Darian DeVries Wants Jaeden Mustaf To Be ‘That Guy’ On Defense For Indiana

Eight points. Three made field goals. Another night of offensive inefficiency.

On paper, Jaeden Mustaf’s performance in Indiana’s exhibition win over North Carolina on Sunday night wasn’t particularly impressive.

But the box score tells only a fraction of Mustaf’s story. And for Indiana coach Darian DeVries, the most important parts of that story have little to do with how often the third-year wing puts the ball in the basket.

“We’ve challenged him to be that guy for us,” DeVries said Sunday following the Hoosiers’ exhibition win over the Tar Heels. “That’s why he’s out there, to be our guy that we can say, ‘Go lock him up.'”

Every good team needs somebody willing to embrace the assignments nobody else wants. Somebody who can make an opposing star uncomfortable, survive a mismatch and turn an otherwise routine possession into a struggle.

DeVries believes Mustaf can be that somebody for Indiana. And against North Carolina, Mustaf offered a glimpse of what that could look like.

Mustaf is becoming Indiana’s defensive answer

North Carolina’s Neo Avdalas, the No. 16-ranked transfer this offseason, according to On3, isn’t a conventional matchup for a perimeter defender.

At 6-foot-9, the Tar Heels’ lead ball-handler presents a combination of size and skill that can make life miserable for opposing guards.

Mustaf, however, looked comfortable with the challenge.

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Tasked as the primary defender on Avdalas for much of Sunday’s contest, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound Mustaf helped limit the Tar Heel guard to six points on 3-of-11 shooting. Avdalas also committed four turnovers.

No thunderous dunk or deep 3-pointer was required. Mustaf made his presence felt by making someone else’s job considerably more difficult.

And the beauty of having Mustaf on the floor is that the assignment doesn’t necessarily have to change when the matchup does.

“He can get through ball screens. He can keep guys in front. He’s strong; when he gets a bigger guy down on the block, we can play him one-on-one,” DeVries…

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Publish date : 2026-10-19 22:56:00

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