Inside the Hall was in attendance for IU basketball’s practice on Thursday morning at Cook Hall. Last week, we had the chance to observe Thursday afternoon’s practice.
The Hoosiers continue to prepare for a late July trip to Peru for the FISU America Games. The 2026-27 IU roster will represent the United States in the event.
On Thursday, it was announced that the Hoosiers will play an exhibition game at Assembly Hall on Wednesday, July 15, before departing for Peru.
Here are some player observations from Thursday morning’s practice:
Aiden Sherrell – The Alabama transfer continues to take 3-pointers and make them at a solid clip. The primary strength of Sherrell’s game is in the paint but it will be helpful if he can reliably make perimeter shots, particularly when he’s playing at the four. Sherrell moves so fluidly for a player with his size – he was listed at 6-foot-11 and 255 pounds last season by the Crimson Tide – and he’s a willing passer. Defensively, going up against Samet Yigitoglu in practice will only help him improve.
Samet Yigitoglu – Yigitoglu moves very well for a player of his size. That’s not to say that the IU coaching staff will want him guarding on the perimeter with any regularity, but he can move his feet. The screens he sets can swallow up defenders. It’ll be interesting to see if he can do a better job of defending without fouling next season. Last season at SMU, Yigitoglu averaged 4.5 fouls per 40 minutes, per KenPom.com.
Bryce Lindsay – This was our first look at Lindsay, who did not practice last Thursday. He shot the ball well in drills and also made a few in the live action portions of practice, too. Lindsay looks capable of playing both guard spots and handles it well enough to run the point when needed.
Markus Burton – The Notre Dame transfer has tremendous speed and quickness and it’s fun to watch him go against Justin Monden as the two go at each other with intensity. Burton really does a good job of using his quickness to get to his spots off the dribble. He plays at his own pace and his midrange game is very polished. The one thing that stands out with Burton is that he’s always smiling on the court and having fun with teammates. The energy and enthusiasm will hopefully be contagious as this group continues to grow throughout the summer.
Darren Harris – What Harris lacks in athleticism and quickness, he makes up for in connecting on shots when he is open. He doesn’t need much time to get his shot off. His shooting percentages weren’t great at Duke but he continues to make perimeter shots at a high level in the practices we’ve observed. He also had a few plays off the dribble where he got to the midrange for an open shot.
Vaughn Karvala – It was a very good morning for Karvala, who is a good athlete capable of stretching the floor. He needs to keep getting stronger and putting on weight, but the talent is there to earn consideration for minutes as a freshman. Karvala hasn’t tried to do too much in the two practices we’ve watched and has opted for the simple plays available, an encouraging sign for a newcomer.
Trevor Manhertz – As is the case with Karvala, Manhertz needs to get stronger, but that’s true of most freshmen. He can shoot it but most of what he does right now offensively is catch-and-shoot rather than off the dribble.
Prince-Alexander Moody – Moody doesn’t back down and is the most advanced of the three freshmen on campus as of now. He’s a capable ball handler and should be able to play some spot minutes at the point if needed. Defensively, he does a good job of communicating and he has the frame and strength to compete right away on that end in the Big Ten.
Trent Sisley – The lone returning player from last season, Sisley appears to have put on 15 pounds since last season. That should be very helpful on the defensive end, where he was often overpowered at times last season as a freshman. Sisley should be firmly in the rotation next season.
Jaeden Mustaf – He’s not going to take a high volume of 3-pointers, but he’s made a few in the practices we’ve seen. The bread and butter of his offensive game, however, is using his body and strength to get to the rim. Mustaf has a strong lower body and does a good job of maintaining his balance even when taking contact. He did have a few plays where he drove into too much congestion but his aggressiveness is a plus overall.
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
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