IU basketball non-conference review: Trent Sisley

IU basketball has completed the non-conference portion of the schedule and the Hoosiers are 10-3.

Ahead of the restart of Big Ten play against Washington on January 4, we’re taking a player-by-player look at each rotation player on the roster’s performance thus far this season.

Up next: Trent Sisley

Previously: Tayton Conerway, Lamar Wilkerson, Tucker DeVries, Reed Bailey, Nick Dorn, Sam Alexis

Numbers for Sisley through 13 games

A key reserve for Indiana, Sisley is off to a solid start in the first half of his freshman season. The 6-foot-7 forward from Santa Claus is averaging 6.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in 19.2 minutes per game.

Sisley is shooting 48.6 percent from the field, 29 percent on 3-pointers and 47.8 percent from the free-throw line.

The Heritage Hills and Montverde Academy product has scored in double figures four times, including a season-high 15 points against Marquette on November 9.

What’s gone right for Sisley

It didn’t take long for Sisley to make an impact as a Hoosier. He scored in double figures four times in IU’s first seven games this season. He’s shooting a stellar 63.4 percent on 2s this season.

Sisley plays with confidence, has good awareness for a newcomer to college basketball and is one of the best rebounders on the team. Sisley already has a nine-rebound game and two other eight-rebound efforts through the first 13 games.

He’s also shown the ability to knock down perimeter shots. Although his shooting percentage has cooled off in recent weeks, Sisley was 2-for-2 on 3s against Milwaukee and 2-for-4 against Incarnate Word.

Sisley also runs the floor as well as any player on the roster and that willingness has allowed him to pick up some easy baskets in transition at times.

Areas of concern for Sisley

Sisley’s production has declined significantly in recent weeks. He hasn’t scored in double figures since the Bethune-Cookman win in late November.

The Southern Indiana native was scoreless in IU’s most recent game – a win against Siena on Dec. 22 – and he is 1-for-9 on 3-pointers over the last five games.

Free-throw shooting has also been an issue for Sisley. He’s done a solid job of getting to the line with a free-throw rate (FTA/FGA) of 31.9 percent, but is 11-for-23 from the stripe this season.

Outlook for the rest of the 2025-26 season

After a tough month of December, Indiana’s break likely came at a good time for Sisley. Adjusting to the rigors of college basketball is never easy, and Sisley’s play has been up and down, as it is for many freshmen.

On a roster with limited depth, Sisley is going to be counted on for consistent production off the bench.

Indiana needs him to remain a factor on the defensive glass in Big Ten play, as rebounding is not a strong suit for the Hoosiers.

Offensively, he’s shown himself to be a capable 3-point shooter at times but has been mired in a shooting slump in recent weeks. If he can get his 3-point shooting percentage up to the mid-30s and knock down free throws at a more consistent clip, it’ll be hard to view Sisley’s first season as a Hoosier as anything less than a success.

Shot chart for Sisley through 13 games

Shot chart via our friends at UMHoops.com

Trent Sisley shot chart.

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