If Indiana is going to make real noise in Year 2 of the Darian DeVries era, the freshmen can’t just be along for the ride. The transfer portal group will carry plenty of the load, but the rookies are going to have chances to matter early. Right now, Vaughn Karvala is making a strong case that he’s ready for that stage.
Karvala has been one of the most impressive Hoosiers in the FISU America Games in Peru, and Thursday’s performance against the U.S. Virgin Islands was the kind that grabs attention fast. The 6-foot-7, 170-pound freshman forward led all scorers with 32 points in Indiana’s 120-63 win, and he did it by showing off the full range of what he can do.
He was dangerous in every direction. Karvala attacked the rim, finished with authority, and delivered one of the game’s biggest highlights with a coast-to-coast dunk late in the first quarter. He also scored off the dribble and buried shots from deep, knocking down seven three-pointers in the game.
That kind of shooting is exactly the sort of thing DeVries is built to appreciate. His offense leans heavily on outside shooting, and if Karvala keeps spacing the floor like this, he’s going to put himself in position to earn minutes early this fall.
Of course, July basketball in the FISU America Games won’t tell the whole story about how he’ll be used once the real season starts. But as a first look at college basketball, Karvala has looked every bit the part of a player worth watching.
Indiana fans had reasons to be intrigued when he arrived in Bloomington. According to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Karvala came in as the No. 23 power forward and No. 62 overall player in the country.
So far, the tools are showing up on the court. His athleticism jumps out immediately, and his motor gives him a chance to impact both ends of the floor.
Like most freshmen, he’ll need to add strength before he’s ready to battle consistently with the size and power that Big Ten frontcourts throw around. But the upside is obvious, and the early returns suggest he could be one of the newcomers who helps Indiana right away.
Karvala’s prep path took him from Oregon High School in Wisconsin to Bella Vista Prep in Arizona. He broke Oregon High School’s all-time scoring record in only three seasons, then helped Bella Vista Prep win multiple championships this spring, including the Nike EYBL Scholastic Conference Championship and the Chipotle Nationals at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, IN.
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