Written by: TJ Inman
The Indiana Hoosiers are officially on the board in the 2026 transfer portal window. With as many as eight spots to fill, Indiana has a whole lot of work to do but they landed recruit number one on Monday as Georgia Tech wing Jaeden Mustaf made his commitment to the Hoosiers public. Mike Woodson’s staff recruited Mustaf out of high school but the 6’5” guard went to Georgia Tech and played two seasons for the Yellow Jackets before deciding to come to Bloomington. He has two years remaining after averaging 10.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game as a sophomore. He shot nearly 39% from three on limited volume and shot 72.7% from the line on almost four attempts per game.
Mustaf joins Trent Sisley, center Andrej Acimovic and the three incoming freshmen as the only scholarship players on the roster. The roster will certainly grow in the coming days but Mustaf brings two years of high major experience and a set of physical attributes that could be developed into a very useful player.
Stat Profile
- Torvik BPM (Box Score Plus/Minus): 0.2
- Evan Miya BPR: 1.28
- Points Per Game: 10.4
- Rebounds Per Game: 4.3
- Assists Per Game: 2.4
The Good
Mustaf is 6’5” with a wingspan that appears to be at least 6’7” or 6’8”. He’s an above-average athlete and those combined traits offer hope that he could be a plus-level defender in an improved situation. Georgia Tech struggled mightily under woeful coaching from Damon Stoudamire and there are tools for Mustaf to improve quite a bit in the next two seasons with a better structure under Darian DeVries. Mustaf was only 7/28 on long twos and he was only 16/51 on shots in the paint but away from the rim. Those shots tanked his offensive efficiency but they are shots that Darian DeVries does not allow in his offense. He shot nearly 39% from three on limited volume and the hope would be that with increased opportunity for open looks on the perimeter, his volume will increase without the percentage decreasing too much. He is a decent slasher that is capable of some “wow” plays and he’s a decent positional rebounder.
Jaeden Mustaf should not be asked to be a leading scorer or a number two option but he does have the tools to be a valuable role player within the right situation. With two years of eligibility left, there are reasons to be optimistic about this addition. Look no further than February and March. Despite playing for a team with no hope of a postseason berth, Mustaf had 14 against Cal, 13 against Stanford, 14 against Wake Forest, 18 against Virginia, 12 against Louisville, 16 against FSU, 10 against California and exploded for 28 points in a close loss at Clemson. From January 27 to March 7, Mustaf was in double-figures in 9 of his final 11 games. In fact, in his final 13 games, Mustaf averaged 13.5 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game and increased his free throw percentage to 75.9%. Ideally, Mustaf is a wing (or even small ball four for spot minutes) that develops on defense and turns into a good slasher with better teammates around him.
The Warts
It should be pointed out that Georgia Tech was an atrocious 11-20 and Mustaf was a key cog of the team. His offensive efficiency is average and despite his athleticism, he only had 12 dunk attempts all of last season while shooting just 54% on close twos. His three-point form is not pretty to look at and low volume combined with an average free throw shooting percentage suggests his percentage from three could tank if volume goes up.