When you think about Indiana men's basketball this season, the spotlight has naturally fallen on the transfer portal class—and for good reason. The Hoosiers are sitting pretty at No. 4 nationally in portal rankings, per 247 Sports, with some serious talent coming in through that route.

But here's the thing: Head coach Darian DeVries also has a top-20 incoming freshman class, and it's a lean, mean trio of Vaughn Karvala, Prince-Alexander Moody, and Trevor Manhertz. With the roster as it stands, at least one or two of these rookies are going to need to step up and contribute right away if Indiana wants to reach its full potential this season.

Looking at the lineup, it's tempting to pencil in a starting five—and maybe even the first guy off the bench—from the portal haul alone. Four starting spots look locked: Markus Burton, Samet Yigitoglu, Aiden Sherrell, and Bryce Lindsay are likely penciled in as starters.

Then you've got Jaeden Mustaf, Trent Sisley, and Darren Harris, who will all figure heavily into the rotation. But here's the rub: Sisley and Harris are unproven at the college level, and while Mustaf was productive for a struggling Georgia Tech squad, he wasn't exactly efficient. That uncertainty only magnifies how crucial this freshman class is.

Even if Mustaf, Sisley, and Harris all play close to their ceilings, that's still just seven players. In modern college basketball, that's not enough. Every Final Four team last season had rotations at least eight deep. Michigan would have gone deeper if L.J. Carson had stayed healthy. Those teams had seasoned veterans like Yaxel Landeborg and Alex Karaban, but they also leaned on talented freshmen like Keaton Wagler and Koa Peat.

Indiana, by contrast, effectively ran a seven-man rotation last year, with Sisley logging the eighth-most minutes but fading down the stretch. Over the final 10 games, he saw more than 10 minutes just twice and never scored more than 3 points. That short bench wore on the Hoosiers, leaving them gasping for air when it mattered most.

So, as the new season approaches, all eyes will be on the freshmen. They might not be the headliners, but they could be the difference between a deep run and another early exit.