The Hoosiers are going after the center position in the 2026 recruiting class.
Indiana men’s basketball is among the final seven programs under consideration by Marcis Ponder, a 4-star center in the class of 2026, in his recruitment, per a report from Rivals/On3’s Joe Tipton.
NEWS: 4⭐️ Marcis Ponder, a 7-foot center in the 2026 class, is down to seven schools, he tells @Rivals.
The Top-75 overall recruit discusses his finalists: https://t.co/cxPikxaisN pic.twitter.com/77sa6ZW4sU
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) July 16, 2025
As Tipton adds, the other programs under consideration are Miami, Cincinnati, Providence, Illinois, Florida State and Texas. That’s a pretty competitive field, particularly with Illinois as a conference rival and strong track record with another big man in Kofi Cockburn and Texas as an overall power in college basketball.
The appeal of Ponder is readily apparent. 247Sports lists him as 6’11, 328 lbs while Rivals lists him as 6’10”, 308 lbs. That’s a big human either way. For a close-to-home reference, former Purdue center Zach Edey was all of 7’4” and weighed in at right around 300 lbs.
Indiana has been recruiting the center position particularly hard. With the immediate status for that position being less than clear, it seems Darian DeVries and co are looking to ensure its future is a bit more secure.