Indiana lands higher quality of transfers, jumps in way-too-early Top 25 And 1

Hoosiers coach Darian DeVries' transfer haul looks better than last season's

Apr. 17, 2026 at 7:23pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented college basketball game, with sharp planes of crimson, navy, and gold representing the action on the court.Indiana's bold transfer strategy aims to quickly rebuild the Hoosiers into a national contender.Houston Today

It's been a minute since Indiana has accomplished anything notable in men's basketball, but Darian DeVries and his staff are working hard to change that this week. They've now added a total of six players out of the transfer portal, moving Indiana from unranked to No. 19 in Version 7 of the 2026-27 CBS Sports Preseason Top 25 And 1 college basketball rankings.

Why it matters

Indiana's transfer-portal class ranks second nationally, according to 247Sports, and the Hoosiers could start five first-year transfers when they open the season in November. Recent history suggests it's better to have a little more roster continuity year-over-year than what Indiana will possess, but the Hoosiers are betting they'll be an exception to the so-called rules of roster-building in this era of the sport.

The details

The stars of Indiana's transfer class are Aiden Sherrell, a 6-foot-10 forward who averaged 11.1 points and 6.2 rebounds last season at Alabama, and Markus Burton, a 6-0 guard who averaged 19.1 points in three years at Notre Dame. Bryce Lindsay (Villanova), Samet Yigitoglu (SMU), Jaeden Mustaf (Georgia Tech) and Darren Harris (Duke) round out the Hoosiers' transfer-portal class.

  • Indiana's transfer-portal class was added this week.

The players

Darian DeVries

Indiana's head coach who is working to rebuild the Hoosiers' program.

Aiden Sherrell

A 6-foot-10 forward who averaged 11.1 points and 6.2 rebounds last season at Alabama and is part of Indiana's transfer class.

Markus Burton

A 6-0 guard who averaged 19.1 points in three years at Notre Dame and is part of Indiana's transfer class.

Bryce Lindsay

A transfer from Villanova who is part of Indiana's transfer class.

Samet Yigitoglu

A transfer from SMU who is part of Indiana's transfer class.

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The takeaway

Indiana's aggressive approach in the transfer portal has significantly boosted the Hoosiers' outlook for the 2026-27 season, though the team's lack of roster continuity compared to past years could present some challenges. The Hoosiers are betting their influx of high-quality transfers will pay off and make them an exception to the typical rules of roster-building in college basketball's current era.