Indiana University Athletics
NOTEBOOK: Versatility Highlights Transformed IU Roster
6/4/2026 12:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Versatility matters in 21st Century basketball. The best teams, the title winning teams, have big guys who play like guards and guards who own the paint, with everybody a 3-point threat.
These Indiana Hoosiers, the second under coach Darian DeVries, have all of that on their 16-player roster.
"The No. 1 thing about this roster," DeVries says, "is there's just a lot of versatility to it. Every night there can be a different way that we can attack you.
"We can get in the paint a little bit more (than last season) so we can kick out spray. We can post mismatches a little bit more. We have some more size in the interior for rebounding at both ends of the floor.
"On paper, I'm excited about the way it all came together."
Excited is highlighted by guard Markus Burton from Notre Dame, 6-foot-11 forward Aiden Sherrell from Alabama and 7-foot-2 Samet Yigitoglu. They are part of one of the nation's best transfer portal classes. The Hoosiers also have sophomore forward Trent Sisley, the only returner from last season's 18-14 team.
It's a roster well suited to DeVries' spread-the-floor approach.
"I don't think the philosophy changes (from last year)," he says. "You utilize your components and try to play to their strengths, but we're still going to spread the floor and do all those things. We just have more versatility in what we're able to do and focus on.
"We'll still be heavy on 3s, but now we have more guys that can get paint touches, more guys that we can put in the post. So, you can mix up the way you can attack defenses a lot more. It gives you a chance to not only rely on 3s. A lot of nights that caught up to us last year. The versatility overall and the way that we can score is going to be something we're excited about."
*****
With the upcoming Peru trip in sight, DeVries and his staff have a summer practice plan that began Monday with player workouts. DeVries says coaches have the structure "pretty well mapped out."
"It would be working out in small groups and individual groups and then coming together with some team workouts. It allows us so much more practice time, even film sessions and things where you can really take your time, be a little more detailed in everything you do because you're not just up against the clock all the time. I'm excited about what that does for us here in the summer."
As far as implementing the offense and defense on a roster that includes 12 new players, DeVries adds that, "when you have so many new guys, some of that's just seeing how quickly they can pick things up. If they can pick stuff up fast, you can put more stuff in. If it's not, maybe you slow it down.
"Again, being able to have more time to be able to do that stuff is exciting for us to get this summer in. Then you've got obviously the whole fall to finish up the rest of it."
******
IU boosted its backcourt with six college transfer guards, including Bryce Lindsay and Jaeden Mustaf.
The 6-foot-3 Lindsay played 72 games at Texas A&M, James Madison, and Villanova, averaging 11.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Last season at Villanova, he averaged 2.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists for a team that reached the NCAA tourney.
The 6-foot-6 Mustaf started two years at Georgia Tech, averaging 9.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. Last season, he averaged 10.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. He shot 38.9% from 3-point range.
"I think the number one thing is they're both uber competitive," DeVries says. "That's the thing that I think stands out the most when you talk to them. I think you'll see it.
Then, they're very confident but humble in what they do. They've both been very productive. They have high aspirations for what they want to accomplish.
"They're both different players in what they do. They give us some good firepower at both ends of the floor. We're really excited about them."
******
Curt Cignetti's unprecedented football turnaround success at Indiana -- a 27-2 two-year record with Big Ten and national championships -- has turned up the heat on every coach in every sport in America. For DeVries, it's all good.
"Our goal is to win every game we play, so that's what we want it to be," he says. "Every time we line up and play, we expect to win. We are going to do everything we can to put ourselves in that position.
"Like I've always said, at the end of the year, you hope those wins are what you want them to be. You hope you're winning a national championship. Only one team gets to do that a year. That's something that I think every school is striving to do and we're no different."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Versatility matters in 21st Century basketball. The best teams, the title winning teams, have big guys who play like guards and guards who own the paint, with everybody a 3-point threat.
These Indiana Hoosiers, the second under coach Darian DeVries, have all of that on their 16-player roster.
"The No. 1 thing about this roster," DeVries says, "is there's just a lot of versatility to it. Every night there can be a different way that we can attack you.
"We can get in the paint a little bit more (than last season) so we can kick out spray. We can post mismatches a little bit more. We have some more size in the interior for rebounding at both ends of the floor.
"On paper, I'm excited about the way it all came together."
Excited is highlighted by guard Markus Burton from Notre Dame, 6-foot-11 forward Aiden Sherrell from Alabama and 7-foot-2 Samet Yigitoglu. They are part of one of the nation's best transfer portal classes. The Hoosiers also have sophomore forward Trent Sisley, the only returner from last season's 18-14 team.
It's a roster well suited to DeVries' spread-the-floor approach.
"I don't think the philosophy changes (from last year)," he says. "You utilize your components and try to play to their strengths, but we're still going to spread the floor and do all those things. We just have more versatility in what we're able to do and focus on.
"We'll still be heavy on 3s, but now we have more guys that can get paint touches, more guys that we can put in the post. So, you can mix up the way you can attack defenses a lot more. It gives you a chance to not only rely on 3s. A lot of nights that caught up to us last year. The versatility overall and the way that we can score is going to be something we're excited about."
*****
With the upcoming Peru trip in sight, DeVries and his staff have a summer practice plan that began Monday with player workouts. DeVries says coaches have the structure "pretty well mapped out."
"It would be working out in small groups and individual groups and then coming together with some team workouts. It allows us so much more practice time, even film sessions and things where you can really take your time, be a little more detailed in everything you do because you're not just up against the clock all the time. I'm excited about what that does for us here in the summer."
As far as implementing the offense and defense on a roster that includes 12 new players, DeVries adds that, "when you have so many new guys, some of that's just seeing how quickly they can pick things up. If they can pick stuff up fast, you can put more stuff in. If it's not, maybe you slow it down.
"Again, being able to have more time to be able to do that stuff is exciting for us to get this summer in. Then you've got obviously the whole fall to finish up the rest of it."
******
IU boosted its backcourt with six college transfer guards, including Bryce Lindsay and Jaeden Mustaf.
The 6-foot-3 Lindsay played 72 games at Texas A&M, James Madison, and Villanova, averaging 11.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Last season at Villanova, he averaged 2.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists for a team that reached the NCAA tourney.
The 6-foot-6 Mustaf started two years at Georgia Tech, averaging 9.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. Last season, he averaged 10.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. He shot 38.9% from 3-point range.
"I think the number one thing is they're both uber competitive," DeVries says. "That's the thing that I think stands out the most when you talk to them. I think you'll see it.
Then, they're very confident but humble in what they do. They've both been very productive. They have high aspirations for what they want to accomplish.
"They're both different players in what they do. They give us some good firepower at both ends of the floor. We're really excited about them."
******
Curt Cignetti's unprecedented football turnaround success at Indiana -- a 27-2 two-year record with Big Ten and national championships -- has turned up the heat on every coach in every sport in America. For DeVries, it's all good.
"Our goal is to win every game we play, so that's what we want it to be," he says. "Every time we line up and play, we expect to win. We are going to do everything we can to put ourselves in that position.
"Like I've always said, at the end of the year, you hope those wins are what you want them to be. You hope you're winning a national championship. Only one team gets to do that a year. That's something that I think every school is striving to do and we're no different."
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