Grading Every Indiana Basketball Player at the FISU America Games

Over the past week, Indiana was in action four times, representing Team USA in the FISU America Games in Peru. On Monday, the Hoosiers wrapped up with a Gold medal win over the Virgin Islands.

Here are grades for each participant who is expected to be in the rotational mix for Indiana in the 2026-27 campaign (note: Samet Yigitoglu and Clemens Sokolov were not active in this event):

Indiana basketball player grades for FISU America Games

Darian DeVrie — Mar 11, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Darian Devries directs his team against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Markus Burton: C-

There is no sugarcoating it: Markus Burton struggled in Peru. He went 11-for-25 (44.0 percent) from the floor and just 1-for-6 from long range. He finished the four-game tournament with averages of 7.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Of the nine players we’re grading, Burton scored the least amount of points. (Remember: he scored 19.1 points per game in his three-year career at Notre Dame.)

A fantastic way to cap off our time in Lima. 🤩🏅 pic.twitter.com/ldsH2SFG6j
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) July 27, 2026

But it wouldn’t be a problem if Burton simply was facilitating and allowing his teammates to build confidence and get reps in this event. The issue was Burton’s inefficiency from the floor and his constant turnovers. He was forcing pocket passes into tight windows, throwing errant passes and playing lackadaisical, yet, at the same time, too aggressively.

The good news: Burton boasts career averages of 19.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals. He is very proven at the high-major level. He didn’t have a great trip, but that doesn’t change anything. Burton still enters 2026-27 as one of the best lead guards in the Big Ten.

Bryce Lindsay: B

Bryce Lindsay’s primary weakness in Peru was shooting the ball from deep, as he went just 7-for-24 (29.2 percent). But shooting is a volatile skill. We’ll trust his 37.7-percent career clip and 167 made triples at the Division 1 level.

In other news, Lindsay displayed a deeper offensive bag than expected. Seemingly, he’ll be able to slide over to point guard and initiate action if necessary. Although, between Burton and standout freshman Prince-Alexander Moody, the Hoosiers may rarely need Lindsay to run the show. But he’ll certainly be there if they do.

Prince-Alexander Moody: A-

All of the freshmen were superb in the FISU America Games – including Moody, who scored 12.3 points per game and dished out 4.5 assists. He shot the ball well from inside the arc and outside (11-for-24 from long range), created shots for teammates and was excellent in transition.

Defensively, he was a relentless on-ball pest and showed off his tremendous hands, generating turnovers at a high rate (finished with 1.8 steals per game).

Darren Harris: B-

An up-and-down performance from Darren Harris in Peru wasn’t exactly a shock. He is a sharpshooter, and, similar to Lindsay or any high-volume shooter, has good nights and bad ones. He finished the event 7-for-22 (31.8 percent) on long-range jumpers.

Harris added a solid 2.0 assists per outing, and was active in seeking out big man Aiden Sherrell in mismatches, which the Hoosiers will certainly make a priority out of in the 2026-27 season. But although he registered 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals, Harris wasn’t great defensively or on the boards.

Jaeden Mustaf: B+

The athleticism gap between Jaeden Mustaf and everyone else was quite apparent. He is really explosive. Mustaf’s first step is lightning-quick, he can go in transition, and he can absolutely fly.

Naturally, he was able to make an impact as a slasher (most of his 9.3 points per game came on drives), but Mustaf was also superb on the boards (his 26 total rebounds ranked second on the team).

It would have been encouraging to see Mustaf find success from deep, but his jumper appears to remain a work-in-progress. His 9-for-14 (64.3 percent) showing from the free-throw line was less-than ideal also.

Vaughn Karvala: A+

The Hoosiers couldn’t have asked Vaughn Karvala to do much else. He scored a team-high 65 points in the tournament (16.3 per game), was the pinnacle of efficiency from the field and deep, played stingy defense and was mostly mistake-free on both ends.

If we’re nitpicking, Karvala likely could have been better on the boards (just 3.3 per game). But, all things considered, Karvala had an exceptional showing in the FISU America Games.

Trevor Manhertz: B+

Speaking of an efficient freshman, Trevor Manhertz went 11-for-17 (64.7 percent) in Peru and shot 50.0 percent from deep. He didn’t force anything, rebounded well, was a connective passer and defended hard.

To an extent, it would have been nice to see Manhertz be more assertive. But, at the same time, it’s encouraging to see him embrace a team-first role – even in blowout situations.

Trent Sisley: A-

Manhertz must have been taking a page out of Trent Sisley’s book, because Sisley was the quintessential connector for Indiana this past week. He missed just five shots the entire trip, yet scored 9.3 points per outing. Sisley was a glass-cleaner with 5.3 boards per outing and he was a brick wall defensively.

For the love of the game. 🫶

Thank you for all the love, Lima! pic.twitter.com/t1SoLbKon0
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) July 28, 2026

Worth mentioning: Sisley struggled from deep as a freshman in 2025-26, despite being pegged as a shooter out of high school, and it would have been a welcome sight to see Sisley confidently unload from deep in Peru.

Instead, he hunted any driving opportunity – which he often did convert on – but seemed hesitant to pull the trigger from beyond the arc.

Aiden Sherrell: A

On paper, Aiden Sherrell didn’t leave much on the table: 14.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.8 blocks en route to Tournament MVP Honors. He shot 61.5 percent from the field and knocked down three triples in the tournament (on 33.3 percent from deep).

But Sherrell simply did what he was supposed to. There wasn’t a defender he saw the entire tournament who could stop him from getting to the block in one dribble.

To his credit, though, Sherrell didn’t overcomplicate things. He used his size time and again to overpower opponents and get easy looks at the rim.

And he mixed in “questionable” shots just often enough. This was an excellent opportunity to test the waters and work on looks Sherrell may be forced to attempt against Big Ten defenses – and he did just that.

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