Indiana Basketball FISU Exhibition Takeaways

Indiana Basketball wore the red, white, and blue for the first time in a home exhibition for the FISU tournament in Lima, Peru. Indiana took on College Jean De Brebeuf and won a 98-64 game. This game is an exhibition for a tournament that will not define how Indiana basketball will play this season, but there are some key takeaways to observe.

The roster saw 10 new players, and this was the first time to see how these new players might mesh. The most important combination to watch was witnessing how Aiden Sherrell and Samet Yigitoglu would play together. In warm-ups, these players stood out as physical specimens. Sherrell was comfortable in his role throughout the game. He was a dominant rim protector, grabbing roughly five blocks.

Yigitoglu never felt comfortable throughout the game. He seemed to be out of shape, which is expected, but it made him wonky throughout. He was sloppy with the ball in the paint, turning it over too many times. These seem to be coachable aspects of his game, but he might just be a bit passive as a player.

One player who is certainly not passive is Prince-Alexander Moody. His defensive tenacity was not to be reckoned with. He seems way too mature to only be a freshman. The Hoosier crowd gave him the loudest ovation, catching onto the fact that he is a defensive menace.

The team had a weak spot on defense to start, but their communication improved significantly as the game moved along. This lack of consistent defensive communication is expected, but frustrating to see.

The main takeaway from the game is that this team has more talent than last year’s squad. The potential of this roster is a lot higher than in the past, and it seems that they may have more depth as well.

The depth of this roster relies on how much the freshmen and Trent Sisley can play. Sisley looked improved from last year, especially in the second half when he grabbed six straight points for Indiana. Moody has already survived all early tests and is somebody that Hoosier fans should be excited about. Trevor Manhertz was able to contribute meaningful minutes. He was sharp with decision-making and grabbed a few buckets. Vaughn Karvala was a strong contributor on defense, and was able to make a name for himself as a hustle guy.

This team doesn’t seem to be as reliant on the three-pointer as last year. The interior presence was stronger, but it wasn’t just because they were bigger than the Canadian roster. The guards managed to attack the rim at a high rate, whether it was Bryce Lindsay or Markus Burton. The number of paint touches is unknown, but is certainly higher than it was last season. The game is a more fluent style of play, that runs through the paint to create good shots.

Layups and three pointers are the best shots in basketball, and this Indiana team seems to be laser focused on improving their layups from last season.

Darian Devries has recruited a team that has a very high ceiling, but his work is not done yet. This team is sloppy, but it is only July. It seemed as though most of their flaws were extremely coachable. One flaw that stood out is that they relied too heavily on their athletic prowess on defense.

Big Ten opponents may have more athletic prowess than this Hoosiers team, and so Indiana will need to learn how to win another way. Learn their full identity, and also learn the fundamentals.

Basketball season is far away, and so fans need to be reminded that this is not a game to attach their hope to. This seems to be a point in the correct direction for the Devries era, but do not overreact to anything. Indiana basketball will be playing more games soon in Lima, Peru, although it is unknown when these games will take place.

Hoosier Huddle will continue to provide top insight into the Indiana Basketball season.