@tjinman1987 I get it. The reality is who is in the portal and who Indiana can get that fits best in the roster. DeVries, Dolson, Carr and staff realize the critical nature of making the best possible roster and I am sure they will do everything in their power to make that happen. They are also aware of the outcome if they fail.
Are you anticipating a weaker portal class for 2026 compared to 2025? If so, is this because schools are paying players more $$$ to retain them?@bigmike I understand that you believe or see Vaaks coming off the bench on a very good team but the reality is that Stefan Vaaks won't be coming off the bench to the team he commits to and IU won't have five guys better than Stefan Vaaks from the transfer portal that would result in him coming off the bench if he commits to IU. That level of quality will not be in the transfer portal this season and that many players better than a sophomore version of Vaaks won't be attainable for IU.
@bigmike Yes on both...at least, that is the general consensus from those that are much more plugged in nationally than I am. That does not mean there won't be really good players available and it does not mean there won't be some surprises to enter. Related to those potential surprises...what if Bill Self retires at Kansas? North Carolina is going to open, Kentucky probably won't open but there could be significant assistant coach shakeup in Lexington. That kind of chaos might cause interesting player movement and bring some shock to the market. That type of thing would probably benefit IU (wouldn't hurt, at least).
@tjinman1987 I get it. The reality is who is in the portal and who Indiana can get that fits best in the roster. DeVries, Dolson, Carr and staff realize the critical nature of making the best possible roster and I am sure they will do everything in their power to make that happen. They are also aware of the outcome if they fail.
I do not know about that Dolson is untouchable now so even if DD misses the tourney again he is not going anywhere. DD may have his seat get hot but he would still get a third year if Dolson wants him to get it.
Names are starting to fly..."likely to portal" list now includes Arrinten Page from Northwestern, Kwame Evans from Oregon and yes, Jalen Haralson from Notre Dame.
Ah yes, Kwame Evans former teammate of Hood-Schifino and Reneau at Montverde Academy. Woodson did ok as he scored 2 out of 3 on offers. Evans was a very highly touted much in demand 5 star player coming out of high school. I happened to check the 3-point shooting stats and was surprised Dana Altman allowed Evans to jack up as many attempts. Over 3 years at Oregon, Evans made 65 out of 229 shots for a rather cool 28.4%.
Your posts challenged me to take a long look at Vaaks this afternoon so I viewed several videos and read a number of articles pertaining to him. He obviously is not desiring to go into the portal to play 18 to 20 minutes a game. The team that signs him could possibly have a talented player with 3 years of service. Besides IU, there are several other big time schools that are seriously considering Stefan Vaaks.@bigmike I understand that you believe or see Vaaks coming off the bench on a very good team but the reality is that Stefan Vaaks won't be coming off the bench to the team he commits to and IU won't have five guys better than Stefan Vaaks from the transfer portal that would result in him coming off the bench if he commits to IU. That level of quality will not be in the transfer portal this season and that many players better than a sophomore version of Vaaks won't be attainable for IU.
Names are starting to fly..."likely to portal" list now includes Arrinten Page from Northwestern, Kwame Evans from Oregon and yes, Jalen Haralson from Notre Dame.
I liked the sound of Paige, especially if we weren't able to get a true alpha center and had to go again with two centers but, looking at his stats, he's a surprisingly poor rebounder for his size. He blocks a few shots but he's not mobile enough to rebound at the rate. Have to pass on him unless he's willing to be a 15 minute back-up.
A guy I hope IU is involved with: DeSean Goode, 6'8" sophomore 4 at Robert Morris. He played his freshman season at IU Indy and made a big jump as the Horizon League Player of the Year. Goode is a decent defender, a very efficient offensive player (58.1% from three on 62 attempts) and a dynamite rebounder.
He's listed as 6 8 230 lbs. Not quite as productive in scoring & rebounding #s as Harris, but significantly more efficient. .571 on 3s (63 attempts) .644 on 2s, .763 on FTs. Player of the year in that conference as a soph is very impressive. Like Harris, not a high flyer...slightly better assist #s. Sign him up. Only problem is....originally from WV, so the Indiana connection might not mean much.
How about EJ Walker? frosh from SC avg 17ppg. 6’8
Belmont Bingham Rogers? 6’9 240 lbs. tough kid and is a winner - nice back up piece
With Carr, a cast of experienced coaches, DeVries and a healthy budget, expectations are IU has the player assessment expertise and money necessary to place some quality bigs on next seasons roster. Among the "experts" a strong positive for Carr is his greater knowledge of the international market, a recruiting area in which Indiana has been somewhat non-existent. We'll know in the next month if Indiana can tap into the international pool.
Bottomline is player assessment. Are the players added to the roster capable on making an impact at the major college level?
A couple years ago Payton Sparks was added to the roster. Payton crossed all the boxes. A 6'10" 255 pound bruiser, former Indiana high school kid and a player with two remaining years of eligibility. Payton was MAC Freshman of the Year and as a soph, 2nd team All MAC. Sparks averaged over 13 ppg and ranked 4th as a frosh and 3rd as a soph in rebounding for his conference.
Unfortunately the Sparks story at Indiana didn't turn out well.
IU's hiring of new assistant coach Thomas Carr (no relation to Ryan Carr) from Louisville should be completed by the end of the week. The Hoosiers had an open bench spot throughout Darian DeVries' first season and will fill it with a guy with connections at Word of God and Team Loaded (NC based AAU program). Carr was with Pat Kelsey at College of Charleston and Louisville and seems to be liked by Louisville fans. Once this is finalized, I'll have a full article on the addition.
That's good news to report! Great to have staff with connections and a history of working in successful programs. Carr is apparently highly respected in the coaching industry. I see earlier this year he was named to the Silver Waves Media 2026 100 Most Impactful High Major Assistants List.IU's hiring of new assistant coach Thomas Carr (no relation to Ryan Carr) from Louisville should be completed by the end of the week. The Hoosiers had an open bench spot throughout Darian DeVries' first season and will fill it with a guy with connections at Word of God and Team Loaded (NC based AAU program). Carr was with Pat Kelsey at College of Charleston and Louisville and seems to be liked by Louisville fans. Once this is finalized, I'll have a full article on the addition.
Looks like the biggest and perhaps one of the more interesting players entered the portal. Anton Bonke is 7'2" and tips the scales at 275. Played at Charlotte and averaged 10.6 ppg and 8.3 rpg. Bonke has two years of remaining eligibility. Being from Port Vila, Vanuatu makes him a development project as Bonke didn't grow up playing any serious competition. I'm going to take a wild guess and bet most people never heard of the country of Vanuatu. Will have to see who takes a chance on Bonke by giving him an offer.