Pryght

DeVries signed a player without scouting him at all, refusing to watch a second of game tape? Seems irresponsible.

What else would Sokolov be?

We need a 4/5, not a 5.

If all three freshmen end up 11–13, they probably aren’t developing in meaningful ways, and in today’s portal era, those guys usually leave before you ever see the payoff. Purdue’s model works because they barely rely on the portal and actually build continuity within the program. There’s a clear developmental path and defined future role. That’s why their players are more willing to stay 3–4 years and develop within the system. And yes, the best players should earn spots. Nobody disagrees with that. But roster construction still matters. DeVries and Ryan Carr both seem to understand that a balanced approach is the only sustainable path: enough portal talent to compete now, but enough developmental runway for freshmen so you aren’t rebuilding from scratch every year.

No, that would be a mistake. If the three freshmen are ranked around 11–13 on the roster, they’d probably never see the court. You’re prioritizing the present too heavily at the expense of the future.

Good lord is he tiny. Good handle.

Probably because Tucker was too fat to guard the opponent's 3.

To me, it feels less like an overcorrection and more like an adaptation to what has consistently worked in the B1G and the NCAA Tournament. It reminds me of comments Todd Golden made recently (discussing the value of shooting fewer 3s and more at the rim 2s): That volatility has hurt DeVries too. He’s 1–3 in the NCAA Tournament, and his teams held second-half leads in all three losses. That’s part of why this shift feels less like a philosophical overreaction and more like an attempt to build a style that travels better in March.

I've seen him listed at 216lbs.

I’m glad you agree that the talent level is trending in the right direction. And objectively, isn’t signing sophomores with 2–3 years of remaining eligibility a much better long-term approach than building an entire portal class around seniors? Talent-wise, I agree, though to me this looks like a fringe Top 25 roster. If DeVries doesn’t outperform that level, then criticism of the coaching would be fair. But if he overachieves the way he did at Drake, and arguably at West Virginia given the injuries they dealt with, then hopefully IU found the right guy. Either way, we’re going to learn a lot about this staff and the direction of the program next season. There's no more mulligans.

Yes, in week 5, before we played anyone, we were a fringe Top 25 team. Objectively looking at the talent on IU’s roster, the years of eligibility remaining, the size, the playmaking ability, and the overall roster construction, it’s hard not to conclude that the program is clearly moving in the right direction. C'mon now...

Drake beat Wichita State in 2021. He's 1-3 overall.

It's interesting that DeVries downplayed Ryan Carr's contribution to this Portal Class in yesterday's interview.

We’ll be competitive this year and likely in the fringe Top 25 conversation. Considering where the program has been, we’re clearly moving in the right direction. With our entire roster having at least two years of eligibility remaining, the plan is to retain the core of this group, invest in keeping our top talent, and address weaknesses through next year’s transfer portal. That should position us to take another step forward and potentially become a Top 15 team in 2027-2028. This is a progression, and the foundation is being built the right way.

Just to calm some of the worriers...