IU basketball transfer portal spotlight: Jaeden Mustaf
- Alex Bozich
- 2h ago
IU basketball has added seven players this spring from the transfer portal. Player by player, we’ll take a look at each addition in our “transfer portal spotlight” series.
Up first: Jaeden Mustaf
Bio: 6-foot-6, 210-pound wing from Bowie, Maryland
Previous school: Georgia Tech (2023-2025, two seasons)
Career stats: 9.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, two assists and 0.7 steals in 26.2 minutes per game. Mustaf is a career 41.5 percent shooter from the field, a 37.2 percent 3-point shooter and a 72.2 percent free-throw shooter.
Notable statistics: 33 career starts over two seasons at Georgia Tech with 22 double-figure scoring games and two career double-doubles. He scored a career-high 28 points in his final game at Georgia Tech, a 79-76 loss at Clemson on March 7. Mustaf shot 8-for-14 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free-throw line to go along with five rebounds, three steals, two assists and two turnovers in 36 minutes.
Recruitment background
The son of the late Jerrod Mustaf, a star at Maryland who was a first-round NBA draft pick by the New York Knicks in 1990, Jaeden Mustaf was a recruiting target for the Hoosiers out of high school under former head coach Mike Woodson and visited IU as a high school player. He ultimately chose Georgia Tech, where he played his first two seasons of college basketball.
After entering the transfer portal this spring, Mustaf quickly became a target for the IU coaching staff as a former top 60 high school recruit with talent and upside. He committed to the Hoosiers after an official visit in early April.
Eligibility-wise, he has two seasons remaining, but that could change if the proposed “5-in-5” rule change goes into effect later this year. If it does, Mustaf, who recently turned 21, would have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Notes on his game
The first of seven transfer portal commitments so far this spring for Darian DeVries and the IU coaching staff, Mustaf is a powerful wing who can get into the lane and to the foul line.
While his 3-point shooting percentage was strong last season at Georgia Tech – 38.9 – perimeter shooting is not the focal point of his game. He only attempted 54 3-pointers last season for the Yellow Jackets. Over 76 percent of his field goal attempts came from inside the 3-point line and he shot 44.6 percent on 2s on a Georgia Tech team that was the worst in the ACC.
With his solid positional size and some shooting and playmaking around him, the hope is that Mustaf’s efficiency improves in his third season of college basketball. He had a strong free-throw rate (FTA/FGA) last season at 47.6 percent and was decent – but not great – at converting from the line at 72.2 percent. Given that Georgia Tech played at the 25th-fastest pace in the country last season, he is accustomed to pushing the ball and getting out in transition when given the opportunity.
Defensively, which is the end of the floor where Indiana needs to make a significant leap next winter after finishing 14th in the Big Ten, Mustaf will have to prove he’s capable of guarding wings and quicker players. Given IU’s added size in the front court and better rim protection, Darian DeVries is hopeful he’ll be able to pressure the ball on the perimeter and create more turnovers and transition scoring opportunities. Mustaf guarded mostly threes and fours last season at Georgia Tech and he will be expected to contain ball handlers and limit dribble penetration next season for the Hoosiers.
Mustaf will likely compete with Duke transfer Darren Harris for the starting spot at the three next winter.
Scouting report
“A big, strong and physical guard who can play through contact, Mustaf feels like he’s a perfect match for Indiana and the Big Ten.” – Eric Bossi, 247Sports.com
“Mustaf’s physical tools also give him versatile potential on the defensive end of the floor, where he projects as very switchable on the perimeter, and potentially even strong enough to switch onto some frontcourt players. He is also an excellent perimeter rebounder who can take the ball off the glass and start the break himself.” – Adam Finkelstein, 247Sports
Jaeden Mustaf highlights
Jaeden Mustaf shot chart
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