4-star guard Chase Branham fits the style of play that Indiana and Darian DeVries prioritize.
Indiana men’s basketball landed its second commitment in the class of 2026 over the weekend when Chase Branham, a guard out of Rogersville, Missouri, announced his pledge to join the program during his official visit to Bloomington.
Between Branham and Prince-Alexander Moody, it’s clear the backcourt will be a priority under head coach Darian DeVries. Branham is just the kind of player DeVries likes too. The folks at College Basketball Scouting put together some tape on him we’ll cite and link to below:
Skills
It doesn’t take long to understand why DeVries would prioritize a player like Branham once you watch him play. Indiana’s new head coach emphasizes getting out and scoring in transition before a defense can get set, something Branham seemingly absolutely loves to do.
He’s mindful on the defensive end, keeping his options open to strike if the ball gets turned over. Branham has a few different ways of putting points on the board in these situations. He can capitalize on a lack of proper rim protection off the drive, operate off the ball as a timely cutter or pull up from distance for a 3.
College will definitely be an adjustment and he’ll have to be sure not to get caught out of position gambling for a score, but being wired to seek out and create those opportunities rather than taking them passively is the kind of thing DeVries would like.
In the halfcourt, he doesn’t have to have the ball in his hands to be an effective scoring option. He’s a capable shooter from deep who can take advantage of catch-and-shoot opportunities with a defense in rotation. Just like in transition, he can operate off the ball as a cutter to find open space for an opportunity at the rim.
If Branham is given an opportunity to score off the ball, be it in transition or the halfcourt, he’s gonna go for it. He’s not passive at all.
With the ball, he can navigate screens to get a shot up or drive to the rim. He’s capable as a passer, which he’ll need to be in DeVries’ pass-heavy offense, and can find the open man on a broken floor and occasionally thread the needle in the lane while driving.
Defensively, he has an eye for the ball and will go for the steal if he sees an opening. There’s always going to be some level of risk of getting caught out of position or whiffing, but it’s how DeVries seems to want a guard to play given his prioritization of Tayton Conerway in the portal this past offseason.
I wouldn’t really call him a full-on point guard given how capable he is without the ball and I don’t think he’d necessarily be used as one in the DeVries offense. He’s certainly capable of it, but he’s more of a combo guard given the versatility. Watching him and his AAU team play evokes what little we’ve seen of this year’s Indiana team during the Puerto Rico trip.
There’s a ton of movement around the floor and he passes, shoots and makes plays in open space. It’s easy to see him fitting right in at Indiana.
Category: General Sports
