Indiana Opens Exhibition Season at Butler

Who: Indiana Hoosiers at Butler Bulldogs

What: Opening Exhibition Game for 2026-2027 Season

Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse

When: Sunday, October 11 at 6:30 pm

How to Watch: WISH-TV, streaming at Live Stream – WISH-TV

Darian DeVries tips off his second season as the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers on Sunday as his team begins the exhibition season with a clash at in-state foe Butler. The game will be played at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse and will be broadcast and streamed on WISH-TV. The Butler Bulldogs will be playing their first game under new head coach Ronald Nored as they try to climb the ladder in the Big East. The outcome of the game is not particularly important but what are some things to watch for in IU’s exhibition opener?

Getting Acquainted

Many fans have not paid much attention to anything related to Indiana University basketball since the Hoosiers failed to make the NCAA Tournament last March. For those that are just checking in, the roster for year two of the DeVries era bares nearly no resemblance to the team from a season ago. There are only two rotation players returning (Sam Alexis and Trent Sisley) and they are being joined by four freshmen and a starting lineup that is likely filled with five players from the transfer portal. If you don’t count the FISU Americas Games in July (and you probably shouldn’t given the lack of competition), this is the first chance to see the new faces.

Freshmen – Clemens Sokolov, Vaughn Karvala, Prince Alexander-Moody, Trevor Manhertz

Portal Players – Aiden Sherrell, Samet Yigitoglu, Markus Burton, Bryce Lindsay, Jaeden Mustaf, Justin Monden, Darren Harris

Superstar Sherrell?

Aiden Sherrell was the marquee acquisition for the Indiana Hoosiers. The 7’0” transferred from Alabama after starting every game last season for the Crimson Tide and averaging 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. He was attracted to Indiana by a larger role and Darian DeVries views the Detroit native as the focal point of his offensive attack. Reports from the summer indicate that Sherrell is playing at an extremely high-level and he’s ready to lead Indiana in a role as a forward instead of a center. Sherrell wanted to be paired with a true “5” so Indiana secured the services of SMU transfer Samet Yigitoglu, a 7’2” mountain of a man.

This game will be the first glance we get at Aiden Sherrell playing in his new role and it will be fascinating to see how Indiana structures the attack around him and the frontcourt tandem of the 7’0” Sherrell and the 7’2” Yigitoglu.

Perimeter Firepower

It is highly likely that Indiana will not have a single player that can replicate the points and impact of Lamar Wilkerson. However, the coaching staff is hopeful this group of guards presents opponents with more of a variety of problems to defend against. Markus Burton will be the point guard and the primary ball handler and he’s proven to be incredibly productive at the high-major level, as long as he is healthy. How does Darren Harris produce with a larger role after limited playing time at Duke? Can Bryce Lindsay, a guard capable of getting red hot but also of long stretches of cold shooting, be more consistent in DeVries’ system? Will Jaeden Mustaf flourish with more weapons surrounding him instead of being a primary option at Georgia Tech? The answers to those questions cannot be determined in one exhibition game but we’ll get our first piece of data.

Are the Freshmen Ready to Help?

Indiana’s roster has, at minimum, seven veteran players that will be part of the rotation. That leaves a spot or two in the rotation for young players to step up and earn playing time. Trent Sisley is certainly a candidate to snag minutes as a backup forward, particularly if he can be consistent as a shooter and show improvement as a defender. Are any of the freshmen able to play a role this season? Prince Alexander-Moody certainly looked the part at the FISU Games in Peru and he played fantastic competition in high school so he could be ready to play early. Vaughn Karvala is very athletic and plays with infectious energy. Trevor Manhertz’s jumpshot looks as pure as any you’ll find and he’s a lanky 6’9”. Clemens Sokolov is 7’0” but he’s a bit of a mystery box that is expected to be more of a developmental project. We’ll get our first look of the supporting pieces of this roster on Sunday night as the Hoosiers continue preparations for a promising 2026-2027 campaign.