Vaughn Karvala’s recruitment, potential retention represent a core component of Indiana’s development under DeVries

Recruiting freshmen is still integral to Indiana's identity, and Karvala is a fantastic find

Players warm up inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall before Indiana’s matchup against No. 10 Nebraska on Jan. 10, 2026.

Indiana head coach Darian DeVries isn’t giving up on the recruitment of freshmen.

It’s a new era of college sports, one in which entire rosters are composed of transfers. In fact, the top seven scorers on last year’s Indiana team were transfers. Even so, DeVries maintains his commitment to the concept of developing talent from within.

A year ago, DeVries embarked on his first season as head coach of the Hoosiers, immediately tasked with constructing an entire roster with exactly zero carryover from Mike Woodson’s team.

DeVries made the mistake of focusing too heavily on experience in that initial cycle. Due to both the transfer portal and graduation, much of his first team in Bloomington departed upon the completion of this past season. As a result, his second team, which steps onto the court this fall, is also primarily composed of transfers.

Even so, DeVries has learned. This time around, most of Indiana’s incoming transfers have more than one year of eligibility remaining. In theory, the core of this season’s team could return for the next one.

Perhaps more importantly to the long-term elevation of Indiana men’s basketball, DeVries has also reinforced his commitment to recruiting talent straight out of high school.

“From the fall, being able to sign three freshmen,” DeVries said on May 7, “you’re starting to build some opportunity for retention there as well and that’s going to be critical as we continue to go year to year.”

In addition to the potential retention of talented freshmen in the program, success in high school recruiting shifts the focus and intent of perusing the portal.

“Maybe you’re just filling in holes in the portal,” DeVries said, “as opposed to rebuilding an entire team and that’s something that’s very important to us.”

One such freshman recruit, a talented one who hails from far out of state, is Vaughn Karvala.

Karvala originally attended Oregon High School in Oregon, Wisconsin. After three years, he transferred to Bella Vista Prep in Scottsdale, Arizona. This past season, in Karvala’s only season at Bella Vista Prep, the team won the Chipotle Nationals tournament in Fishers, Indiana.

In that time, he earned the designation of a four-star rating, and found himself considered amongst the best 50 recruits in his class nationally. With offers from power programs in every region of the country, Karvala elected to continue his academic and athletic career at Indiana.

Karvala brings to Indiana two overarching talents: length and strength.

Karvala’s length and explosiveness bolster his ability to finish at the rim over and around his opponents. His strength adds to his arsenal the option to finish through defenders. Also, on defense, his size deflects driving guards and covers a great deal of space.

Karvala can shoot from outside, athletically venture to the basket and pull his weight on the defensive end. Due to his physical characteristics and skillset, Karvala can slot in at multiple different positions on offense and defense.

DeVries is excited about his incoming freshmen, and believes every one of them, including Karvala, could spend significant time on the court this season.

“I think they all are going to have an opportunity to come in and play and give us some good minutes,” DeVries said on May 7.

Karvala, like this entire freshman class, represents the next step in DeVries’ reestablishment of sustainable success in Bloomington. While the transfer portal is undoubtedly important, DeVries is interested in preserving the steady stream of talented freshmen that he and his staff can refine into starters.

The Hoosiers retained the services of rising sophomore Trent Sisley, and are actively witnessing his improvement and development in practice from year one to year two. In the eyes of DeVries, it’s critical that Indiana recruits great freshmen, and retains them for multiple years.

In regards to Karvala and this freshman class, the recruitment portion of that process was successful, and all that’s left is to refine and retain as much of that production and potential as possible.

Karvala could make an impact as soon as this season. Unless his presence is unprecedentedly influential, though, the most important potential outcome of successfully recruiting Karvala is retaining him.

Karvala is explosive enough to generate excitement almost immediately upon entering the fanbase’s view. To lose Karvala in the transfer portal after this season would be a crushing defeat. To keep him, perhaps for the maximum possible number of seasons, would become exponentially additive to the program’s sense of excellence.

This season, Karvala will almost definitely benefit the team in Bloomington. If he returns to Indiana, he will substantially benefit the program, too.

For DeVries, that’s as important as anything at this stage of his Indiana tenure.