The Indiana Hoosiers have hit the transfer portal hard in the first few days, securing their fourth player earlier last night. Darian DeVries, the Hoosiers’ second-year coach, picked up a commitment from SMU big man Samet Yiğitoğlu, per Draft Express Jonanthan Giovany.
“SMU transfer Samet Yiğitoğlu has committed to Indiana, Tolga Beritan and Sean Kennedy tell DraftExpress,” Giovany tweeted. “The 7’2, 22-year-old Turkish center was one of the most coveted big men in the portal after averaging 10.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 29 minutes per game.”
Yiğitoğlu played two seasons at SMU, starting all 66 of his appearances. He was ranked as the 37th-best player and No.7 center in the transfer portal by On3. The Hoosiers reportedly beat out South Carolina, Texas Tech, Washington, Louisville, and Gonzaga for Istanbul, Turkey native.
Hoosiers Pick Up Fourth Transfer in Two Days to Move to the Top of Rankings, Considered Leader For Top-5 Center
Yiğitoğlu showed significant improvement in offensive efficiency and on the glass in year two at SMU. The 22-year-old instantly enhances the Hoosiers’ frontcourt and is the tallest player DeVries has recruited at 7-foot-2, 270 pounds. The Hoosiers were one of the worst rebounding teams in the nation and averaged fewer than three blocks a game. They also lost their three tallest players from last season.
Yiğitoğlu is outstanding around the rim on both ends of the court. Yiğitoğlu — a strong, powerful, and physical big man — is an excellent finisher, converting nearly 71% of his attempts, and an elite offensive rebounder. He is also a solid rim-protector and passer. Fouls and free-throw shooting are issues.
Overall, Yiğitoğlu scored in double-figures in 25 of 34 appearances in 2025-26. He also recorded seven double-doubles and had 14 multi-block games. His commitment comes a day after DeVries secured pledges from Markus Burton, Jaedon Mustaf, and Darren Harris.
Hoosiers Move Up to No. 1 in Transfer Rankings
With those additions, Indiana moved up to No. 1 in On3’s transfer rankings, moving past WVU, Iowa State, and UCLA. The Hoosiers additions added approximately $2.9 million to their NIL bill.
While Yiğitoğlu’s addition is key to the Hoosiers frontcourt, Burton’s commitment is huge. Burton, who spent the last three seasons at Notre Dame, becomes the Hoosiers top offensive option. The 5-11 point guard, who led the ACC in scoring at 21.3 points a game in 2024-25, was limited to 10 games this past season due to an ankle injury. For his career, he averages 18.5 points and 3.7 assists with shooting splits of 48.9/30.6/91.7.
Burton is a three-level scorer who has an elite first step and finishes through contact. Burton is a capable playmaker, though he projects to be the Hoosiers’ primary creator this year due to his shot-making ability. Defensively, he can cause chaos and havoc with his quickness and instincts. He has one year of eligibility left.
Mustaf showed improvement in year two at Georgia Tech, though he was much more consistent in the second half of the campaign. The 6-5 wing averaged 10.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists with shooting splits of 43.3/38.9/72.7. He produced two double-double-doubles and scored in double-figures 13 times, tallying a career-high 28 points against Clemson on March 7.
Mustaf brings physicality, size, and defensive versatility to the Hoosiers backcourt. Mustaf is at his best when attacking the rim. He is also a capable secondary playmaker who can knock down three-pointers off the catch.
Harris is an experienced wing with two years of eligibility left. While the former consensus top-40 recruit appeared in 57 games in two seasons at Duke, he averaged just 8.4 minutes a game. He is known for his shooting ability, though he has made just 31% of his attempts over the last two seasons.
DeVries Still Has A Lot of Work To Do
Indiana still has work to do on the recruiting trail. The Hoosiers will be without 12 players from last year’s team — six who exhausted eligibility and six who are in the transfer portal — that went 18-16 this past season and 9-11 in the Big Ten. It marked the third straight season that the Hoosiers missed the NCAA Tournament and failed to win 20 games. They also haven’t won more than 10 Big Ten games since the 2022-23 season.
On the positive side, Indiana is the favorite to land Alabama 6-11 big man Aidan Sherrell, per On3’s Jaime Shaw. Sherrell showed tremendous growth in year two with the Crimson Tide, averaging 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. Michigan State, Duke, Michigan, Baylor, Michigan State, and North Carolina are among those interested in the athletic and versatile center. He is ranked 15th among transfer portal prospects, including the fourth-best center with a NIL value of $1.7 million. Sherrell visited Bloomington on April 12.
The Hoosiers have eight players committed for 2026-27. The Hoosiers also have commitment from Trent Silsby (returning) and three incoming freshmen. They will likely add five more scholarships, with the possibility of adding a total of seven.
Six-foot-4 guard Prince Moody, 6-6 wing Vaughn Karvala, and 6-8 forward Trevor Manhartz are the three players in DeVries 2026 high school class. All four players are rated as four-star recruits.
In addition to a mobile forward, Indiana still needs to add a high-usage guard and defensive-minded wing. Colorado transfer Sebastin Rancik is slated to visit IU today. They are also highly involved with Tulane transfer Rowan Brumbaugh.
In addition, Finnish teenage sensation Mikka Muurinen, a five-star 2026 recruit, has the Hoosiers in his final seven list. The Hoosiers are also involved with 7-3 Italian 2026 prospect Luigi Suigo. Suigo visited the Hoosiers last June.
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