Grading Indiana Basketball Players After North Carolina Exhibition Win

On Sunday, Indiana took down North Carolina 76-58 in an exhibition matchup in Indianapolis. It was the Hoosiers’ second of three exhibition games (also have Western Kentucky on Oct. 25). Here is our grade for each Indiana player who registered at least five minutes against the Tar Heels. 

Indiana basketball player grades after exhibition win over North Carolina

Darren Harris: B-

We know: Darren Harris is a shooter. His role is to catch ready, and let it rip (3-for-9 from deep vs. North Carolina). But some of his pulls on Sunday were really contested. 

Can he hit them? Sure. Are those the best shots the Hoosiers are going to get? Rarely. And one rebound and three turnovers isn’t inspiring much confidence. 

Markus Burton: B

Pushing the pace, being active on defense, slicing and dicing his way to the rim and keeping defenses honest from deep – Markus Burton showcased the full package against the Tar Heels. 

Then again, 4-for-13 is quite inefficient. Still, Burton mostly got to his spots, and he seemed to just be shaking off the rust, as everyone does in exhibition outings.

Jaeden Mustaf: A-

No one had a great day from the field for the Hoosiers, which somehow makes Jaeden Mustaf’s 3-for-8 showing look halfway decent. But his downhill ability, rebounding (snagged five boards) and defense all was truly impressive. 

Coach Darian DeVries wants Mustaf to be Indiana’s stopper on defense. He showed exactly why on Sunday night (held Neo Avdalas to six points and four turnovers). Mustaf did commit three turnovers of his own, though. 

Aiden Sherrell: B+

From a scoring perspective, Aiden Sherrell wasn’t off the charts (seven points). But he did all of the little things on Sunday night. He owned the glass (10 boards), made some plays on defense (one block and one steal), was excellent in one-on-one situations on that end and also knocked down a three. 

The Hoosiers surely want Sherrell to be more aggressive (only took eight shots), and if he can do that while providing the intangibles, he’s going to be one of the best players in the Big Ten. 

Samet Yigitoglu: C+

Twice Samet Yigitoglu got to his drop-step on the left side of the rim and came up empty-handed. He needs to either use his left hand or, better yet, just finish the open layup. But he was superb on the boards (11 rebounds in 20 minutes, including five offensive) and a brick wall in the post on defense. 

But 0-for-3 from the field and a 2-for-4 showing from the free-throw line is not cutting it. In his defense, Indiana could have sought him out more on offense. 

Bryce Lindsay: A

26 points on 8-for-14 shooting off the bench is pretty spectacular. Bryce Lindsay’s shooting isn’t a novelty (although his range is something to marvel at). And if he’s adding some slashing too, which he did on Sunday, then he’s going to be a really tough cover. 

Lindsay was hitting against North Carolina so it’s hard to argue with the shot selection. But some of his attempts were just brutal. Early pulls in the shot clock after one or two passes are never a recipe for success. 

Sam Alexis: A-

Night in and night out Sam Alexis brings it. He doesn’t take much – if anything – off the table. He doesn’t need the ball to make an impact. And he plays so hard. 

Alexis did all of that on Sunday. He snagged four offensive boards, sent back two shots on the other end and finished with 10 points. 

Trevor Manhertz: B

The box score does not paint Trevor Manhertz’s outing in the prettiest light. 0-for-4 from the field and four personal fouls in 15 minutes. The eye test told a different story, though. 

Manhertz took open shots – which we know he is more than capable of making – and was a connector (three assists against zero turnovers) and played his tail off. That’s all anyone can ask of a freshman. 

Trent Sisley: B-

Trent Sisley attempted zero shots. In fact, in his 15 minutes, Sisley’s two rebounds were his only recorded stats. He didn’t do anything wrong. But he didn’t do much of anything, in general. To be fair, the season hasn’t even started. So, Sisley is just carving out his role on this new squad. 

But he isn’t going to demand minutes by just being there. He needs to find a way to bring value to the Hoosiers or his minutes are going to decline as the season wears on.