One of the early priorities when Darian DeVries took the Indiana job in March was securing the commitment of Trent Sisley.
The 6-foot-7 forward signed a National Letter of Intent with Indiana in November after Mike Woodson and the former coaching staff earned his commitment in September.
Coaching changes often lead to prospects reopening their recruitments, but that wasn’t the case with Sisley.
Not long after DeVries was introduced in Bloomington on March 18, the new IU coach called Sisley to introduce himself and let the Southern Indiana native know he still wanted him to be a Hoosier.
Sisley, who played his first three high school seasons at Heritage Hills before transferring to Montverde Academy in Florida, didn’t take long to reaffirm his commitment to the Hoosiers.
“He (DeVries) said he could still utilize my skillset in his system,” Sisley told Inside the Hall earlier this spring. “He thinks that I’ll fit great in the system and he told me that he was looking forward to getting to know me. And obviously that he still wanted me and I shared that I still wanted to be there and be a Hoosier.”
After a successful senior campaign at Montverde in which he averaged 10.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists, Sisley is now on campus in Bloomington and is several weeks into IU’s offseason program.
The early impression Sisley has made on DeVries has been strong.
“I really like Trent,” DeVries told Inside the Hall recently. “I think his approach to everyday is that he’s an incredible worker and it means a lot to him. Indiana basketball is important to him. And I think when you think about Indiana basketball and you watch how Trent plays, it’s like that. That toughness, that physicality and you can tell like that jersey means a lot to him.”
One of the primary reasons Sisley opted to transfer to Montverde was to play against better competition, focus on his development and become college-ready as a freshman.
At Montverde, he spent countless hours in the gym when nobody was watching putting up extra shots and working on different aspects of his game.
That work ethic has carried over to his early days in Bloomington, as Sisley’s approach has stood out.
“I’ve been really impressed with the way he’s approached it,” DeVries explained. “For a true freshman to come in and attack practice the way he has, and like all freshmen he’s learning and growing, but I think he’s got a really bright future here for us for sure.”
With his size and versatile skillset, the hope is that Sisley can become a building block for the future of IU basketball.
Last season at Montverde, Sisley shot 63 percent from the field and made 44 percent of his 3-pointers as he worked to expand his game to the perimeter.
As their relationship grows, DeVries is looking forward to watching Sisley’s work ethic develop into production as a Hoosier.
“He’s just one of those guys, he just loves ball, he loves competing,” DeVries said. “That’s what I’m excited about with him.”
Category: Media
Filed to: Darian DeVries, Trent Sisley
