Indiana University Athletics
Mustaf Brings ‘Swiss Army Knife’ Impact
7/6/2026 12:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Don't limit Jaeden Mustaf. He won't. Mention defense to this 6-foot-6 junior wing out of Georgia Tech and he concedes nothing, including how many positions he can guard.
"My top thing has always been defense," he says from the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall locker room. "It's something I take a lot of pride in. I don't want anybody scoring on me. That's something I'll bring no matter where I am, even if I'm outside at a park somewhere. I will bring that."
A crisp Indiana practice has just concluded, and much of it centered on defense. Last year's area of concern looms now as a potential strength. Mustaf should play a major role.
He says he can defend point guards through power forwards, "and if we're playing small ball, I can play 1 through 5 (center)," he adds with a laugh. "I think I can be very impactful. I'm a very versatile player. I can do a lot of different things. I've played a lot of different roles in my life."
The addition of imposing shot-blockers 7-foot-2 Samet Yigitoglu out of SMU and 6-foot-11 Aiden Sherrell out of Alabama should help Mustaf be more defensively aggressive. He had 39 steals at Georgia Tech.
"I want to be aggressive on the ball," he says. "At times when you do that, you get broken down or blown by, so having those guys back there behind you is a comfort. They get past you, they have to deal with seven footers, two of them down in the paint. That's hard to finish over."
Offensively, Mustaf's ability to attack the basket shows in practice, where he powers past or blows by defenders.
"My body is my advantage," he says. "I'm continuing to learn how better to use that, watching film, seeing how I can use my body more and more to get downhill or make plays with my teammates. It's about putting pressure on the defense and getting paint touches. I've been good at that. I want to try to continue that."
Early signs are encouraging.
"Jaeden is the freakiest athlete," junior guard Markus Burton says. "I've never seen anything like it."
Adds junior guard Darren Harris: "Jaeden is like a Swiss Army knife. He can do a lot for us."
In two college seasons and 55 games, Mustaf averaged 9.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 41.5% from the field, 37.2% from 3-point range. He scored in double figures 22 times, with a pair of double-doubles. Last season, he averaged 10.4 points and 4.3 rebounds.
Look for Mustaf to become a 3-point threat as a Hoosier. He made 32 3-pointers in his first two college seasons.
"I shoot all the time after practice," he says. "I felt like I had a good shooting year, but with how we played in certain roles, I didn't shoot as many 3-pointers as I would have thought from the percentage that I had.
"But here, the coaches encourage us to be confident and shoot our shots."
Still, don't expect Mustaf to just settle for long-range jump shots.
"Everybody knows about my ability to get downhill and facilitate and get to the rim," he says.
"Basketball-wise, it's fine-tune everything. Continue to get shots up, continue to work on the shot and make sure that's right, make sure the ball handling is right."
Mustaf is one of nine transfers on IU's 16-player roster for head coach Darian DeVries.
With so many new players, developing good chemistry is crucial. The July 15 exhibition against Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf ahead of the upcoming International University Sports Federation America Games in Peru will be the first public indication of that progress.
"I think we're doing a great job with that," Mustaf says.
Fiercely competitive practices -- mixed with a strong sense of fun -- reflect that.
"That's every day, no matter what," Mustaf says. "It's something we have to continue. The bar has to continue to raise. It's the Big Ten. There are no days off, no games off. We all want to win at a high level.
"Practice is supposed to be hard, but it's also supposed to be fun. You're supposed to have fun with it.
"The coaches push us. That's what we need to get better. But it's basketball. We're doing something we love to do."
Love includes a backcourt highlighted by Mustaf, fellow transfers Burton from Notre Dame, Harris from Duke, and Bryce Lindsay from Villanova, plus true freshman Prince-Alexander Moody.
"They're all great guards," Mustaf says. "Guys who can score, facilitate. Then, we all get along. We all play off each other."
Directing it all is DeVries. What stands out about him? For Mustaf, it's "how real he is."
"He doesn't sugar coat anything. It's real. He wants to win. Feeling that connection that he wants to win, I want to win. Him having the same feelings was something that I wanted to be a part of."
Another IU recruiting advantage -- Mustaf has a strong relationship with assistant coach Kenny Johnson as well as belief in the entire coaching staff.
"This is a great environment, a great conference," he says. "(Last year), the Big Ten had six teams in the Sweet Sixteen and four in the Elite Eight. That's something I want to be a part of. I want to play in that -- all the great environments.
"Of course, Indiana is a blueblood. It was hard to turn that down."
DeVries praises Mustaf's competitiveness and confidence, as well as his high aspirations for what he wants to accomplish.
That includes growing into more of a leadership role, but Mustaf won't lead alone. As far as emerging leaders, he says, "a lot of times you'd think it would be upperclassmen, but it's really just whoever uses his voice and speaks up. That can come from anybody. Everybody has a voice.
"For me, I've been there. I've been a freshman. I know you want older guys to talk to you and encourage you. On top of that, we all want to win."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Don't limit Jaeden Mustaf. He won't. Mention defense to this 6-foot-6 junior wing out of Georgia Tech and he concedes nothing, including how many positions he can guard.
"My top thing has always been defense," he says from the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall locker room. "It's something I take a lot of pride in. I don't want anybody scoring on me. That's something I'll bring no matter where I am, even if I'm outside at a park somewhere. I will bring that."
A crisp Indiana practice has just concluded, and much of it centered on defense. Last year's area of concern looms now as a potential strength. Mustaf should play a major role.
He says he can defend point guards through power forwards, "and if we're playing small ball, I can play 1 through 5 (center)," he adds with a laugh. "I think I can be very impactful. I'm a very versatile player. I can do a lot of different things. I've played a lot of different roles in my life."
The addition of imposing shot-blockers 7-foot-2 Samet Yigitoglu out of SMU and 6-foot-11 Aiden Sherrell out of Alabama should help Mustaf be more defensively aggressive. He had 39 steals at Georgia Tech.
"I want to be aggressive on the ball," he says. "At times when you do that, you get broken down or blown by, so having those guys back there behind you is a comfort. They get past you, they have to deal with seven footers, two of them down in the paint. That's hard to finish over."
Offensively, Mustaf's ability to attack the basket shows in practice, where he powers past or blows by defenders.
"My body is my advantage," he says. "I'm continuing to learn how better to use that, watching film, seeing how I can use my body more and more to get downhill or make plays with my teammates. It's about putting pressure on the defense and getting paint touches. I've been good at that. I want to try to continue that."
Early signs are encouraging.
"Jaeden is the freakiest athlete," junior guard Markus Burton says. "I've never seen anything like it."
Adds junior guard Darren Harris: "Jaeden is like a Swiss Army knife. He can do a lot for us."
In two college seasons and 55 games, Mustaf averaged 9.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 41.5% from the field, 37.2% from 3-point range. He scored in double figures 22 times, with a pair of double-doubles. Last season, he averaged 10.4 points and 4.3 rebounds.
Look for Mustaf to become a 3-point threat as a Hoosier. He made 32 3-pointers in his first two college seasons.
"I shoot all the time after practice," he says. "I felt like I had a good shooting year, but with how we played in certain roles, I didn't shoot as many 3-pointers as I would have thought from the percentage that I had.
"But here, the coaches encourage us to be confident and shoot our shots."
Still, don't expect Mustaf to just settle for long-range jump shots.
"Everybody knows about my ability to get downhill and facilitate and get to the rim," he says.
"Basketball-wise, it's fine-tune everything. Continue to get shots up, continue to work on the shot and make sure that's right, make sure the ball handling is right."
Mustaf is one of nine transfers on IU's 16-player roster for head coach Darian DeVries.
With so many new players, developing good chemistry is crucial. The July 15 exhibition against Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf ahead of the upcoming International University Sports Federation America Games in Peru will be the first public indication of that progress.
"I think we're doing a great job with that," Mustaf says.
Fiercely competitive practices -- mixed with a strong sense of fun -- reflect that.
"That's every day, no matter what," Mustaf says. "It's something we have to continue. The bar has to continue to raise. It's the Big Ten. There are no days off, no games off. We all want to win at a high level.
"Practice is supposed to be hard, but it's also supposed to be fun. You're supposed to have fun with it.
"The coaches push us. That's what we need to get better. But it's basketball. We're doing something we love to do."
Love includes a backcourt highlighted by Mustaf, fellow transfers Burton from Notre Dame, Harris from Duke, and Bryce Lindsay from Villanova, plus true freshman Prince-Alexander Moody.
"They're all great guards," Mustaf says. "Guys who can score, facilitate. Then, we all get along. We all play off each other."
Directing it all is DeVries. What stands out about him? For Mustaf, it's "how real he is."
"He doesn't sugar coat anything. It's real. He wants to win. Feeling that connection that he wants to win, I want to win. Him having the same feelings was something that I wanted to be a part of."
Another IU recruiting advantage -- Mustaf has a strong relationship with assistant coach Kenny Johnson as well as belief in the entire coaching staff.
"This is a great environment, a great conference," he says. "(Last year), the Big Ten had six teams in the Sweet Sixteen and four in the Elite Eight. That's something I want to be a part of. I want to play in that -- all the great environments.
"Of course, Indiana is a blueblood. It was hard to turn that down."
DeVries praises Mustaf's competitiveness and confidence, as well as his high aspirations for what he wants to accomplish.
That includes growing into more of a leadership role, but Mustaf won't lead alone. As far as emerging leaders, he says, "a lot of times you'd think it would be upperclassmen, but it's really just whoever uses his voice and speaks up. That can come from anybody. Everybody has a voice.
"For me, I've been there. I've been a freshman. I know you want older guys to talk to you and encourage you. On top of that, we all want to win."
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