One Big Question Facing Every Indiana Basketball Incoming Transfer

In the 2026 offseason, Darian DeVries and his staff oversaw quite a bit of roster turnover. After nearly the entire 2025-26 crew with remaining eligibility hit the portal, Indiana was forced to turn to the portal itself.

And after combing through it, the Hoosiers came out with a talent-laden haul, which wound up being the No. 5 overall transfer class in the country, per 247 Sports.

Here is a question for each incoming Indiana transfer:

One question for each Indiana basketball transfer

Markus Burton, Junior

Can Markus Burton lead a winning team? There is no questioning Burton’s ability. The lead guard can really fill it up as a scorer; he’s a gifted facilitator and, despite being undersized, a plus defender. He was Notre Dame’s go-to weapon ever since he arrived in South Bend, but the Fighting Irish never neared the .500 mark, let alone sniffed the NCAA Tournament.

At Indiana, he is once again expected to be the heartbeat of his club. And, notably, he’ll have more weapons at his disposal with the Hoosiers – which should boost his playmaking and his scoring efficiency.

Darren Harris, Junior

Is Darren Harris ready for a high-volume role? The Duke transfer is yet to see more than 9.7 minutes of action per game in a college season. He shoots 30.8 percent from deep in his career, but that number doesn’t carry much weight given the small sample size.

And given a larger role, will Harris live up to his sharpshooter reputation? Whether Harris winds up in a reserve role or sneaks into the starting lineup, the Hoosiers will need him to contribute in some capacity.

Bryce Lindsay, Junior

How does Bryce Lindsay hold up defensively? With a projected starting backcourt of Burton and Lindsay, the Hoosiers will be undersized at the guard position. Burton will draw opposing lead guards, and, given his track record, be an effective on-ball pest, but that means Lindsay matches up with opposing two guards.

His ability to survive those matchups – some of which may come against jumbo-sized wings – will be a key determinant in Indiana’s defensive output.

Justin Monden, Senior

Can Justin Monden be an effective leader in his lone season in Bloomington? It’s unlikely Monden cracks the rotation as a senior with the Hoosiers, which means he needs to provide value elsewhere. As a lead guard with three years of college hoops experience, Monden should have the ability to create an impact behind the scenes and serve as an extension of the coaching staff.

Jaeden Mustaf, Junior

How effective will Jaeden Mustaf’s three-point shooting be? Over the course of two seasons at Georgia Tech, Mustaf averaged 0.6 three-pointers per game. The eye test isn’t promising, and his free-throw percentage (72.2 percent) isn’t encouraging, either.

But Mustaf is tremendously athletic and can really get downhill. So he’ll certainly provide an impact, but if he can turn his jumper into a legitimate weapon, Mustaf may have All-Big Ten upside.

Aiden Sherrell, Junior

Speaking of jumpers, is Aiden Sherrell going to be connecting from deep in 2026-27? His career clip of 33.6 percent from beyond the arc is solid – especially for an interior-oriented big man. But he has never averaged more than 0.8 triples in a season.

The frontcourt combo of Sherrell and Samet Yigitoglu offers the Hoosiers a massive lift on the glass and defensively, but it’ll shrink the court on offense – which could prove detrimental – if Sherrell isn’t an honorable threat from long range.

Samet Yigitoglu, Junior

Can Samet Yigitoglu find consistency from the free-throw line? Ideally, Sherrell is stretching defenses, but no one expects that from Yigitoglu. The SMU transfer’s primary tasks are playing out of the post, finishing dump-offs around the rim, rebounding on both ends and protecting the rim.

Also, hitting free throws – at just a semi-respectable clip. His career average of 53.1 percent is not cutting it. Considering how often Yigitoglu may find himself at the line this season, he cannot be leaving that much food on the table.

Add us as a preferred source on Google