Indiana’s men’s basketball squad is set to don the red, white and blue at the FISU America Games in Lima, Peru, carrying the United States’ hopes on the international stage.
Coach Darian DeVries, now in his second year leading the Hoosiers, is using the trip as a laboratory to blend a largely rebuilt roster, emphasizing added size, balance and continuity as the team prepares for the upcoming season.
Emphasizing Size and Balance
The roster overhaul includes transfers Aiden Sherrell, who topped the Hoosiers with 16 points in a recent exhibition, and Samet Yigitoglu, a Turkish forward whose eligibility for Team USA remains uncertain.
DeVries notes that Yigitoglu’s presence offers valuable tactical insight despite his inability to compete for the U.S., while the coaching staff experiments with lineups and combinations to fine‑tune chemistry.
Unlike last year’s excursion to Puerto Rico, which was more of a developmental outing, this tour adopts a business‑like tone, focusing squarely on competitive readiness.
The experience is also meant to extract lessons from a challenging first season in the Big Ten, giving the players a chance to apply those insights as they head into the fall schedule.