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Indiana built a strong 2026 high school recruiting class, but it wasnt a unit that turned heads and created an otherworldly amount of buzz in Bloomington.
Head man Darian DeVries and his staff had an admirable offseason, but the majority of the praise heaped on the Hoosiers was due to their transfer haul.
But in Indianas first action of 2026 with its new-look squad, it was the freshmen trio which stood out the most (worth noting, international recruit Clemens Sokolov did not participate).
At the FISU America Games, a tournament the Hoosiers ultimately won on Monday, all three active freshmen put on a show.
Indiana basketball's freshmen are ready - and they proved it at the FISU America Games Vaughn Karvala can really shoot it Recruited as a shooter out of high school, Vaughn Karvala comes to Bloomington already labeled as a marksman.
But although shooting is often a translatable skill, there arent any guarantees.
In Peru, though, Karvala made it crystal clear that he is indeed a pure sharpshooter.
He scored 32 points in one game, while connecting on seven triples in that contest alone.
Karvala finished the entire tournament with a team-high 65 points and ultimately went 11-for-19 (57.9 percent) from beyond the arc.
But dont get it twisted: Karvala isnt a one-trick pony.
The knockdown shooter was also flying high, finishing off a handful of lobs with rim-rocking dunks.
And he was playing stellar defense, as well.
At 6-foot-7, 190 pounds, Karvala is going to need to bulk up to survive in Big Ten play (and he presumably will).
Either way, though, expect Karvala to earn rotational opportunities and be able to provide the Hoosiers with depth they did not have last season.
Prince-Alexander Moody has a chance to be special Ultra-twitchy and with the ball on a string, Prince-Alexander Moody can work himself downhill in a hurry.
He can navigate ball-screen action, put a defender in jail and get to a pull up or beat his defender with a one-dribble move, draw help and then hit an open teammate.
Moody can also just rise up and knock down a three-pointer in a defenders face.
He finished the Peru trip with averages of 12.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists, along with 1.8 steals and 0.5 blocks.
Moody shot a sterling 18-for-33 (54.5 percent) from the field and 11-for-24 (45.8 percent) from outside the arc.
His 11 triples tied Karvala for a team-high.
Moody can slash, push the tempo in transition and create for his teammates none of that comes as a shock.
But if he can shoot it which he certainly seemed very comfortable doing this past week then Moody has the potential to be one of the top reserves in the entire Big Ten next season.
And this cant be glossed over: his competitive edge and motor is off the charts.
On one play, Moody dove for a loose ball, hopped back up, chased back into the play and sent back a shot at the rim (mind you, it was late in the fourth quarter and the game was well out of hand).
Hes a joy to watch, and, seemingly, is the exact same to play alongside.
Moody will be an excellent two-way player off the bench for the Hoosiers this season.
But if it all comes together, Indiana may have a bonafide star on its hands in a season or two.
Trevor Manhertz takes nothing off the table - and brings a lot Another efficient performance from a freshman, Trevor Manhertz scored 8.0 points per game on 6-for-12 shooting from beyond the arc and a perfect 5-for-5 inside of it.
He tacked on 4.8 rebounds per contest and 2.3 assists.
Manhertz is an excellent shooter and has great instincts.
With his catch-and-shoot ability, along with his feel for the game hes a great cutter, knows how to run lanes in transition and has a nose for offensive boards Manhertz is an ideal off-ball player.
He, similar to Karvala, must add muscle, but from a mental and skill standpoint, Manhertz is ready to be a contributor for the Hoosiers in 2026-27.
Hell be yet another scoring punch off the bench.
Primarily covers Illinois football and basketball, and Indiana basketball, with an emphasis on analysis, features, and recruiting.
Langendorf, a third-generation University of Illinois alum, has been watching Illini basketball and football for as long as he can remember.
An advertising student and journalism devotee, he has been writing for On SI since October 2024.
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