but the clock may not stay that simple if other quarterbacks start coming off the board this summer. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Nears A Program-Changing Recruiting Decision Fans Have Been Waiting For
Monshun Sales is set to put one of the biggest recruiting decisions in the 2027 class on the calendar, with the five-star wide receiver expected to announce his college commitment on July 17 during the Pat McAfee Show. For Indiana, that alone makes this a notable moment, because Sales is not just another highly rated target. He is one of the top uncommitted prospects in the country and a player with the kind of profile that can change how a program is viewed on the recruiting trail.
Sales is drawing interest from Alabama, Indiana, LSU, Ohio State and Texas, but the latest chatter has centered on a tighter race than the original list suggests. Indiana has been the Rivals Prediction Machine favorite for much of the year, while Texas has made a late push, setting up a finish that has Hoosiers fans watching closely for what could be a defining recruiting win. A commitment in Indianas favor would carry real program significance, and that is exactly why this decision has become must-see television. [Read more 🡒]