Darian DeVries has been a busy man the last couple of weeks figuring out ways to fill the Indiana basketball roster. DeVries has made some phone calls to players, garnering interest as well as making offers to other players.

Even though it doesn’t seem like DeVries is getting a ton of attention from other power conference players in the transfer portal, he is certainly interested in Group of Five players and even some JUCO players. Sometimes, those types of players are the diamonds in the rough, and that is exactly who DeVries liked to coach.

Coming from Drake for so many years, DeVries didn’t have all the glitz and glamor of a power conference program, so he knows how to find special players overlooked by bigger programs. Now, at a bigger program, he can still use the smaller program mindset and find players who can play.

Indiana offers 7-foot center Emeka Opurum from Butler Community College

Emeka Opurum has emerged as one of the biggest options for Indiana to land out of the transfer portal. The Hoosiers have officially offered the 7-foot center out of Lago Nigeria. Opurum, in his last season with Butler, averaged 9.4 points per game, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks, winning him the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Indiana is not the only school interested in the center with a 7-foot-6 wingspan. Opurum is reportedly taking a visit to Auburn and is also receiving interest from Iowa State, St. John’s, and Big Ten rival Iowa as well.

Indiana right now, while they simply just lack players on their roster, is lacking true height on their roster down low. Davidson transfer Reed Bailey comes in as the tallest for Indiana right now at 6-foot-10, but he has an amazing shot and can be used elsewhere other than down low in the paint.

Opurum would be an excellent addition to DeVries squad simply from his defensive prowess alone. His shot-blocking ability is something every team could use, but also he could certainly use help in using his height down low and finding better ways to score efficiently.