Hoosiers Now

Indiana Basketball Target Sammy Jackson Commits to VCU

Four-star target Sammy Jackson had Indiana on his list of final four schools, but the 6-foot-7 wing chose VCU on Wednesday.
Tom Brew|
Sammy Jackson, a 6-foot-7 wing from Pennsylvania, chose VCU over Indiana, Texas and St. Joseph's on Wednesday.
Sammy Jackson, a 6-foot-7 wing from Pennsylvania, chose VCU over Indiana, Texas and St. Joseph's on Wednesday. | Sammy Jackson

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Sammy Jackson, a 6-foot-7 four-star forward who's the No. 1-ranked player in the state of Pennsylvania and had Indiana in his list of final four schools, committed to VCU on Wednesday.

He picked VCU over Indiana, Texas and St. Joseph's. He's ranked No. 73 overall in the Classs of 2026. This was the first recruit who had Indiana on his list of finalists since Darian DeVries took over as Indiana's head coach. They are also in on several other wings in the 2026 class.

It's been a whirlwind the first three months of DeVries' tenure after getting hired to replace Mike Woodson. He's been busy completely building a new roster for the 2025-26 season, and making inroads on the recruiting trail for the 2026 classes and beyond. They've also begun summer workouts as they gear up for a new season.

"Now we're finally at a point where its more normalcy with starting workouts and things," DeVries told Jeff Goodman in an interview with Field Of 68 a few weeks ago.

DeVries is hoping summer workouts confirm his belief that he and his staff built the roster the right way.

"What we wanted was really good guys in the locker room who were about winning and the right things. I think we definitely accomplished that," DeVries said. "(It wasn't) just getting a collection of individuals, but putting a team together that complements one another so we can play off of one another. I like the way it's come together so far."

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Tom Brew
TOM BREW

Tom Brew has been the publisher of “Indiana Hoosiers on SI’’ since 2019. He has worked at some of America's finest newspapers as an award-winning reporter and editor for more than four decades, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, Indianapolis Star and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He operates seven sites on the “On SI’’ network. Follow Tom on Twitter @tombrewsports.

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