Four-star Sam Houston transfer guard Lamar Wilkerson has reportedly committed to Indiana. It marks Darian DeVries' first major recruiting win as the Hoosiers' head coach, excluding his son, Tucker DeVries, following him from West Virginia to Bloomington.
NEWS: Sam Houston transfer guard Lamar Wilkerson, one of the nation’s top shooters, has committed to Indiana, source tells @On3sports.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) April 15, 2025
The 6-5 senior averaged 20.5 points per game this season, shooting 44.5% from three. https://t.co/w2ZF9eq3MW pic.twitter.com/xwhhIETS9M
Landing Wilkerson is undeniably a massive get for the Hoosiers. He's among the premier scoring and three-point shooting threats changing schools this offseason. But what makes his arrival to Indiana even sweeter is that they beat out a blue blood program in Kentucky for his services.
Sam Houston transfer Lamar Wilkerson spurns Mark Pope, Kentucky for Indiana
Being on the winning end of a bidding war always feels good, especially when you one-up a longtime foe. Kentucky-Indiana is one of college basketball's most storied rivalries, and Wilkerson chose the Hoosiers over the Wildcats after canceling all his remaining visits. In other words, it's a double whammy, boosting DeVries and Co. while representing a crushing blow for Big Blue Nation and head coach Mark Pope.
Pope and the Wildcats are in shambles after whiffing on Wilkerson, considering All-SEC guard Otega Oweh declared for the 2025 NBA Draft on the same day. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers add a high-level bucket-getter to form one of their most potent scoring backcourts in recent memory between the rising senior and Tucker.
While several factors played into Wilkerson's decision, Kentucky's status as one of the nation's most iconic schools ostensibly cost them. The two-time First Team All-Conference USA didn't want to join the Wildcats "...And just be another guy," he said on the Field of 68 podcast. Nevertheless, his belief that "Hoosiers basketball is a big-time name," still opens doors for him regarding exposure to scouts and talent evaluators.
Wilkerson experienced a massive breakout as a junior at Sam Houston. He registered career-best numbers across the board, averaging 20.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per contest across 32 games. Moreover, his 44.5 three-point percentage on 7.7 nightly attempts led the conference.
Ranked 42nd on 247Sports' 2025 portal rankings, Wilkerson solidifies a strong group of incoming players for Indiana. Including him, the Hoosiers boast the No. 4 transfer class, narrowly trailing Pope and Kentucky. Nonetheless, they surely closed the gap by killing two birds with one stone.