IU Basketball News and Notes

[Artie86]

......I know this has been posted before, but the more I read it, Dolson's comments made sort of had me scratching my head. Did Dolson allow sort of a "cheap roster, scab" team to get us to 2026? lol

We did get a gem when we landed Wilkerson. 

Indiana AD Scott Dolson commended coach Darian DeVries for assembling the 2025-26 basketball roster quickly under difficult circumstances, describing it as a group meant to "get us through this season". The roster was viewed as a temporary fix, with plans for a more intentional team build in the 2026-27 season.

 

 

[Golfman25]

1 hour ago, Artie86 said:

......I know this has been posted before, but the more I read it, Dolson's comments made sort of had me scratching my head. Did Dolson allow sort of a "cheap roster, scab" team to get us to 2026? lol

We did get a gem when we landed Wilkerson. 

Indiana AD Scott Dolson commended coach Darian DeVries for assembling the 2025-26 basketball roster quickly under difficult circumstances, describing it as a group meant to "get us through this season". The roster was viewed as a temporary fix, with plans for a more intentional team build in the 2026-27 season.

If that is the case, then it was shear stupidity and they should take his AD award away.  If that was the plan, they should have gone young to develop and build some continuity.  I.e.; Sisley sitting on the bench did nobody and good.   

[Artie86]

https://www.thedailyhoosier.com/typically-careful-with-words-scott-dolson-sent-a-strong-message-to-iu-basketball-fans/

This article is where the quote that Dolson mentions "building a roster to just get by" in a short amount of time....

[str8baller]

2 hours ago, Artie86 said:

......I know this has been posted before, but the more I read it, Dolson's comments made sort of had me scratching my head. Did Dolson allow sort of a "cheap roster, scab" team to get us to 2026? lol

We did get a gem when we landed Wilkerson. 

Indiana AD Scott Dolson commended coach Darian DeVries for assembling the 2025-26 basketball roster quickly under difficult circumstances, describing it as a group meant to "get us through this season". The roster was viewed as a temporary fix, with plans for a more intentional team build in the 2026-27 season.

 

 

I took those comments to mean, they were just grabbing the best players they could get and not worrying about future roster construction. In essence, it’s how we ended up with all seniors, instead of trying to balance the classes a little more. 

[RaceToTheTop]

9 minutes ago, str8baller said:

I took those comments to mean, they were just grabbing the best players they could get and not worrying about future roster construction. In essence, it’s how we ended up with all seniors, instead of trying to balance the classes a little more. 

They weren't actually all seniors.  Jasai Miles was a junior and Josh Harris was a sophomore.  Yet to be seen if either will be back next year.  Harris I really liked because he put up a good freshman year (albeit at a low major) and looked like he had quite a bit of athletecism.

[RaceToTheTop]

1 hour ago, Golfman25 said:

If that is the case, then it was shear stupidity and they should take his AD award away.  If that was the plan, they should have gone young to develop and build some continuity.  I.e.; Sisley sitting on the bench did nobody and good.   

I would disagree that they should have went all young (although I agree that Sisley should have been playing UNLESS the rumor is true that he told DeVries he was transferring).  At the point at which IU starting going after players in the portal, it was really slim pickings in terms of high school recruits and players going into their sophomore year.  

[HoosierHoopster]

2 hours ago, Artie86 said:

......I know this has been posted before, but the more I read it, Dolson's comments made sort of had me scratching my head. Did Dolson allow sort of a "cheap roster, scab" team to get us to 2026? lol

We did get a gem when we landed Wilkerson. 

Indiana AD Scott Dolson commended coach Darian DeVries for assembling the 2025-26 basketball roster quickly under difficult circumstances, describing it as a group meant to "get us through this season". The roster was viewed as a temporary fix, with plans for a more intentional team build in the 2026-27 season.

 

 

thing is imo you glossed over "for assembling ... quickly under difficult circumstances...." That was the situation, late hire, complete rebuild, zero assistants on staff to start. Yes, it was a temporary fix, for those reasons.

[str8baller]

19 minutes ago, RaceToTheTop said:

They weren't actually all seniors.  Jasai Miles was a junior and Josh Harris was a sophomore.  Yet to be seen if either will be back next year.  Harris I really liked because he put up a good freshman year (albeit at a low major) and looked like he had quite a bit of athletecism.

Almost all of our high dollar guys were.
 

We got some filler on the back end, but it’s kind of up in the air if those guys can even meaningfully contribute. Maybe we’ll get one starter out of it. We have so much filler nobody even really knows who might or should come back. If we go into next year with 2 of Sisley/Dorn/Miles/Harris starting, I’d bet we’ll be in trouble.  
 

Maybe Dolson meant something else but that’s how interpreted it. 

[Stuhoo]

1 hour ago, str8baller said:

Almost all of our high dollar guys were.
 

We got some filler on the back end, but it’s kind of up in the air if those guys can even meaningfully contribute. Maybe we’ll get one starter out of it. We have so much filler nobody even really knows who might or should come back. If we go into next year with 2 of Sisley/Dorn/Miles/Harris starting, I’d bet we’ll be in trouble.  
 

Maybe Dolson meant something else but that’s how interpreted it. 

Not that you suggested it is at all likely, but let me say the quiet part out loud:

• The chances of
  • Sisley
  • Dorn
  • Drake
  • Miles, and
  • Harris
    • as our starting five next year are pretty much zero. As in .000001% likely.

• The chances of more than two or three of
  • Dorn
  • Drake
  • Miles
  • Harris
  • Acimovich, and
  • Ristic
    • being on next year's roster are apparently pretty small too.

[WayneFleekHoosier]

16 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

Not that you suggested it is at all likely, but let me add that

• The chances of
  • Sisley
  • Dorn
  • Drake
  • Miles, and
  • Harris
    • as our starting five next year are pretty much zero. As in .000001% likely.

• The chances of more than two or three of
  • Dorn
  • Drake
  • Miles
  • Harris
  • Acimovich, and
  • Ristic
    • being on next year's roster are apparently pretty small too.

Really curious how this goes.  3 returnees plus 3 freshman would be about right to balance some things out.  But things were off the second half of the season, vibes/chemistry wise.  
 

Also curious if a coaching change happens in a spot or not. 
 

I’ll always say how you mange 1-10 and 11-13 is key.  Only gonna have 8-10 guys maximum happy with their role. Figuring out how to balance expectations, chemistry, etc goes a long ways.  Makes it more important not to miss on your GO TO targets that are being paid the most. Purdue seems to handle this better than any school I can think of.  But winning is hugely helpful in the Vibes category and waiting for your spot to open up.