Indiana Basketball wants high school recruiting to be the ‘foundation’ under Darian DeVries

Indiana basketball has yet to run out onto Branch McCracken floor for the first time under head coach Darian DeVries.

Summer practices have just begun. 

Hoosier Hysteria is months away.

The 2025-26 season is still a long way away.

Yet, in the short time since DeVries’ hiring, Indiana basketball has undergone a noticeable shift.

“He’s got an energy, he’s got a vibe about him that people are messing with,” On3 National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw said on ISB Radio with Jim Coyle.

From phone calls with recruits to being onsite for these high-profile events DeVries is diving head-first into the recruiting trail, and players are noticing. 

Shaw shared that recruits have described DeVries as a “chill guy”, and the energy he brings has sparked interest from recruits. 

He shared that there has been a substantial shift in the way recruits view Indiana because of DeVries.

“Now all of a sudden you’re starting to see an excitement around the Indiana name again in this class,” Shaw said. 

The 2026 recruiting class is crucial to Indiana basketball for several reasons.

Obviously, it’s the first recruiting class that DeVries will be able to put his fingerprints on, and a strong class could set the tone for future recruiting classes. 

Another major reason for the importance of this class is because of how DeVries wants to build Indiana basketball.

Both last year and this year will be complete rebuilds for DeVries as he has been tasked with taking over new programs. 

Over the last two offseasons, he has been forced to build his roster through the transfer portal. 

Last season he brought in eight transfers to West Virginia. This offseason that number has grown to 10. 

“What they want to do is build their team out of the high school ranks and patchwork it through the transfer portal. So get guys that have continuity within the program,” Shaw said. 

“Get them when they’re young, get them into the system, and have the guys for multiple years and grow. Let that be the foundation of what the program is gonna be moving forward.” 

DeVries and Indiana have already offered several scholarships to some of the top recruits in the 2026 class. 

The Hoosiers want this first class to be both talented and deep.

“They’re casting a wide net. They’re trying to make a dent in this class,” Shaw said.

Indiana is making a strong push to land three to five guys in this class. 

This is not new for DeVries who had landed three commitments in the 2025 class at West Virginia before leaving for Indiana. 

The importance Indiana has placed on high school recruiting is evident through the coaching staff that has been assembled. 

The Hoosiers have deep ties in the grassroots ranks across the board and are establishing some centralized bases for recruiting through the assistant coaches. 

Rod Clark who previously coached at Tennessee has strong ties across the Midwest. 

Kenny Johnson who comes from Georgetown has ties in the DMV area.

Drew Adams, who came from Cincinnati is originally from Bloomington and will help recruit the state of Indiana.

DeVries has put a focus on high school recruiting as Indiana would like to avoid rebuilding the roster year in and out through the transfer portal.

Instead, DeVries wants to focus on filling needs in the portal.

A strong 2026 recruiting class will allow for flexibility in the transfer portal and prevent a situation like the one currently surrounding Indiana’s center position. 

It’s no secret that Indiana is undersized at the center spot. DeVries even said that himself last week.

The Indiana roster lacks a player taller than 6-10 and a key reason for the lack of size could be the demand for centers across the country.

“The center position was the most sought-after position this offseason in the transfer portal,” Shaw shared.

Regardless of production, centers were receiving NIL evaluations well above market value which made it difficult to land them.

With Indiana needing to fill an entire roster, it made it extremely difficult for the staff to spend more for a center with other clear needs.  

While Indiana lacks a true interior force, there are ways around it that the current roster construction allows.

“I think what you have at the five position are guys that can make a play with the ball in their hands,” Shaw said.

Reed Bailey, Sam Alexis, and Josh Harris all can attack and put the ball on the floor in space. 

That combined with the abundance of shooting on the roster will help Indiana draw opposing shot blockers away from the paint to open up driving lanes.

On the defensive end, Indiana’s length will play a major role in defending the rim.

“They don’t have the traditional size at the five position but they have nice length at the two through four positions as well,” Shaw said. “I think there’s gonna be some interesting stuff on the defensive end.”

Ball pressure will be crucial to what the Hoosiers do on the defensive end. 

Tayton Conerway will play a huge role in that department as he will likely be tasked with being the number one point of attack defender. 

If Conerway can speed up ball handlers, the team’s length on the perimeter could make it difficult for opponents to get into their offensive sets while also forcing turnovers. 

The positional size Indiana has elsewhere could be the key to protecting the rim despite their lack of size at the five.

“There’s a lot of different lineups they’re gonna be able to put on the floor. Lots of different looks they’re able to give,” Shaw said. 

Indiana has the potential to go ten deep and can mix and match lineups because of their size at the two-four positions. 

All of the wings on the roster are at least 6-5 with most capable of playing multiple positions on the floor. 

That versatility will make the Hoosiers difficult to game plan for next season.

Most early predictions have Indiana finishing around the middle of a talented Big Ten conference in year one under DeVries. 

Shaw believes Indiana could be better than expected in a transition year.

“I think it’s going to be fun and I think it could be a team that surprises,” Shaw said. 

Defining what a successful year one under DeVries looks like will be difficult heading into the season. 

Yet, there are already signs of promise for the future of Indiana basketball under DeVries.

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