Trevor Manhertz hasn’t been on campus long, but the Indiana freshman forward is already getting a clear read on what life in Bloomington is going to demand.
The 6-foot-8 forward, who was the third player to commit to Indiana in the class of 2026, said Tuesday that the adjustment has been strong so far as the Hoosiers continue preparing for their upcoming trip to Lima, Peru, for the FISU America Games. Manhertz, who picked IU over Duke and Louisville, was one of three Hoosiers to speak with the media after practice at Cook Hall.
“I think it’s been really really good. Coming in I didn’t know what to expect other than it’s gonna be hard so I think us having practices that are hard but not like draining is really good for me just to get into college shape, college physicality.”
For Manhertz, the biggest lesson so far has been simple: stay true to himself. That mindset, he said, is tied directly to confidence, which has been the main basketball area he’s trying to sharpen in his first month with the program.
“Just be yourself. If you’re not yourself, you’re not going to be confident in what you’re doing, question everything so if you just be yourself and play with max effort, you’ll be good.”
“Really just my confidence. Like right now, new team, feel like I’m getting to know everyone but I’m not as confident as I was last year so I think just getting my confidence back up and I’ll be there.”
Indiana’s staff has been pushing him in the right ways, he said, while also making sure he knows when he’s doing things well.
“They’ve been very helpful. They tell me to shoot the ball, they tell me when I make a good play and when I make a bad play. They tell me to do it again but just make the right read out of it so I think just encouraging me to do the right things always helps me.”
That trust helped sell him on IU in the first place. Manhertz pointed to the coaching staff, and specifically Rod Clark, as a major reason he ended up in Bloomington.
“Really the coaching staff. I was recruited by Rod Clark and he what he had to say to me was really… like I could tell it wasn’t just he’s recruiting me as an athlete, he was seeing me as a person, too.”
On the court, Manhertz described himself as a player who can score and make smart decisions with the ball. He also highlighted the defensive side of his game.
“I’m a shot maker and my ability to make the right play on the offensive side is really good. My defense, my deflections, my off-ball defense, kind of good passing and stuff like that.”
The physical part of the transition has been exactly what he expected, and he’s working on adding strength and weight by leaning into the program’s nutrition plan.
“I just been eating what they give me. Shakes, food, all that, so I think it’s been really good.”
That college-level physicality has shown up most in practice battles with Indiana’s frontcourt, and Manhertz said those reps are already doing their job.
“It’s hard but I think that will only prepare me for the future this season. I think them being as big as they are helps me but also them.”
Manhertz also said the team’s chemistry has come together quickly, helped in part by the mix of personalities in the locker room.
“I think it’s gone really well. Some people are more outgoing than others.
That brings the shyer people like myself just more into each other. When that happens, we’re a lot more connected and I think that’s been what’s happening.
We’ve got a lot of connection the past couple weeks.”
Two of the teammates he’s leaned on most are Trent Sisley and Markus Burton. Manhertz said Burton has been watching his workouts and offering feedback, while Sisley has been a natural fit because they share a position group.
“Yeah, I think mainly for me, it’s Trent (Sisley) and Markus (Burton). When I was here before we started practice, Markus was working out and he would just sit and watch my workouts. When I did something wrong, he would let me know.
“I think Trent and I built a good connection. We’re in the same position group and just seeing him do the right things, I just follow him.”
He’s also been spending plenty of time with Vaughn Karvala and Prince-Alexander Moody, who are his roommates.
“Yeah, they’re my roommates, so we go out to dinner every night together. It’s been fun.”
Manhertz said the three of them fit together well on the floor, too.
“I think we complement each other very well. Prince all around, Vaughn’s all around, I’m all around. I think we all complement and go together well.”
The upcoming trip to Peru is another piece of the early experience, and Manhertz said he already has a personal connection to the country through a friend. He sees the games as a valuable way to keep building with a new group.
“I have a friend that’s from Peru so I’ve heard about it but I haven’t been. I think the trip overall is going to be really good and the game on the 15th, I think will be a good first little dip into the first home game. I think just playing all those games with a whole new team you can’t get much better than that.”
As for Darian DeVries, Manhertz said the message from the head coach has been clear and consistent.
“I think it’s very, you can tell he’s invested into the team. He wants us to be good.
He doesn’t want us to lose, he wants us to be good. So I think him just making sure we do everything right and don’t cut corners and stuff like that has been very beneficial.”
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