Indiana basketball's roster rebuild continues with addition of Serbian guard Aleksa Ristic
Ristic, 19, will join the Hoosiers in late July after playing for the Serbian U20 national team in the European Championship and be eligible to play for the 2025-26 season. He's the 12th scholarship player new coach Darian DeVries has added to the roster, but only the second true freshman.
More: New Indiana basketball coach Darian DeVries credits NIL resources for assist in roster rebuild
The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder averaged 13.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game last season while shooting 39.3% from 3-point range for the KK Dynamic in the KLS. He was the second-leading scorer on the team behind Andrej Kostic, who signed with Kansas State.
Ristic visited Oregon and Georgia Tech and was receiving interest from a handful of other schools including Virginia Tech and Kansas.
According to Petrovic, IU assistant coach Kenny Johnson ran point on Ristic's recruitment. He committed with a phone call to the staff on Monday afternoon.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Luka Doncic Stuns Fans At Slovenian Gas Station With Ripped New Look And Humble Gesture
Luka Doncic Stuns Fans At Slovenian Gas Station With Ripped New Look And Humble Gesture originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Luka Doncic stunned fans this week in Slovenia after being spotted at a gas station with a noticeably slimmer, ripped physique and a refreshingly humble gesture. A fan who ran into Doncic at the service station described the surreal encounter on X, noting that the Los Angeles Lakers superstar looked unrecognizable after shedding 33 pounds. "This morning. Slovenian service station. My friends and I go in to refill our Lasko beer. At the bar, there's a very tall guy in slippers. He's drinking coffee. He's with another man. I look closer. It's Doncic." "I almost didn't recognize him with 33 pounds less: he's so ripped. I say, 'Luka!' and he smiles. He waves me out. In the parking lot, he says hello to me and my friends. He takes pictures with everyone." "He says his injury in the friendly isn't serious and that he's super pumped for the European Championship. He greets us in Italian, 'Ciao!', and leaves. Life really is strange." "One day you're training with the Lakers in Los Angeles and then going home to your mansion in Beverly Hills, and another day you're in slippers at the service station chatting with Italian strangers." It was a rare sight of an NBA megastar blending into everyday life, only to leave fans buzzing not just about his humility but also his incredible body transformation. That physical change is not just cosmetic, it's the latest proof of Doncic's offseason dedication. For years, Doncic has been criticized for his conditioning, often carrying extra weight into the season, which fueled jokes about him being 'out of shape' or 'a traffic cone' defensively. Those labels might soon become outdated. His Slovenian teammates revealed that Doncic is fitter, faster, and more vocal than ever. Klemen Prepelic praised him not only for his conditioning but also for his evolution as a leader, saying Doncic has embraced a more positive and commanding presence with the national team. The transformation was already on display in a friendly against Latvia, where Doncic dropped 26 points in the first half. But more telling than the scoring was his defensive effort. He rotated, contested shots, stayed active in passing lanes, and even registered a block that sparked transition offense. While nobody expects Doncic to become a lockdown defender, simply offering consistent effort on that end could be game-changing for both Slovenia and the Lakers. For Los Angeles, the timing of this transformation could not be better. The franchise recently invested heavily in Doncic, handing him a three-year, $165 million extension and reshaping the roster to maximize his prime. With LeBron James entering the twilight of his career, the Lakers are betting their future on Doncic being the face of the franchise. And based on these glimpses from Slovenia, it appears he is embracing that responsibility. A leaner, more conditioned Doncic doesn't just mean sharper scoring, it means longevity, accountability, and leadership, three traits Lakers Nation has been waiting to see him fully embrace. It's also notable how this moment resonated with fans. Seeing Doncic, one of basketball's biggest global stars, sipping coffee in slippers at a small Slovenian gas station, chatting and taking pictures without hesitation, reflects his grounded nature despite superstardom. That humility, paired with his revamped work ethic, is exactly what fans want in a leader. He's proving he can dominate on the court and remain approachable off it, which only deepens his connection with supporters. As EuroBasket approaches and Doncic recovers from a minor knee contusion, fans will be eager to see whether this new version of Luka translates consistently in high-level play. If his Slovenian teammates are correct, the Lakers may be welcoming back not just a superstar scorer but a fitter, quicker, and more vocal leader, one who looks ready to lead them into the post-LeBron era. For Lakers fans, the message is simple: their franchise cornerstone looks hungrier, sharper, and more committed than ever. And if Luka Doncic's ripped new look and humble gas station encounter are any indication, this season could mark the start of something unforgettable in Los story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Why Pacers extending Rick Carlisle was the right move
Yahoo Sports' Jason Fitz and Caroline Fenton react to the breaking news that Indiana will retain its 65-year-old head coach on a multi-year extension. View more Video Transcript We do have some breaking news coming in here. We want to get to it, get you out on this breaking news, that there's an extension at this point. So, Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle has agreed to a multi-year extension with the Pacers. Uh, I mean, this is what we know. When you win an NBA championship or when you go to an NBA championship in general, when you go to the NBA Finals, uh, when you're in proximity to the Larry O'Brien, you get a contract extension. It happens all the time. Also, what we know is that if your team stinks in a year or two, you're still gonna be fired anyway. So, this is awesome. Rick Carlisle has been there forever. It's, it's a great moment. He is a great basketball coach. He deserves to get so many bags of gold that he can roll around in a bed with coins like he's Scrooge McDuck. I'm very happy for him. And this was the right thing to do and the natural thing to do, and it still won't change anything in the future because that's the way the NBA works. It's well deserved. It's the right move. You go to the NBA Finals, you go to a championship. You do absolutely deserve to be extended. And I think this is also the Pacers' way of saying, hey, look, we understand that next year when we are without Tyrese Halliburton after tearing his Achilles in the NBA Finals, that's probably not going to be very good next year, but we are still committing to you long term, and we want some semblance of consistency in this organization, that we're going to commit to you long term. Does it mean anything for the next 10 years? Probably not. But well deserved, and congratulations to Rick Carlisle and the Indiana Pacers. And while this might be a weird year for the Pacers as they continue to get healthy, let's also acknowledge the fact that the Pacers played as one of the best teams in the NBA for the back half of the season. There's no reason to believe that they can't get right back to where they were with a great coach on the sidelines. So congratulations to the coach. He'll go out there and get his back. Close
NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
The bumpy, windy road that built Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt
Curt Cignetti chats with Nicole Auerbach about how he plans to build upon Indiana's success last season, what he wants to see out of transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza and his expectations for the Hoosiers in 2025. For the first time in nearly a decade, Elijah Sarratt didn't spend his summer packing boxes, changing zip codes or learning a new playbook. For the Indiana wide receiver, that alone was a relief. 'I don't like packaging up my stuff and leaving, but I found a great spot here,' Sarratt said. 'There's no other place I'd rather be than in Bloomington right now.' It's a moment of stability that has been a long time coming. Sarratt's football journey — one of persistence, doubt and resilience — has taken him from small-town Virginia to the fringes of college football obscurity, through a carousel of schools, quarterbacks and coaching staffs. Now, entering the 2025 season as an AP preseason All-American and Pro Football Focus' No. 4 ranked receiver in the nation, the Virginia native finally has a home. Sarratt's path to the top wasn't straightforward. He started at Colonial Forge High School in Stafford, Va., before transferring to St. Frances Academy in Baltimore ahead of his senior year. From there, he landed at Saint Francis (PA), a tiny FCS school with fewer than 2,500 undergraduates. The odds have always seemed stacked against him. As a high school senior, he had no Division I offers. He sent out emails to junior college programs across the country, hoping for someone to take notice. Nobody replied. He would step into his coach's office each week hoping to hear some good news, but the responses from college coaches were blunt and discouraging. 'I don't know if you can play here. I don't know if you can do this or you can't do that,' Sarratt recalled of those conversations. He was left questioning what his future in football would look like. Yet, he refused to fold under that weight. Zach Browning, 'That's really where I feel like I got my hard work from,' Sarratt said. 'Nobody was calling, but I was still outside every day by myself on the field — grinding — and it eventually worked out for me.' When Saint Francis came calling, Sarratt finally had his shot. And once he got on the field, he didn't waste it. As a true freshman in 2022, he caught 40 passes for 700 yards, ranked fifth nationally in the FCS with 13 touchdowns grabs and started the final four games of the season. He became a FCS Freshman All-American. It was the breakthrough he had been waiting for, validation that his lonely summer sessions in high school were worth it. Even with that success, Sarratt knew he wasn't done climbing. He transferred to James Madison, where he played the 2023 season alongside his brother, Josh 'Cheese' Sarratt. That year was a turning point for Sarratt personally and professionally. Playing with his brother deepened their bond, and Cheese became both mentor and motivator. When Elijah needed someone to show him how to take his game to the next level, Cheese was there. That bond didn't end when Cheese's playing days did. Today, they live together in Bloomington, where Cheese continues to push him daily. If Elijah comes home bragging about the extra work he put in, Cheese is the first to humble him, reminding him there's always more to do. It's the kind of brotherly accountability that keeps Elijah from getting complacent. 'He's not just my brother. He's like my best friend,' Sarratt said. 'We've been like this since we were little … I appreciate him a lot.' Change has defined Sarratt's journey. From Colonial Forge to St. Frances to Saint Francis to James Madison and finally to Indiana, Sarratt has had to adapt to new environments, new teammates and new playbooks almost every year. He has also caught passes from a carousel of quarterbacks: Cole Doyle at Saint Francis, Jordan McCloud at James Madison, Kurtis Rouke at Indiana in 2024. Now, as he enters his senior year, Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza will be his signal caller. By his own count, it will be the sixth different starting quarterback Sarratt has played with in six years dating back to high school. Rather than complain about yet another change, he embraces the challenge. Each quarterback has required him to adjust, to reestablish timing and chemistry. This offseason, Sarratt and Mendoza have built that connection by working together after every practice and staying in touch almost daily. The instability of Sarratt's past has made this summer's consistency feel like a gift. For the first time since before his junior year of high school, he stayed in one place all offseason. He wasn't worrying about moving or meeting new teammates. Instead, Sarratt was able to focus on refining his game, taking care of his body and building bonds with teammates in Bloomington. He even took the time to catch an Indiana Fever game in Indianapolis, enjoying the community he now calls home. 'It's definitely my home away from home,' Sarratt said. 'It's just the community — it's a chill community. There's not too much going on. I go out and people are showing me love and saying what's up; it's just chill.' That sense of comfort is allowing Sarratt to focus on the bigger picture in 2025. His 2024 season was stellar: 53 catches for 957 yards and eight touchdowns, earning him All-Big Ten recognition. Yet, he insists he is not satisfied. 'I'm just focusing on going out and having the best season of my career,' Sarratt said. 'I feel like I've been putting in the work, and it's just a matter of continuing to put in that work day in and day out.' Sarratt's determined to elevate his game beyond his junior-year production, and he knows what it will take. His offseason regimen has gone beyond extra routes or weight room reps. He's poured hours into film study, recovery and detailed work on his craft. He sees his senior season not only as another chance to prove all those who have doubted him wrong, but also as an opportunity to put himself in the best position possible for the NFL. 'I'm nowhere near where I want to be right now; all I can do is keep on improving,' Sarratt said. 'The goal is the NFL. I don't just want to be [in the NFL], I want to be a guy in it.' That dream feels closer than ever. Once, he wasn't sure if he'd even got a scholarship offer to play Division I football. Now, he enters 2025 recognized nationally and sitting on the brink of a professional career. 'It's crazy how close it is. I try to tell myself not to think about it,' Sarratt said. 'I just focus on game in and game out doing what I have to do, and everything else will fall into place.' What's striking about Sarratt is that through it all — the rejections, the transfers, the instability — he has not let bitterness define him. Instead, those bumps in the road have shaped his mentality. They made him tougher, more adaptable and more appreciative of the journey itself. He has emerged as both one of the nation's best wide receivers and a respected voice among his teammates. Nicole Auerbach, 'I definitely feel like I'm a little bit more outgoing talking to the guys … just becoming more of a leader,' Sarratt said. 'I feel like I've stepped into that role more and more.' Indiana will open its season against Old Dominion in less than two weeks. Sarratt knows the Hoosiers' offense will once again lean heavily on him. He also knows that expectations are higher than they've ever been. For the first time, those expectations don't feel like a weight. They feel like a reward — the product of years spent grinding on empty fields with no coaches watching, the result of refusing to give in when no recruiters were calling back, the payoff for all those long nights talking football with his brother. Sarratt's road to Bloomington was anything but smooth. It has been filled with twists, setbacks and uncertainty. Yet, as he steps into the 2025 season with his eyes set firmly on the NFL, one truth stands out: The bumps in the road didn't slow him down. They built him. About the Author Zach Browning is a senior at Indiana University and is a senior writer for a website powered by the Rivals Network that covers Indiana athletics. Zach also broadcasts Indiana sports for WIUX Sports, Indiana's student-run radio station, as well as Big Ten Plus, a student-run broadcasting program powered by the Big Ten Network StudentU program. Jordan Cornette and Joshua Perry discuss Indiana's mindset following a historic College Football Playoff run a year ago, breaking down comments from linebacker Aiden Fisher and why the team has a chip on its shoulder. Indiana continues its hot streak when Kurtis Rourke connects with Elijah Sarratt on a 4-yard touchdown, giving the Hoosiers a two-score lead over Michigan State.
