This post is also in the Recruiting thread but I did not want it to get missed.
It’s decision-time for a number of key 2026 prospects. By the end of this month, we could have decisions from four of the major targets for the Hoosiers:
-Latrell Allmond – Forward – It appears to be between IU, Tennessee and Oklahoma State for Allmond and he is announcing his decision on October 13. Allmond is really tough, he produces on a consistent basis and he has a versatile skillset that should translate really well to college. I’ve thought for a long time that IU is going to end up with Allmond and I am not changing my “prediction” now.
-Anthony Thompson – Wing – Thompson is a 5-star talent that has all of the makings of a true one-and-done. He has everything you want in a modern wing and he should be an instant impact collegiate player. Thompson looks like he’s down to Ohio State and IU. Does the home-state team win out or do concerns about Jon Diebler’s offensive system (or lack thereof) plus commitments Michigan landed steer him to IU? If IU lands Allmond before Thompson makes a decision, does Thompson eliminate the Hoosiers? I think the two could play together quite well (along with Trent Sisley) but I don’t know if Thompson feels the same way.
-Ethan Taylor – Center – the second-ranked center in the 2026 class looks like he’s down to IU and Michigan State while the possibility for a gigantic offer from someone like Kentucky could prolong his recruitment. Kansas was a possibility but they landed Davion Adkins and I doubt Taylor joins him in that class. My guess after his recent visit to MSU would be that Michigan State wins out.
-Arafan Diane – Center – Diane is a massive individual and a true center that made massive improvements between 2024 and 2025. Houston has long been considered to be the slight lean but he has not pulled the trigger yet and an upcoming official visit, combined with maybe missing out on Taylor could push the Hoosiers into the forefront with him.
Bottom line, IU really needs to get at least one of Allmond and Thompson. Landing both of them would be a major accomplishment. I am leaning towards both Taylor and Diane ending up elsewhere and that puts the Hoosiers into the portal next offseason for both a point guard and a center that can play immediately in 2026 and then turning their attention to a 2027 post presence.
A quick addendum to this…IU has offered #47 (247Sports) 2026 prospect Vaughn Karvala. Karvala was down to Syracuse and Xavier but has now eliminated Syracuse, is taking visits to IU and California and will then commit to one of those three schools shortly thereafter. His IU visit will be October 16. He told 247Sports’ Travis Branham the following: “That’s fairly new. They started recruiting me two weeks ago. I go on Oct. 16. It’s going great and going quickly. Coach Johnson is great. He took me to school after our conversation. He came to practice at like 6 am in the morning, and we talked after, so then he dropped me off. That was cool.”
Karvala is a 6’7″ wing/small forward that plays for Bella Vista Prep in Arizona. He’s known as a high-IQ player with good length and a solid, if a bit streak, perimeter shooter. IU watched him multiple times during the spring and summer on the EYBL circuit but did not choose to aggressively pursue until recently. So, the question must be asked…what caused the change for IU? Was it interest level from Karvala? Do they not feel good about landing Anthony Thompson and Karvala is a “backup” option at the small forward position to pair with Latrell Allmond and Trent Sisley as a forward group?
My guess…and this is not sourced info, just reading between the lines…my guess is that IU gets Latrell Allmond (which I have thought since the first recruiting hot board on this site), Anthony Thompson is a one-and-done at Ohio State and IU wants a second forward in this class and Karvala is now a player that is open to Darian DeVries and his system so IU is choosing to push.
@tjinman1987 sounds entirely reasonable. Always hard to beat the home state school, but there was a time when I felt like we were ahead of OSU for AT. Still lot's of doubt there. Hoping we pull one out of the hat.
@tjinman1987 Another note on Karvala... for his height, he plays very long, and is a very bouncy athlete. I saw him play for Tyler Hero's EYBL team a number of times last summer. One of those guys that I walked away after 5 minutes saying..."well that's the best player in this gym right now". Always wondered why he didn't have more hype, and wasn't ranked higher than he is. On the other site, I think I even mentioned him after that tournament. After watching him a little more this past summer though, at times he isn't as aggressive or decisive as you might like to see. Not lazy, just not always looking to dominate. I think he'd fit in well with what I know of CDD and his system.
Allmond and Karvala, along with Moody...would be a pretty darn solid 26' class. Go get a dawg PG and some long athletes and bigs in the portal... to pair with some good returning guys. Not the end of the world if you need to get 4-5 starter level players from the portal in Year 2, after needing to get all 12-13 in year 1. As long as the team shows out well, and the style and program appear to be good and appealing, he'll get some high level transfer portal kids, I'm sure.
Good stuff TJ!
GOAT SHITPOSTER
@kkott There's a rumor that there are more twists to come in the Thompson recruitment. I was told by one person that a person connected to Anthony Thompson (I guess his father) would get hired as an assistant at Ohio State prior to the 2026 season to secure Thompson's commitment. Certainly not unheard of. The only thing I'm certain about, he's expected to decide AFTER Latrell Allmond because AT has USA Basketball from October 10 to 12 and Allmond is reportedly announcing his choice on October 13.
@iunorth That is good further context on Karvala...thanks!
@iunorth Maybe still a good class, but it would be a bit of a letdown after all the top 30 types we've been involved with to not get any of them. Guess we can still hope on Muurinen!
Kid named Anthony Thompson should know he's required to come here. Practically a legacy. Bring home that top college player of the year award instead of second though.
Appreciates these updates! Recruiting sure sounds good. Hope when the rubber meets the road we'll be happy, and I'm betting we will be.
Even better after a couple years once Coach DeVries has his program rolling.
Thanks for all the info. It seems we are mostly out of the loop this year on recruiting targets. As DeVries settles in we will start seeing names to around the program earlier Im sure.
@kkott I tend to agree. It'd be a really solid, but not great, class. Obviously would then depend on how the portal went, and if there were any late HS signees in the Spring. I think seeing his IU team play games, could be fairly important for many recruits. But missing out on all the 5 star kids we were in on, and got visits from, would be disappointing. Though I suspect when these kids all start playing college games, Allmond will erase the star ratings talk pretty quickly. He'll be impact from day 1.
Land Diane or Taylor, and the narrative changes pretty quickly, though. Top 50 kids that are impact players, but not obvious 1 and dones, are the types of kids I'd be targeting the most, if I were CDD. Obviously you canvas all of them, and if any of the top 10 kids fit your program, you still go after them hard. But getting 2-3 top 50 ish type talents, that would be capable of starting year 1 for a solid B10 team, and surrounding with returning players and portal guys... seems like a pretty good path to me. 6 or so returning players. 3-4 frosh, 3-4 portal guys.
@iunorth Kind of surprised on Taylor. Felt like the real battle was between IU and Kansas, so hate to hear MSU might swoop in and get him.
@iunorth Those "sweet spot" kids are a key for me. I don't think spending $1 million-plus on 5-stars that are committed to heading to the NBA after one season but are not slam-dunk instant impact guys in college is the best allocation of resources. I think Latrell Allmond is a perfect example of a player that could be a multi-year college player that is good enough to be an impact player quickly in college but does not have the ideal measurables or elite athleticism to go to the NBA after a year. That's not to say Anthony Thompson would not be an awesome addition...he would be. I just think Latrell Allmond projects as a multi-year starter and multi-year All-Big Ten player and losing him to somebody like Oklahoma State or Tennessee or a gigantic offer from Maryland would sting.
Kid named Anthony Thompson should know he's required to come here. Practically a legacy. Bring home that top college player of the year award instead of second though.
What would be the equivalent in basketball of the original AT rushing for 377 yards in a football game? 60 points? 70?
AT had some amazing performances.
"You can't make someone listen to reason if they aren't willing to think"-- Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
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