Trent Sisley Returns For 2026-27 Indiana Basketball Season

The first domino of the Indiana basketball offseason has fallen.

On Tuesday, news broke that forward Trent Sisley will return to Indiana for his sophomore season in 2026-47, as first reported by On3's Joe Tipton.

As a freshman, Sisley averaged 4.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 43% from the field (46-for-107), 27.1% from 3-point range (13-for-48) and 53.8% from the free throw line (21-for-39).

What Trent Sisley's return means for Indiana

Trent Sisley Indiana Basketball — Indiana Hoosiers forward Trent Sisley (11) drives to the basket against Louisville at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Prior to the announcement of Sisley's return, the only official roster changes so far were the graduating seniors: Lamar Wilkerson, Tucker DeVries, Conor Enright, Tayton Conerway, Sam Alexis and Reed Bailey.

Aside from Sisley, six other Hoosiers from the 2025-26 roster have eligibility remaining and could return to Indiana, but none have made an official announcement. That includes Nick Dorn, Jasai Miles, Aleksa Ristic, Andrej Acimovic, Jason Drake and Josh Harris. The transfer portal officially opens April 7, though players around the country have already begun announcing their intentions to enter or return.

While Indiana won't have much continuity going into year two under coach Darian DeVries with its top five scorers and starting point guard departing, getting Sisley back is an important step. Though his minutes and scoring decreased as his freshman year went on, he could be an impactful player for years to come and help DeVries build more stability.

Sisley was a highly sought after recruit following three years at Heritage Hills High School in Lincoln City, Ind. and one year at prep school Montverde Academy –– the same school as former Hoosiers Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau, as well as 2025 NBA first-round picks Cooper Flagg, Derik Queen, Asa Newell and Liam McNeeley.

Among class of 2025 recruits, Sisley was considered a four-star prospect and ranked No. 84 overall, No. 16 among power forwards and No. 18 in Florida, according to the 247Sports Composite. His final five college choices included Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Iowa.

Sisley had a few impressive performances against high-major opponents early in his freshman season, beginning with a 15-point, five-rebound effort against Marquette. He also scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds against Kansas State, and later contributed 10 points and four rebounds in a win over Washington on Jan. 4.

At 6-foot-8, Sisley showed flashes of being a versatile small forward or power forward who can rebound, shoot from the mid-range or beyond the arc, and handle the ball in the open floor at times.

But as the second half of Big Ten play carried on, DeVries significantly decreased Sisley's minutes. And from Jan. 7 until the end of the season, Sisley never scored more than four points or grabbed more than four rebounds.

In his final 16 games, he attempted more than three field goal attempts just once. Sisley's freshman season came to an end with just one minute of game action in the Hoosiers' Big Ten Tournament loss to Northwestern, lowering his season average to 13.2 minutes per game in 30 appearances.

If Sisley can make strides this offseason, he could be a valuable piece to Indiana's rotation in 2026-27.