6-Banner Sunday: Roster additions continue for IU men’s and women’s basketball

  • Apr 13, 2025 8:00 am
 

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

With a program reset underway, new IU coach Darian DeVries continues to build his personnel for next season. Also, while the women’s squad has some continuity, they are having to make over their roster as well.

In addition to those topics, we will provide some information on another reported huge non-conference matchup and Hoosiers in the NBA. We will conclude with weekly shows and a look at other Indiana sports, led by softball having a solid week.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Roster updates for IU men’s and women’s basketball
• IU basketball coaching staff updates
• Hoosiers to play Louisville on December 6 in Indianapolis
• Hoosiers in the NBA
• Podcast on the Brink and Back Home Network shows
• Hoosier Roundup

Banner #1 – Roster updates for IU men’s and women’s basketball

With a full personnel reset underway, Darian DeVries continues to add and chase prospects to fill out the roster. It is known that DeVries’ son Tucker will follow his dad to campus and incoming freshman Trent Sisley is sticking with the Hoosiers. Also, Luke Goode is petitioning for a medical redshirt and DePaul transfer Conor Enright is already in the fold.

The latest commitment came last Sunday when Davidson’s Reed Bailey came on board. With a dead period prohibiting visits until late this week, news slowed down for a few days. However, with that moratorium now ended, Indiana is now attached to or has visits confirmed for multiple players again.

The biggest name is Sam Houston’s Lamar Wilkerson who is in Bloomington this weekend. They are also reportedly chasing Charleston’s Ante Brzovic, Troy’s Tayton Conerway, LSU’s Tyrell Ward, and Idaho State’s Dylan Darling, among others.

Amongst outgoing Hoosiers, Myles Rice is headed to Maryland as is women’s star Yarden Garzon. Speaking of the women, they got a commitment from Phoenix Stotijn after a solid freshman season at Arkansas. On Saturday, they also received a pledge from UCLA backup big Zania Socka-Nguemen, who was an elite recruit out of high school in 2023 as a McDonalds All-American. They join former Indiana Miss Basketball Chloe Spreen who had previously committed after a tough first year at Alabama.

With all these roster changes across the country, Inside the Hall’s Alex Bozich compiled a few lists of where Big Ten squads stand nationally for 2025-2026. With so much player movement still to come, the consensus is all over the place, although arch-rival Purdue is thought of highly.

Banner #2 – IU basketball coaching staff updates

While DeVries will head the coaching staff, a couple of additions to help him were reported. Kenny Johnson is coming back as an assistant for a second tenure in Bloomington. Johnson’s most recent stop was at Georgetown.

Also, joining IU basketball for the first time is Bradley associate head coach Mike Bargen. While Bargen’s title or role is unclear, it does not appear it will be as an assistant coach.

In unrelated news, the program is reportedly the third most valuable in college basketball and also led the Big Ten in attendance once again.

Banner #3 – Hoosiers to play Louisville on December 6 in Indianapolis

The non-conference schedule for 2025 is shaping up to be far tougher than last season. It was already known that the Hoosiers would travel to Kentucky and play a neutral site matchup vs. Marquette in Chicago.

Now another showdown with split fan attendance has been reported. This involves competition against regional rival Louisville in Indianapolis on December 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Banner #4: Hoosiers in the NBA

There continue to be several former Hoosiers competing in the NBA. The most prominent is Miami’s Kel’el Ware, who is expected to be amongst those selected as a first-team All-rookie.

Besides Ware, a few other former IU players are competing professionally in the world’s top league. This includes New York’s OG Anunoby (who has had the most sustained success recently), Thomas Bryant locally with the Pacers, Philadelphia’s Eric Gordon (the longest tenured in this group) and Jalen Hood-Schifino and Golden State’s Trayce Jackson-Davis.

Banner #5 – Podcast on the Brink and Back Home Network shows

Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, WDRB.com’s Rick Bozich discussed how Florida and Houston built the rosters that advanced both teams to the national championship game.

The Back Home Network was also on-air multiple times in the last few days. Assembly Call, Crimson Cast, Doing The Work, Dribble Drive, and Xs and Joes, all had shows this week.

Banner #6 – Hoosier Roundup

• Softball had an excellent week sweeping Maryland and beating Louisville before splitting their first two games with Wisconsin.

• Baseball also had a few nice days by being perfect against Michigan State and knocking off Ball State before going 1-1 in their first couple of contests vs. Illinois.

• Women’s tennis upset Michigan State before falling to Minnesota. They also signed a prospect for next fall.

• Men’s tennis had their match with Southern Indiana canceled before losing to Oregon.

• Water polo fell to elite Stanford.

• Track and field competed at the Crimson Tide Invitational.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

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