3 observations from Indiana’s 96-68 exhibition win over Butler

Indiana men’s basketball beat Butler 96-68 in exhibition play on Sunday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

There’s obviously only so much you can take away from a game like this, especially with Darian DeVries emphasizing beforehand that the Hoosiers didn’t scout the Bulldogs in an effort to have the team respond to what was in front of them.

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Here’s three quick observations from the game:

These Hoosiers are big on the boards

Rebounding was a point of emphasis for Indiana this offseason after DeVries’ first team’s lack of presence on the glass doomed it in Big Ten play.

That showed up in a big way, literally. Aiden Sherrell led the Hoosiers with nine rebounds with both of Jaeden Mustaf and Trevor Manhertz right behind him with eight apiece. Manhertz’s performance was particularly notable as Indiana’s standout freshman, pulling down those eight in 20 minutes off the bench.

Interestingly, Samet Yigitoglu finished with just five rebounds. He showed his strength in other ways though, muscling through Butler’s bigs for 13 points on 6/8 shooting from the field.

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Indiana’s going to need that rebounding to compete on a nightly basis in the Big Ten.

Foul trouble was an issue

DeVries’ first roster had issues with foul trouble that seemed to be sourced from its lack of an imposing frontcourt presence. The rest of the roster had to overcompensate for the lack of physicality down low, so the fouls piled up.

You’d think that wouldn’t be the case with this group given Yigitoglu and Sherrell, but the fouls kept coming. Two Hoosiers, Markus Burton and Mustaf, finished with four fouls each with Burton picking up a technical. Two more, Bryce Lindsay and Sherrell, finished with three.

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It’s worth noting for this game and the future. Perhaps this was just a weird night, so I wouldn’t put too much stock in it, but keep it in the back of your mind at the least.

Indiana can (still) shoot, probably

One of the bigger stories of the game was Indiana’s performance…

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Publish date : 2026-10-12 01:35:00

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