Indiana added the kind of recruit that can change the tone of a class Tuesday, when 2027 five-star center Darius Wabbington committed to Darian DeVries and the Hoosiers.
Wabbington picked Indiana over Arizona and Illinois, giving DeVries his biggest recruiting victory since taking over in Bloomington. It’s also the headliner DeVries has been waiting for: the highest-ranked high school prospect he has landed in his coaching career and his first five-star commitment.
At 6-foot-11, Wabbington comes in as the No. 13 overall player and No. 2 center in the 2027 class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He was also named to the USA Basketball U18 National Team. Indiana hadn’t signed a high school center since Logan Duncomb committed to Mike Woodson from the 2021 class, so this one lands with extra weight.
The Hoosiers had to beat out two programs with strong reputations for developing big men, and Wabbington took visits to all three finalists before making his choice. For Indiana, the payoff is obvious: a chance to build around a player who could anchor the frontcourt for years instead of leaning so heavily on the transfer portal.
That matters because Wabbington brings more than size. He’s listed at 6-foot-11 and 255 pounds, and he’s already shown he can do a lot with the ball for a player his size.
He averaged 17.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game as a junior at Sunnyslope High School in Arizona. On the Adidas 3SSB Circuit this spring, he put up 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting about 38% from three-point range.
That blend of scoring touch, passing and perimeter range is what makes him so intriguing. He can work on the low block, facilitate from the elbow or stretch the floor beyond the arc.
He’s still developing as a creator, and bigger, longer centers have given him trouble at times, but the upside is hard to miss. With a reported 7-foot-4 wingspan, he has the kind of physical tools and skill package that point toward real NBA potential.
Wabbington is also the first top-15 high school prospect to commit to Indiana since Mackenzie Mgbako in 2023. For a program trying to re-establish itself as a destination for elite frontcourt talent, that’s no small thing.
He joins four-star, top-25 recruit Chase Branham and German 7-footer Felix Kiehlneker in Indiana’s 2027 class, which could climb into the top 10 nationally with Wabbington in the fold. Branham gives the Hoosiers a perimeter piece, Wabbington brings the star power inside, and Kiehlneker adds another developmental big.
There’s still plenty that can change between now and the 2027-28 season, especially with the transfer portal shaping rosters everywhere. But Indiana already has a strong base, and everyone on the current roster, aside from Sam Alexis if he is granted an additional year of eligibility for this season, is eligible to return next year.
That means the Hoosiers don’t have to force the rest of the class. If DeVries wants another addition, though, pitching a prospect on joining a group that already includes a five-star center and a top-25 guard is a pretty good place to start.
In Other News...
Kansas Faces Its Biggest Test Yet After That Breakout Win
Kansas heads to Salt Lake City with some real momentum after that 55-0 rout of Middle Tennessee, the kind of one-sided win that can sharpen a teams confidence and sharpen the questions around it even more. Utah is waiting with a different level of challenge. The Utes are undefeated, coming off a bye week, and have built their start around a defense that has been as steady as anything in the Big 12.
It sets up a clean strength-on-strength matchup that should say a lot about where Kansas really stands. The Jayhawks have been good enough on the defensive side to belong in this conversation, but this trip will ask more of them than anything theyve seen so far, and it comes with a long history attached. Kansas has not beaten Utah in more than seven decades, which only adds to the weight of a game that already feels like a measuring stick. [Read more 🡒]
Flory Bidunga Just Added New Emotion To His Kansas Exit
Flory Bidungas departure from Kansas already had the feel of a significant roster turn, but his first public explanation in a Louisville uniform added a more personal layer to the move. The former Jayhawk and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year appeared at the ACC Basketball Tipoff and addressed why he decided to transfer after the 2025-26 season, giving a clearer look at the thinking behind a change that had plenty of people around Lawrence paying attention.
Bidunga made it plain that his exit was not about bad blood with Bill Self or the Kansas program, and he said he did not want to waste a year. He also spoke respectfully about both schools and coaches, while framing Louisville as the chance for a fresh start under Pat Kelsey, whom he described as a great coach. For Kansas fans, it leaves the move in a different light, even if the full picture of how it all unfolded still feels like it has another layer to come. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Defense Finally Gave Fans A Reason To Believe
Kansas finally had a defensive performance to point to as a real marker under Lance Leipold, and it came in a 55-0 rout of Middle Tennessee. The Jayhawks were sharp from the start, communicating well, playing with confidence and getting useful snaps from depth pieces like Dakyus Brinkley and Leroy Harris, all while keeping the Blue Raiders out of the end zone.
For a program that has spent too long waiting for proof it could consistently control a game on that side of the ball, the timing mattered almost as much as the result. The shutout offered a welcome boost before Big 12 play, and it also carried a little history with it, giving Kansas a long-awaited reminder that this defense can still deliver something fans had not seen in years. [Read more 🡒]