Projecting Indiana Basketball's 2026-27 Lineup After Sam Alexis' Return

On Sunday, forward Sam Alexis announced his return to Indiana for the 2026-27 campaign. Due to a preliminary injunction in Colorado, class of 2022 high school graduates have been deemed eligible for next season (it is awaiting a formal ruling).

Almost immediately, Alexis, who spent late July with the Indiana program playing in the FISU America Games, made his intention to run it back with the Hoosiers public.

So what does that mean for Indiana’s rotation heading into the 2026-27 season? Alexis started 23 of 32 games a season ago. But transfer Samet Yigitoglu has started all 66 contests in his college career. And Aiden Sherrell was a season-long starter for Alabama in 2025-26.

None of those aforementioned players will be moved to small forward, so who comes off the bench? Before we dive into the situation down low, though, we’ll take it from the top.

Projecting Indiana basketball's 2026-27 starting lineup (and sixth man) with Sam Alexis

Point Guard: Markus Burton

Despite his struggles in Peru, Burton is going to be the starting lead guard for Indiana in 2026-27. It’s not up for debate. Burton is a multi-skilled scorer, a gifted table-setter and a solid defender. He is everything the Hoosiers want – and need – at point guard.

Shooting Guard: Bryce Lindsay

The backcourt is clogged for Indiana – in the best way possible. The good news: head man Darian DeVries can’t go wrong. Jaeden Mustaf, a downhill slasher with tremendous defensive upside, could slot into this spot and freshman Prince-Alexander Moody even makes a compelling case.

But we’ll stick with Lindsay, who offers knockdown shooting and secondary playmaking – both of which blend well with the rest of the projected starting lineup.

Small Forward: Darren Harris

Again, Mustaf could also slide into this spot. But Harris gives the Hoosiers yet another sharpshooter from deep, which will create much-needed spacing for Burton to get downhill and the Hoosiers’ bigs to thrive inside.

Power Forward: Aiden Sherrell

One of the most-coveted forwards in this year’s portal class, Sherrell enters 2026-27 as a surefire starter for Indiana. He will be one of the top two-way big men in the entire Big Ten – if not the country.

Center: Samet Yigitoglu

DeVries hammered one point home this offseason: Indiana recognized it needed to get bigger to compete in the always-physical Big Ten – and it did. Yigitoglu, at 7-foot-2, 270 pounds, offers the Hoosiers a brute physical force who can battle any frontcourt player in the league.

Sixth Man: Sam Alexis

Alexis plays much bigger than 6-foot-9 – but he still is just 6-foot-9. For the vast majority of the 2025-26 season, Alexis operated as Indiana’s de-facto center. And he did everything in his power to ensure the Hoosiers survived on the glass and protected the rim. But they weren’t very successful in either endeavor – and by no fault of Alexis’.

Slotting naturally at the four, Alexis can slip into that forward spot without a hitch – or, on occasion, play the five in an undersized, transition-oriented lineup. And considering sophomore Trent Sisley can bump up to small forward at times, the Hoosiers are going to be ultra-dynamic in the frontcourt.

DeVries will be able to shuffle around lineups and build units custom-designed for any scenario – positionless defenses, rebounding-oriented lineups, an up-tempo unit, etc. – ensuring Indiana won’t ever be dominated in a single facet of the game.

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