Three games. Three wins. And a whole lot more clarity about what Indiana basketball might look like this season.
The Hoosiers wrapped up their exhibition slate Sunday with a comeback win over Western Kentucky, putting the finishing touches on an undefeated preseason ahead of Monday's regular-season opener against Eastern Illinois.
But while the results were identical, the individual performances were anything but. Some Hoosiers played their way into larger roles. Others struggled to find their footing, while a handful did just about what was expected of them.
Here's whose stock is rising, falling or holding steady after Indiana's three exhibitions.
**Players are listed numerically, with only those who appeared in at least two contests included**
Trevor Manhertz's biggest preseason accomplishment might not have been anything he did with the basketball. It was simply how often he was on the floor.
The freshman averaged more than 19 minutes per game, emerging as one of Darian DeVries' first options off the bench and establishing himself as a legitimate rotation piece.
Billed as a sharpshooter coming out of high school, Manhertz connected on 4-of-13 attempts from beyond the arc. That part of his game remains a work in progress.
But his contributions elsewhere were difficult to ignore. Manhertz averaged 4.7 rebounds, including eight against Butler, and consistently brought energy defensively.
If he continues doing the dirty work, the shooting can come along slower. Manhertz has already given DeVries plenty of reasons to keep him on the floor.
Indiana is counting on Darren Harris to be one of its most dangerous perimeter shooters. Through three exhibitions, that shooting touch was inconsistent at best.
The Duke transfer connected on just 6-of-21 attempts from deep, averaging 8.3 points per game. His preseason ended with a particularly rough outing against Western Kentucky, when he scored one point on 0-for-5 shooting in just 15 minutes.
But the bigger concern wasn't necessarily his shooting. It was the lack of production elsewhere. Harris made little impact on the glass and finished the preseason with two assists to five turnovers.
His shooting pedigree suggests the percentages will improve. But when the shots aren't falling, Harris needs to find other ways to influence the game.
Nobody did more to improve his stock this preseason than Bryce Lindsay
.
Despite coming off the bench, Lindsay led Indiana in scoring at 17.3 points per game, highlighted by 26 points against North Carolina and another 20 against Western Kentucky. He also knocked down 10-of-23 attempts from beyond the arc.
More importantly, Lindsay showed he can manufacture offense at all three levels, something Indiana needed at times throughout the exhibition slate.
Whether he eventually cracks the starting lineup almost feels irrelevant. Lindsay is going to play starter-level minutes, and there will be nights when Indiana needs him to take over offensively.
Jaeden Mustaf didn't exactly light up the scoreboard throughout the preseason, but he appears to have secured something arguably more important: a starting job.
After opening the exhibition slate just 5-for-18 from the field, Mustaf finished strong with 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting against Western Kentucky. He also attempted six free throws, showing his ability to attack downhill and generate offense without relying on his perimeter jumper.
But Mustaf's value extends well beyond scoring.
He's emerged as Indiana's top point-of-attack defender and appears poised to draw the toughest perimeter assignment on a nightly basis
.
The outside shooting remains a question mark, but Mustaf has already carved out a clear identity in DeVries' rotation.
Sam Alexis might have been Indiana's most dependable player throughout the preseason.
The veteran forward averaged 11.3 points off the bench, providing considerably more offensive production than might have been expected. He also recorded seven blocks across three exhibitions, consistently making his presence felt around the rim.
Alexis isn't necessarily going to anchor an elite defense by himself, but his activity, versatility and willingness to embrace whatever role is needed make him invaluable.
He can play alongside virtually anybody on the roster without disrupting the offense or sacrificing anything defensively.
For a team still figuring out its best combinations, having somebody as reliable as Alexis is a luxury
.
This might seem harsh, especially considering Markus Burton could very well lead Indiana in scoring this season.
But outside of an explosive stretch against Butler, when he scored 11 of the Hoosiers' first 13 points, Burton's preseason was largely inefficient.
After connecting on his first three attempts from beyond the arc, Burton made just one of his final six. His exhibition finale was particularly difficult, as he finished 1-of-11 against Western Kentucky, although DeVries revealed later that Burton had dislocated a finger early in the contest.
Foul trouble also limited his opportunities, and he didn't consistently show the playmaking Indiana will want from him moving forward.
There were positives, too, particularly his aggressive defensive rebounding over the final two exhibitions.
Nobody should be sounding alarm bells over Burton's preseason. But expectations are high, and his overall performance fell short of them.
Prince-Alexander Moody's preseason was relatively quiet until Indiana needed a spark against Western Kentucky.
The freshman played nearly 15 minutes in the finale, connecting on two 3-pointers and contributing to the reserve group that helped engineer the comeback.
His defensive intensity was encouraging, but there wasn't much evidence throughout the three exhibitions that Moody has secured a regular spot in DeVries' rotation.
That isn't necessarily disappointing. Few expected him to shoulder significant minutes immediately.
Moody showed flashes of what he can eventually become. For now, though, his role appears likely to be situational.
Trent Sisley finds himself in a familiar position entering his second collegiate season.
The sophomore averaged 4.3 points and fewer than 12 minutes per game during the preseason, suggesting he's still searching for a clearly defined role in Indiana's rotation.
Sisley made two of his three attempts from distance, but his opportunities were limited, and he doesn't appear to have made the leap many hoped to see entering Year 2.
His versatility remains his greatest strength. Sisley can adapt to different lineups, fill gaps and contribute without the offense built around him.
He should still be a regular rotation piece, likely more so than he was late last season. But if the expectation was a breakout sophomore campaign, the preseason offered little evidence that it's imminent.
Clemens Sokolov's inclusion is almost a technicality.
The 7-foot freshman played nearly six minutes against Butler, made a 10-second appearance against North Carolina and didn't see the floor against Western Kentucky.
Still, those brief opportunities offered a glimpse of why Indiana brought him into the program. Sokolov moves well for his size and flashed some intriguing passing instincts, recording two assists against Butler.
But he's clearly a developmental piece.
His limited playing time doesn't necessarily represent a disappointment. Rather, it reinforces the expectation that this will be a developmental season, with meaningful minutes likely difficult to come by outside of lopsided contests.
The long-term potential is there. The immediate opportunity isn't, and that was largely expected.
Samet Yigitoglu scored just three combined points over Indiana's final two exhibitions.
And yet, his stock is rising.
The big man averaged 7.3 rebounds per game, helping transform an Indiana frontcourt that struggled to establish a consistent interior presence last season.
His offensive production remains a work in progress. Yigitoglu attempted just four field goals combined against North Carolina and Western Kentucky, something DeVries has acknowledged needs to change.
But his value isn't limited to scoring.
Against Western Kentucky, Yigitoglu recorded four first-half assists, repeatedly finding open teammates when the defense collapsed around him. His connection with Sam Alexis in the high-low game was encouraging.
Indiana finally has a legitimate interior presence capable of impacting games without scoring in bunches. Now the Hoosiers need to figure out how to get him the ball more consistently.
Aiden Sherrell's preseason was a mixed bag, but there was more good than bad.
The Alabama transfer averaged 6.7 points and connected on just 3-of-10 attempts from deep, struggling at times to establish himself as a consistent offensive threat, but his work on the glass was excellent.
Sherrell averaged eight rebounds per game, including seven offensive boards across the exhibition slate, giving Indiana another dependable presence in an area DeVries has emphasized.
His willingness to shoot from the perimeter was also encouraging, even if the results weren't always there.
Sherrell didn't necessarily elevate his stock, but he didn't hurt it, either. He looks like a dependable frontcourt piece with room to grow offensively.
Of Indiana's incoming freshmen, Vaughn Karvala once appeared among the most likely to earn consistent minutes immediately.
That no longer seems quite as certain.
Karvala impressed during Indiana's summer trip to Peru, but a minor injury-related issue limited his opportunities early in the exhibition slate.
He didn't play against Butler and saw limited action against North Carolina before receiving his first meaningful minutes against Western Kentucky.
He made an impact in the finale, including a crucial putback during Indiana's comeback, but Manhertz appears to have overtaken him in the freshman pecking order.
That's the biggest reason Karvala's stock is falling.
It isn't necessarily a reflection of poor play. Rather, his projected role appears smaller than it did entering the preseason.
Karvala should still have opportunities to contribute, but he'll have to work his way into a rotation that already appears relatively crowded.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/indiana as Indiana Basketball Stock Report: Rising and Falling After 3 Exhibitions .
