Indiana Basketball was once considered one of the premier programs in college basketball. Five national championships. A tradition that commands respect nationally. But the Hoosiers are now approaching a 40-year drought, and the question of when — or whether — Indiana returns to relevance is one of the most compelling storylines in the sport.
Bobby Knight led Indiana to glory in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, but the program has been searching for an identity ever since. Tom Crean brought some life back to Bloomington — Big Ten championships, NBA-level talent, moments of genuine excitement — but was ultimately fired in 2017 following an 18-16 season. The Archie Miller and Mike Woodson eras were both utter failures. Now, Darian DeVries is at the helm, tasked with turning one of college basketball’s most storied programs back into a contender.
DeVries signed a six-year, $27 million contract in 2025, and year one was underwhelming by any measure. He brought his son to Bloomington and loaded up on veteran portal additions, but the pieces never fit together. Indiana finished 18-14, ranked 10th in the Big Ten, and missed the NCAA Tournament entirely. The fanbase, increasingly resigned to Indiana’s identity as a football school, was patient — but patience only goes so far.
Year two is where the pressure ramps up. DeVries went out and constructed what projects to be one of the most expensive rosters in college basketball, reportedly in the range of $12 million. The transfer portal haul is headlined by three top-35 additions according to 247 sports: Aiden Sherrell from Alabama (11th), Markus Burton from Notre Dame (23rd), and Samet Yigitoglu from SMU (35th). DeVries also added Jaeden Mustaf out of Georgia Tech, Bryce Lindsay from Villanova, and Darren Harris from Duke. On paper, this is a loaded group — and the projections reflect that, with Indiana tabbed by some as a top 25 program nationally heading into 2026-27.
But here is the question that nobody in Bloomington wants to ask out loud: can you buy a culture?
Indiana is not building from within. They are not developing freshmen into stars over years. They are assembling a collection of veterans from different programs, different systems, and different cultures, and expecting them to cohere into something special immediately. It has worked elsewhere — Michigan’s championship run is the most recent proof of that — but that is very much the exception, not the rule. For every team that cashes in on a portal-heavy roster, there are several more that finish with an underwhelming record and a quiet offseason of soul searching.
The biggest question mark for this Indiana team is defense. Assembling high-volume scorers is one thing. Getting them to commit to the defensive end — to buy into a system, to guard, to sacrifice — is another thing entirely. DeVries will need to answer that question quickly if Indiana wants to live up to the lofty expectations that come with a $12 million roster.
Indiana has the talent. The fanbase is cautiously optimistic. The program has the history. Now it is time to find out whether Darian DeVries can turn all of that investment into something that actually lasts.
