I don't think I even want to know how much IU paid for those masters of mediocrity.The trio of Myles Rice, Kanaan Carlyle, and Ballo was a disaster, obviously.
@mushroomgod That I don't know, but surely there were a few better players than guys on IU's roster. If not, that would mean DD bungled the Portal two straight seasons.
Yeah, I think there was some talent there. He had a solid transfer portal class last season and WVU went from 9 wins the prior year to 19 and 10-10 in the B12 which was by far the highest rated conference last season (even after he lost 2 of his best players early in the year to injury).
Hansberry is the obvious one but it seems like the well was poisoned by Frazier.
I don't care where they come from... as long as they are legit. Being from Indiana is great and a bonus , only if you can contribute at the level needed
I hear you, but if they have no Indiana/IU/DeVrie connections, they better be gamers!! Our fans are sitting there watching guys like Rice, Carlyle, Moboko, Tucker, Dorn, Miles and saying who the f*** are these guys? Why are they here?
I 100 percent agree... have to be able to compete at the level needed.
@mushroomgod A lot to unpack here so if I miss anything, I apologize and let me know.
-It would not surprise me at all if IU ends up with only 11 or 12 scholarship guys. They could use the full allotment but I don't think DeVries sees that as necessary (and I agree) or beneficial in most cases.
-Andrej Acimovic...he was always seen as a developmental piece that was not going to contribute this season. The question is: was he brought to Bloomington for the sole purpose of giving Alexis and Bailey a big body to practice against OR is there a skillset that Darian DeVries and the staff like and the plan has been to develop him this season and have him contribute as a rotation piece next season? I don't know the answer but his body needed to be toned and put in shape for college basketball and his skillset needed refined. The good news is that the coaching staff will know exactly what he has to offer for next season and can make a decision accordingly.
-I like Tre Singleton and I think he has a really bright future. If he transferred, I believe IU would be interested. I'm just not sure about the fit. Singleton is 6'8" so in height and somewhat in build, he is very similar to Trent Sisley. IU is also bringing in wings (although much more perimeter-oriented players) in Vaughn Karvala and Trevor Manhertz. Unless his game expands considerably, Singleton is a 4 or undersized 5 that doesn't shoot the three well at all and has yet to become a dominant rebounder. Is that what IU needs for next season's roster? With a finite amount of funds available and a lot of needs to address, does Singleton make sense (if he portals)?
-In general, I am not listing guys just because they are from Indiana and therefore have some ability to play with more pride for IU. I just think the in-state connections might make IU more appealing to them, open the door for a recruitment and eventual commitment. The next batch of guys I am looking to add are players having good seasons in situations they might look to be upgrading on (losing teams, teams with less money than IU can offer, coaches on hot seats, etc.).
With the hiring of Ryan Carr, IU's preparation for a critical portal cycle is now in full gear. I think having a thread dedicated to the transfer portal (which will be a top-speed flurry of activity) makes sense and I've begun compiling a list of players that COULD make sense. These are guys that I think have some connection to the Darian DeVries or someone the coaching staff or to the state or IU. If I have information that indicates there is a real reason to pay attention to a particular player, I'll note that accordingly. Otherwise, I'm just trying to connect dots. If you have any players you watch or hear about or are aware of that I don't list, mention them in the thread and let's talk about it! As news of targets begin to emerge and visits are scheduled, I'll update the thread accordingly.
If we assume IU keeps Trent Sisley, Nick Dorn, Aleksa Ristic and Jasai Miles while everyone else moves on...add the three incoming freshmen...that leaves 5 or 6 spots open for portal shopping. At minimum, the Hoosiers would need a good point guard/a lead scoring guard/a couple of shooters and a couple of legitimate Big Ten big men. Without further delay, here are the players I have come across thus far:
-Jalen Haralson - Freshman at Notre Dame - things are not going well at Notre Dame and Haralson has had a pedestrian first season in college. He's not currently a good perimeter shooter but he has an interesting skillset and should make a big jump for his sophomore season. If he portals, you'd have to think IU is a contender.
-Tre Singleton - Freshman at Northwestern - state title winner for Jeffersonville and DeVries poked around to see if he'd be interested in flipping from NW and he's had a decent freshman campaign. I do wonder if he's a fit for this roster with Sisley/Manhertz/Karvala already in place...other forward additions might need to be more immediate impact guys.
-Finley Bizjack - Junior at Butler - 6'4" scoring guard that is shooting 36%+ from 3 and averaging 17.4 PPG for Butler...he attended an IU game for some reason and Kenny Johnson did recruit him previously. He's a good offensive player but is average (at best) defensively.
-Jaquan Johnson - Sophomore at Bradley - undersized guard (he's listed 5'11" and that's being generous) but he's averaging 17 points per game while shooting 40.2% from 3 and has the top Bayesian Player Rating (BPR) in the Missouri Valley. There's a presumed connection to Drew Adams and Mike Bargen.
-Sam Orme - Sophomore at Belmont - Orme is 6'8" with good length and he's from Carmel. Mike Woodson was never interested in pursuing him but IU did monitor him in high school. He has two years left and is averaging 12.7 points per game and 5.4 rebounds in 25 minutes per game for a Belmont team that is 25-4 and is number one nationally in effective field goal percentage. Orme is 37-101 from three this season. He's a good player that is rapidly improving.
-Colby Garland - Junior at San Jose State - 6'0" guard that played for DeVries at Drake. Garland is averaging 19.4 points per game with 4.5 APG/2.1 turnovers per game. Garland had a nice game against Michigan State earlier this season.
This list is going to evolve but it's a start. Obviously, I'm sure the list Carr and the Hoosiers will be working from will include connections we are not currently aware of.
So..........had a chance to Sports Reference the guys mentioned in the thread......TJ, could you edit the original post to include heights? Here's what I saw on that: Haralson, 6 7; Bizjack 6-4; Orme 6 8; Garland 6 1; Smiley 6 2; Harris 6 6; Hansberry 6 8; Johnson 5 9.
Anyway....I've seen none of the referenced guys play......but based solely on their stats.....
I feel like Haralson might be the riskiest in terms of RoI. I guess high risk/potential high reward? Inefficient shooter and ball handler in year 1. I also would expect a pretty high price tag based on his HS ratings/potential.
All the other guys look like keepers to me. Hansberry.....very interesting to compare him to Bailey & Alexis. Bailey's offensive #s are better. He gets to the FT line and makes his FTs. And his shooting % on 2s at IU is 10% higher than it was at Davidson. Hansberry shoots some 3s and is fairly good at it (.345), he's a decent FT shooter, but his 2 pt% is much lower. Bailey is listed as 6-11 210 lbs, Hansberry 6-8 240 lbs. Hansberry's a better rebounder (2 more per every 40M played), and his beef probably would be helpful this year......but....Compared to Alexis, Hansberry has fewer BSs, is less efficient on O, and only slightly better on rebounds. So whether we'd be better off with Hansberry beef in place of Bailey or Alexis is not clear........I would think yes but you can't prove it based solely on the stats.
Darren Harris had good #s, but not great. The ROI might be higher with a guy like Orme, who has similar #s from the field, rebounds better, and is from Carmel. He's only shooting 60% this year om FTs, but shot 79% last year on similar # of attempts. I like Orme a lot. I also like Bizjack's #s a lot at 6 4.
The #s for Garland, Smiley, and Johnson are all very solid. Smiley is from Valpo and played at Lumiere. He's only getting 17M/game but he is a true freshman playing for a very successful team. He's shooting .432 on 3s, .576 on 2s, and .800 on FTs, and has a 2 to 1 A/TO ratio. Johnson's listed as only 5 9 on Sports Reference. 41% on 3s, 47% on 2s, 80% on FTs and has a 2.6 to 1 A/TO rate. He's originally from Wisconsin. Garland shoots 39% on 3s, 52% on 2s, 85% on FTs and has a better than 2 to 1 A/TO ratio. The #s for all three guys are better than they were for Conerway last year. I'd take any 2 of the 3, Orme, Bizjack and a Center to be named later, and call it a day.
Here's a second batch of players...guys that I think IU could/would be interested in IF they enter the portal. These are guys that are excelling (with varying degrees) on major conference teams that are struggling (for playing time, losing season, coach potentially fired). I'll put the ones with some sort of connection to the staff first and then go to ones that have no discernible connection. I spend way too much time watching basketball, looking at analytic metrics and building rosters in my head. Those observations and information might as well be seen by our subscribers!
-Darren Harris - Duke - Sophomore (2 years left) - 6'5" wing and known as a sharpshooter. He's had limited playing time with Duke in two seasons. Of note, he played for Team Takeover and is a Virginia native so there is a Kenny Johnson connection.
-Donnie Freeman - Syracuse - Sophomore (2 years left) - 6'9"/205 pounds...Freeman has a team-best 4.9 BPR and 15.9 team efficiency rating. He played for Team Takeover and in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (like Prince Alexander-Moody). He's a really good defensive rebounder (22.8 rating), a good finisher, capable of shooting from the perimeter and has no negative or below average metrics. Syracuse is going to potentially have a change on the coaching staff.
-Cameron Carr - Baylor - Sophomore (2 years left) - 6'5" wing...this one is an extreme longshot. I don't know why he'd portal other than maybe he doesn't like Waco and maybe Baylor misses the tournament? He knows Rod Clark from Tennessee but Carr might just go pro. He's had a great season and is supremely talented with great metrics. The Clark connection gets him listed but my hopes will not be high.
-Freddie Dilione V - Penn State - Junior (1 year left) - 6'5" guard/forward that would be another Rod Clark connection. Dilione has a team-best 3.6 BPM on a bad PSU team. He'd be a veteran bench piece capable of playing in the Big Ten.
Now, rapid fire listing of guys with no discernible IU connections but currently in bad situations: Jayden Hastings (Boston College - 6'9" - only positive player on a terrible BC team and a really good defender...I've watched BC a few times and Hastings plays hard and is fun), Baye Ndongo (Georgia Tech - 6'9", Senegal native and very solid), Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati - 7'2" rim protector that transferred from UCF and was linked a bit with IU before going with the Bearcats. He's a good defensive rebounder and has a great block rate but you'd kind of expect more from him given his physical gifts), Pharrel Payne (Maryland - 6'9" springy athlete that played in ten games for the Terrapins but he's been out since December...if he got a waiver for another season, would he be interested in IU again? He's a more athletic version of what Sam Alexis provides), Tariq Francis (Rutgers - one year left - undersized microwave scorer...I'd pass on him but he'll probably transfer and he's capable of big games, albeit usually not in an efficient manner).
More where this came from and I hope people enjoy it. Also, if any of these guys end up at IU, I will 100% claim that I had it first ha!
Kinda think Tom Ostrom assistant to Miller.
I'm not telling anyone to feel and I completely understand the frustration, anger and desire to burn the IUBB program to the ground. I have very few expectations for the program and still usually wind up disappointed. It's ridiculous that, in all likelihood, I will watch another Selection Sunday and fill out the bracket as it gets announced (as is my tradition) and Indiana will be absent. That is certainly no longer surprising but it's still ridiculous. I know what my response will be as portal news starts to leak out...I'll get excited and start thinking about "what could be" for the 2026-2027 season. In short, I will choose hope. That's what I did every offseason for IU football and eventually, that hope turned into reality and the payoff was so worth the chase. That's what kept me working on Hoosier Huddle with Sammy and the rest of the crew over the past dozen years.
So, although there is very little legitimate reason to think that THIS TIME will be different and it seems naive to be excited another portal cycle, I will keep this thread as active as possible. My hope is that missing the NCAA Tournament (very probable) will light a fire of desperation for Darian DeVries, the coaching staff and maybe some big money boosters that are sick of missing out. That Ryan Carr will have connections that pay immediate dividends. Will whatever happens over the next 4-6 weeks in the portal result in IU finally safely making the NCAA Tournament? Time will tell and I won't just blindly believe in whoever is added to the roster but I choose to hope (again).
You're a brave man or haven't endured enough or didn't witness the greatness first hand ? Not sure
the Ryan Carr hire is now tainted with his connection to Quinn Buckner. How can we be sure gap tooth doesn't have his hands in this. It just all seems surreal to me.
I've stated it over and over , I know I'm like a broken record , but DD isn't the guy. And I know we don't have the balls to fire him at years end. But we should , he doesn't have it. Roster for not. The gaslighting that goes on about this guy is unreal. To me when you hire a new coach it should improve your situation not make it worse. There should be improvements made as we go along. We have not gotten better as the season has progressed... oh yeah wow we beat a middling UCLA team in OT coached by everyone's favorite here Mick Cronin. Big deal. They aren't that good.
I admire your naive hope, wish I was still there but with this outfit hope is dangerous.
Im betting we lose Sisley - just a hunch
Even if IU were to get a surge in NIL support from big money boosters that leads to better talent acquisition, that won’t lead to much greater success if the head coach is bad. We saw this with Woodson in his final season.
At this point, all NIL donations should go to football. Basketball just doesn’t bring in the revenue and attention that football does. There is a reason why Texas and Texas A&M have the largest athletic budgets in the country while Kansas and Duke are way down the list.
@hoosiers94 "Naive" seems pejorative in this context ha. I'm 38 and have watched and followed IU basketball and football without fail for at least 30 of those years. I've endured plenty but did not live through the glory years of IUBB. To be blunt, I have a terminal and chronic illness and the expert doctors do not believe I will see my 50th birthday. I don't plan on that being the case and neither does my family. Optimistic? Naive? Perhaps but it is the mindset I need to have and that bleeds into how I interact with my sports fandom.
For me (just my approach and everyone can and should approach it however they want), it's not brave or dangerous to hope for the best each season while attempting to be realistic and analytical about the roster or the play on the court. We all have real life stuff going on all the time and sports are supposed to be fun. Usually, IUBB as a concept is much more enjoyable than what actually occurs on the court and that sucks. It is certainly completely understandable to look at whatever happens in the portal and come to the conclusion that it won't ultimately matter. I don't agree and won't view it through that lens but I do understand. On the whole, IUBB has more than earned a heaping dose of skepticism from fans like yourself and I don't blame anyone for feeling that way.
@tjinman1987 Please keep it going TJ! As crappy as it feels right now, there are compelling examples of very successful programs, starting out as bad, or worse, than IU is starting out under DeVries. It seems unlikely CDD will emulate guys like Hurley or Golden. But I'm sure their fanbases were having very similar feelings and thoughts, about them, in their first seasons. Knowing what I know about DeVries, if he doesn't get it figured out and get it headed in the right direction, it won't be for a lack of effort on his part. Its hard to see him "fixing" what appears to be wrong with his program, at this point. But some times all it takes is a handful of guys that are "wired right", and things end up just clicking. So, like you, I have great hopes that he and Carr find that over the next 6 weeks or so. And it'll be "fun" to follow along, and track that. So please keep this threat going!
@hoosiers94 "Naive" seems pejorative in this context ha. I'm 38 and have watched and followed IU basketball and football without fail for at least 30 of those years. I've endured plenty but did not live through the glory years of IUBB. To be blunt, I have a terminal and chronic illness and the expert doctors do not believe I will see my 50th birthday. I don't plan on that being the case and neither does my family. Optimistic? Naive? Perhaps but it is the mindset I need to have and that bleeds into how I interact with my sports fandom.
For me (just my approach and everyone can and should approach it however they want), it's not brave or dangerous to hope for the best each season while attempting to be realistic and analytical about the roster or the play on the court. We all have real life stuff going on all the time and sports are supposed to be fun. Usually, IUBB as a concept is much more enjoyable than what actually occurs on the court and that sucks. It is certainly completely understandable to look at whatever happens in the portal and come to the conclusion that it won't ultimately matter. I don't agree and won't view it through that lens but I do understand. On the whole, IUBB has more than earned a heaping dose of skepticism from fans like yourself and I don't blame anyone for feeling that way.
well TJ my thoughts and prayers to you ... and you're right IU basketball isn't anything compared to the reality of life. I hope you keep your optimistic view and keep up the good fight. We all could learn something from you ! Thanks for sharing that personal info with us.
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