'Retain and keep': Darian DeVries highlights importance of 'stability' in building a program and how he plans to construct rosters going forward

The landscape of college basketball has shifted drastically over the last few years and once again, it appears to be shifting. With the inclusion of NIL and the transfer portal, there’s a new reality in how rosters are and should be built. And following the first season at Indiana for Darian DeVries, he’s looking at exactly how he wants the program to be built in the coming years.

“In the ideal world every year, we’re kind of getting two, three, four freshmen, depending on what you got returning and what you got coming back,” DeVries said at a fan event last week. “But, again, just trying to build that stability each year. We have three incoming freshmen, actually four now, for this upcoming season.”

Darian DeVries brought in three freshman his first season at Indiana, with Trent Sisley being the only ranked recruit and the only one who saw any sort of significant minutes throughout the season. While Sisley stayed, the other two departed for the transfer portal.

This year, Indiana will have four incoming freshmen, three 4-star prospects in Prince-Alexander Moody, Trevor Manhertz and Vaughn Karvala. The fourth is German center Clemens Sokolov, who committed earlier this month.

Having three of the four either committed or signed by mid-year gave Indiana additional flexibility when looking at the portal ahead of its opening, and being able to focus on specific needs, as well as skillsets. Part of the portal haul was around skillset, yes, but also being able to put together a roster that could build a culture and set the foundation for Indiana; players with multiple years of eligibility remaining.

“We wanted to find guys that we would have an opportunity to retain and keep, so that we can start to build some stability,” DeVries said earlier this month. “Another big piece of it too that maybe doesn’t get talked about enough is just from the fall, being able to sign three freshmen and you’re starting to build some opportunity for retention there as well. 

“That’s going to be critical as we continue to go year to year, is making sure that we’re bringing in freshmen and having freshmen go to sophomores and now you got three, four freshmen, two, three, whatever it ends up being every year. And now you’ve got a roster that you’re just maybe filling in holes through the portal as opposed to rebuilding an entire team. And that’s something that’s very important to us.”

By class, Indiana has four freshmen, one sophomore and the rest either juniors and seniors who are still expected to have two years of eligibility due to potential redshirt seasons. That’s a vast difference from six seniors this past season.

While there is no clear path from high school to college that ensures a player will be a significant contributor in his first year, Indiana is looking more long term with every incoming freshman rather than year one contribution.

That doesn’t mean it can’t and won’t happen — and the likelihood of Moody and Sokolov seeing minutes throughout the season are high. Regardless of what the minute count is come year’s end, or what their stats say, building a roster around a core group of expected returners who have benign the program and been part of the foundation is clearly part of DeVries short-term plan in the next two years.

He’s excited about the group coming in, and more importantly what that means for setting the standard moving forward.

“Yeah, with freshmen, it’s a little bit like you don’t know for sure, but I’m really excited about them,” DeVries said. “I think all of those guys have a chance to come in and contribute. And I think they’re all very talented in different ways. And I’m excited about what they’re going to do … They’re going to go through some things, but I like what they bring. I think they’re all going to have an opportunity to come in and play and give us some good minutes. And we’ll see what that ends up looking like.’

There’s no given that a player will stay long term, but the shift in college basketball is now about the importance of retention and building internally, rather than adding numerous pieces from the portal. That’s evident in IU’s offseason construction of the roster and likely what will remain in tact moving into the 2027 recruiting class.

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