Indiana men’s basketball played another FISU tournament game, this time against the US Virgin Islands. The referees dictated the pace of play, but Indiana was still able to maintain consistent offense despite the stagnant rhythm.
USA struggled out of the gate, giving up sloppy turnovers and not communicating well on defense. They were able to claw out a 10-point lead by the quarter break.
In the second quarter, the USA cleaned up its act and was able to extend the lead to 69-39. This was largely due to elite shooting from true freshman Vaughn Karvala. Indiana continued its domination into the second half.
The game was never able to have a rhythm because the refs were trigger-happy, but Indiana still managed. They found a way to score without dictating the pace of play. Indiana excelled in paint touches in this affair, something they can likely continue throughout the FISU tournament.
The USA won the game 120-63, majorly boosted by a standout performance from Karvala. One major takeaway for Indiana in this game is that they have something with Karvala and Prince-Alexander Moody.
Moody was the star of the Canada exhibition and flashed his elite instincts in this game as well. He glides up and down the court with elite basketball IQ. He’s a true freshman who can play this level of defense while also knocking down open jumpers. He will be a pivotal piece of the Indiana rotation.
Karvala has been playing meaningful minutes throughout this tournament, but today he was unleashed. Karvala could do no wrong in the first half, putting up roughly 19. His three-point stroke is a thing of beauty that head coach Darian DeVries will certainly take notice of. Good teams need heat check players coming off of their bench, and Karvala can be just that. Karvala put up about 32 points in the game and made a name for himself amongst the Hoosier faithful. With those 32 points, he has seven triples.
Another key takeaway throughout the game was that, while Indiana can definitely knock down the three-ball, they do not have to rely on it. Aiden Sherrell is a monster in the paint, who is already equipped with elite footwork. Jaeden Mustaf is 100 percent dialed in on the rim at all points. He is vicious with his movements and provides a sharp contrast from the 2025 Indiana team.
The US Virgin Islands were a much stronger opponent than Peru was, and USA was still able to handle them with ease.
Sam Alexis rejoined the Hoosier squad and allowed for Indiana to mix it up with their big man rotation. Allowed Sherrell to play the four at times, which is likely what he will play come regular season. Alexis was able to do his thing in this game, especially while facing a team that couldn’t match up against Indiana’s size.
It is nearly impossible to tell if this Hoosier team will be anything special, but it is clear that they have a different approach to basketball than they did a year ago. Devries has learned from his mistakes and brought in more interior talent.
Darian DeVries sat down with Peegs.com after the game. He was asked about Aiden Sherrell and his driving ability.
“He’s put a lot of time into is being really decisive and being forceful on his drives,” DeVries said.
Sherrell is a physical specimen, but DeVries is preaching that he improve his decision-making. You can have all the talent in the world and not know what to do with it. DeVries knows that Sherrell needs to be purposeful with all of his movements because he can be a real star in this league.
DeVries knows that this team isn’t where they need to be quite yet, but he is happy with their improvements so far.
“Everybody’s learning how to play off of one another; everybody understands everybody’s strengths a little bit more,” DeVries said.
The season is far away, but DeVries is pleased with their progress so far. The team is brand new once again, but this is a great opportunity to build more team chemistry.
Coach DeVries and the Indiana Men’s basketball team have another game in the red, white, and blue on Saturday.
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