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3 Big Takeaways From Indiana Basketball’s Transfer Portal Dominance

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3 Big Takeaways From Indiana Basketball’s Transfer Portal Dominance


Indiana may be one of the most decorated programs in college basketball history, but a brand name no longer has the recruiting pull it used to. In the past, the Hoosiers had a foolproof sell: it’s Indiana. Nowadays, in the NIL era, the playing field has been leveled. 

To win in the transfer portal and recruiting as a whole, a program like Indiana needs a premier recruiter – and it has one in Darian DeVries.

Heading into his second season as the Hoosiers head man, DeVries is on an absolute heater, as he just landed his sixth transfer (Villanova guard Bryce Lindsay) on Wednesday night. 

With the addition of Lindsay, the Hoosiers have arguably the No. 1 transfer class in the nation and certainly one of the top three. Here are three takeaways from Indiana’s offseason thus far:

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Indiana Hoosiers head coach Darian Devries reacts in the first half of the NCAA game at Value City Arena on Saturday, March 7, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Indiana won’t have a talent problem in 2026-27

On one hand, the expectations are high in Bloomington – especially after the turnaround Curt Cignetti engineered in just two quick years on the gridiron. And an NCAA Tournament appearance isn’t exactly the Herculean task a College Football Playoff berth, let alone a national title, is. 

Then again, DeVries didn’t have much time to craft his 2025-26 roster, and the end result wound up being less-than ideal from a talent perspective. All things considered, DeVries didn’t do a poor job given the roster he had. But it was also his roster. 

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Coaching is a balance of roster-building, X’s and O’s and culture. It’s up to DeVries to tailor a roster fit to his coaching strengths. Here in the 2026 offseason, he’s sent a message: recruiting will not be a problem. As a result, talent won’t be a weakness – it’ll be a strength. 

The question now: can DeVries take advantage of an uber-skilled crew? Can he mesh the pieces and, ideally, create a product better than the sum of its parts? If the 2025-26 season was any sign, the answer is yes – which means a Big Dance appearance should be the bare minimum next year. 

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How will the backcourt depth chart shake out?

Notre Dame guard Markus Burton celebrates during a NCAA men’s basketball game against Missouri at Purcell Pavilion on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Hoosiers are going to have a loaded guard rotation, and DeVries has a variety of options in terms of a starting backcourt.

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Markus Burton is a surefire starter at lead guard, but then DeVries can choose between Bryce Lindsay and Jaeden Mustaf at the two, or, potentially, he could run both together at shooting guard and small forward.

What about Duke transfer Darren Harris, though? He’s more of a wing, but it’s not exactly clear how he’ll fit in the fold. And incoming combo guard Prince-Alexander Moody can also compete for minutes. 

Fortunately, DeVries can’t exactly go wrong. A Burton-Lindsay starting backcourt would be undersized but loaded, chock-full of shooting and playmaking, while a Burton-Mustaf combo would be a slashing nightmare for opponents, strong defensively and tough on the boards. 

And if Moody shocks the college hoops world and manages to sneak in over both Lindsay and Mustaf, that means the Hoosiers have a bona fide star on their hands. 

With the addition of Lindsay, the Hoosiers have arguably the No. 1 transfer class in the nation and certainly one of the top three. Here are three takeaways from Indiana’s offseason thus far.

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The Hoosiers should be much better on the glass

Indiana could have been a lot better on the boards a year ago. The Hoosiers were No. 296 in offensive rebounding rate and No. 122 in defensive rebounding rate, per Bart Torvik. As a squad, Indiana was often undersized – and sometimes by a huge margin. Naturally, the glass suffered, affecting both sides of the floor. 

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Mar 20, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Aiden Sherrell (22) shoots against Hofstra Pride forward Victory Onuetu (6) in the second half during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

In 2026-27, the Hoosiers should flip the script in that department. With incoming big men Aiden Sherrell (Alabama) and Samet Yigitoglu (SMU) combining for 14.1 total rebounds per outing despite neither playing more than 30 minutes per game in this past campaign, Indiana should have a dominant glass-cleaning unit in the frontcourt in 2026-27.

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Indiana

Nicolas Cage to make his first U.S. comic convention appearance in Indiana

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Nicolas Cage to make his first U.S. comic convention appearance in Indiana


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Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage is making his U.S. comic con scene debut, appearing at the Indiana Comic Convention this week.

Fans can meet Cage and get an autograph or photo with him during the June 5-7 event taking place at the Indiana Convention Center.

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The appearance marks Cage’s first at a U.S. comic convention. The 62-year-old actor, who has starred in movies spanning romance, action and superhero genres over more than 40 years, appeared at the Osaka Comic Convention in 2025.

Cage’s Indiana visit comes after the May 27 release on Prime Video of “Spider-Noir,” the live-action superhero series he leads. He voiced the character in the 2018  animated film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” and will reprise the role in 2027’s “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.”

Among his other superhero genre movie roles are Big Daddy in “Kick-Ass” and Johnny Blaze in Marvel’s Ghost Rider franchise. He was set to star in director Tim Burton’s scrapped Superman movie in the 1990s. Fans finally got to see him on the big screen as the Man of Steel when he cameoed in “The Flash” in 2024. 

Cage, whose movies have grossed more than $6.4 billion, also starred in “National Treasure,” “The Rock,” “Face/Off,” “Con Air,” “Valley Girl,” “Raising Arizona,” “Adaptation” and “Leaving Las Vegas,” for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor.

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“Nicolas Cage is one of the most accomplished and recognizable actors in the world, and to have him choose Indiana Comic Convention as his first fan convention is huge for fans and a tribute to the reputation they’ve built for treating celebrity attendees with so much love and respect,” show producer Dan Farr said in an announcement of the appearance.

Watch ‘Spider-Noir’ on Prime

How much is a Nicolas Cage photo op?

Indiana Comic Convention features celebrities, authors, comic creators and exhibitors that cater to a wide spectrum of interests and fandoms, including comic books, magazines, toys, games, anime, manga, cosplay, artwork, sketches and apparel.

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In-person Nicolas Cage autographs will cost $400. Photo ops are $250. A pre-signed autograph is $225. A photo op/pre-signed autobiography bundle is $450.

Tickets and photo ops are available now at indianacomicconvention.com.

Contact reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cjackson@usatodayco.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com:@cherylvjackson or Bluesky:@cherylvjackson.bsky.social.



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Hobart police officer rescues family from house fire

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Hobart police officer rescues family from house fire


ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team

Monday, June 1, 2026 3:34AM

NW Indiana police officer rescues family from house fire

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. (WLS) — A northwest Indiana family is safe thanks to the heroic actions of a Hobart police officer.

Adam Zormier rescued a woman and four children from a burning home.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

ABC7 talked to Zormier, who told us he was on patrol in Hobart on Sunday when he noticed heavy black smoke in the air.

He discovered it was coming from the windows and roof of a house in nearby Merrillville.

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A Good Samaritan helped him knock on doors. When there was no answer, he forced his way in.

Zormier was treated for smoke inhalation. No one was seriously hurt.

Copyright © 2026 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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Indiana EMT charged with sexually assaulting 14-year-old in the back of an ambulance during transport

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Indiana EMT charged with sexually assaulting 14-year-old in the back of an ambulance during transport


(WXIN/WTTV) — An EMT working for an Indiana ambulance service has been arrested after accusations that he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old while transporting them to the hospital.

Ronald D. Elliott Jr., 37, was officially charged Wednesday with a slew of child sex crimes. Online jail records show Elliott, who lives in Dunreith, was arrested Thursday and booked into Delaware County Jail without bond.

Booking photo of Ronald Elliott Jr. (Delaware County Jail)

The arrest stems from accusations made by a 14-year-old who told police that Elliott sexually assaulted her in the back of an ambulance during a February transport from Muncie to Monroe County.

The alleged victim came forward on March 16 and told Indiana State Police investigators that an EMT had forced her into sexual contact while taking her to a medical facility in Bloomington.

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The juvenile said that Elliott, who is listed as an EMT for Quest Ambulance Service, began showing her pictures and videos on his cell phone during the transport. The files reportedly included photos of Elliott’s genitals and videos of him engaged in sexual activities.

Elliott is then alleged to have groped the teenager under her clothes and exposed himself to her. The girl said this led to Elliott sexually assaulting her in the back of the ambulance while en route to Bloomington.

The 14-year-old said that, after the assault, Elliott provided her with his “Mr. Fogger” nicotine vape as well as his phone. The girl told officers she signed into her Instagram account on Elliott’s phone, and court documents state she failed to log off after leaving the ambulance.

It was through the girl’s Instagram account that Elliott allegedly found a second juvenile victim. Identified as Victim 2 in court documents, Elliott reportedly began messaging the 13-year-old girl on Instagram. Throughout his conversations, the 37-year-old EMT is alleged to have:

  • Called the juvenile a “young sl-t”
  • Lied about his age, claiming he was 18 years old
  • Sent a picture of himself only wearing a towel
  • Made “sexually suggestive” comments about “good naughty girls”
  • Told the 13-year-old girl she “looks cute”

During an interview with Elliott conducted on March 25, the EMT reportedly admitted to letting the 14-year-old use his phone and nicotine vape. However, he denied any sexual contact with the girl and said that any nude images she may have seen on his phone were an accident.

After uncovering “corroborating evidence” from both Elliott’s cell phone and the victim’s Instagram account, police requested that a warrant be filed for his arrest. Online court records show that the warrant was granted on Thursday.

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Indiana State Police said that Elliott was taken into custody without incident during a traffic stop. Delaware County Jail records show Elliott was booked around 2:30 p.m. Thursday. He now faces the following several Level 4 felony charges including child seduction, child solicitation, and sexual conduct with a minor.

No other information was included in the probable cause affidavit filed against Elliott.



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