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Indiana basketball hit hard by early injuries ahead of 2025-26 season

Browning Headshotby: Zach Browning13 hours agoZachBrowning17
Josh Harris Indiana

Indiana basketball is limping toward the start of the 2025-26 season with a roster already stretched thin by injuries.

Four scholarship players — Jason Drake, Aleksa Ristic, Jasai Miles and Josh Harris — were sidelined during an open practice Tuesday at Assembly Hall. Elon transfer Nick Dorn participated in drills but was held out of 5-on-5 scrimmage work as he continues his recovery.

Miles’ absence was attributed to illness, but the others are dealing with lower-body setbacks. Harris wore a boot on his right foot, while Ristic entered practice on crutches with his left foot in a boot. Ristic, who joined the program late after competing with Serbia’s U20 team, had impressed during IU’s summer trip to Puerto Rico.

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Drake has yet to shake the injury that kept him out of the Puerto Rico tour. The junior guard, who averaged 11.1 points, 3.1 assists and three rebounds last season at Drexel, remains sidelined.

Dorn, a 6-foot-7 guard who transferred from Elon, continues his recovery from a re-injured Jones fracture that required a second surgery. Last year, he was one of just six Division I players to average at least 15 points per game, knock down 70 3-pointers and make 90 free throws in under 1,000 minutes.

Head coach Darian DeVries acknowledged the unusual cluster of setbacks.

“It looks like we’re investors in boots right now,” DeVries joked Tuesday. “Some of them are very short term, some are a little bit longer term. Our practice depth has been cut into immensely, it’s made some things challenging from a practice standpoint, a few of the guys are getting closer to being back.”

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Indiana will give fans their first look at the group during Friday’s open scrimmage at Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers also host Marian on Oct. 17 before facing Baylor in Indianapolis on Oct. 26. Their season tips off Nov. 5 against Alabama A&M.

DeVries remains optimistic about the team’s recovery.

“We’re hopeful we are getting this out of the way during the preseason and we are on our way back to being healthy,” he said.

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