There's plenty of basketball to be played and enjoyed but looking ahead, April will be an insane time for basketball fans. Indianapolis is the site for the NIT final which will be played on April 5 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil hosts the NCAA championship game on April 6.
This year the basketball portal is open from April 7 to April 21. That's only 15 days for coaches to work their recruiting magic. It's going to be one chaotic fifteen days to keep up with all the player transactions.
Looking at the Indiana roster, potentially 10 spots are filled with 7 currently rostered players --- Acimovic, Ristic, Sisley, Miles, Dorn, Drake, and Harris plus 3 high school recruits --- Alexander-Moody, Karvala, and Mannhertz. (I didn't include the walk-on players.)
For a number of years the NCAA scholarship limits were a strict number 13 for a basketball roster. If they so desire, programs can now offer up to 15 scholarships. Team rosters are capped at 15 players.
There are plenty of questions regarding Indiana basketball and I'll share a couple of mine.
Which players from the current roster will return for the 2026-27 season?
How many scholarships will Indiana offer?
What kind of recruiting activity is taking place in the foreign market?
How will DeVries fill a roster to form a team that can compete at a high level?
I look forward to the balance of the current season with anticipation the Indiana team will continue to improve over the remaining games. However, I have an eye on April activity and decisions which will loom major for the future of DeVries and Indiana basketball.
Indiana needs a 6'8-6'10" power forward who can start, a center at 6'10" or bigger, and at least one decent back up in the 6'9" plus.
And they need 2 PG or combo guards.
So 5 immediate needs from the portal, 4 of them must be starter level guys who can go 20+ minutes.
Is there a chance DeVries lands 4-5 high quality transfers? Not sure.
Needs to spend money on some dawgs not nice guys. One big guy that could be a force would go a long way on this team. Go spend 2-3 million on a big guy that goes balls to the wall for rebounds and effort. A Thomas Bryant would make this team a contender.
Needs to spend money on some dawgs not nice guys. One big guy that could be a force would go a long way on this team. Go spend 2-3 million on a big guy that goes balls to the wall for rebounds and effort. A Thomas Bryant would make this team a contender.
Ware or Trayce on this team? Wow.
Indiana needs a 6'8-6'10" power forward who can start, a center at 6'10" or bigger, and at least one decent back up in the 6'9" plus.
And they need 2 PG or combo guards.
So 5 immediate needs from the portal, 4 of them must be starter level guys who can go 20+ minutes.
Is there a chance DeVries lands 4-5 high quality transfers? Not sure.
Tall order...no pun intended.
Indiana needs a 6'8-6'10" power forward who can start, a center at 6'10" or bigger, and at least one decent back up in the 6'9" plus.
And they need 2 PG or combo guards.
So 5 immediate needs from the portal, 4 of them must be starter level guys who can go 20+ minutes.
Is there a chance DeVries lands 4-5 high quality transfers? Not sure.
Power forward? No. The 80s called and they want their dinosaur back.
fwiw - That's Sisley's spot to lose. IU needs a starting PG, a triple threat wing guard, and a defensive rim protecting post. The 3 and 4 should be filled by Sisley and Dorn. So three starters at minimum. Harris will probably be a serviceable backup and we have no idea what Drake can do. Plus players could always improve, freshman could surprise.. It happens.
Need a point guard and 2 bigs. Those bigs need to be quick enough to rim run. Wings are the easiest thing to find. Tons of 6-6/6-7 shooters out there. We don’t want a PF that’s Purdues territory. 😝
For DeVries to have any chance at upgrading the roster he at a minimum needs a highly competitive NIL budget, given the desperate need for better talent. I don’t think he has the same discerning eye as Cignetti for finding overlooked players.
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