Darius Wabbington committed to Indiana on Tuesday, he told ESPN's Paul Biancardi. ESPN's SC Next 100 lists the Sunnyslope center No. 9 in the class of 2027. His decision gives Darian DeVries a third pledge in that class, according to Inside the Hall.
The useful question for Indiana is what the commitment adds to a class already taking shape. Its live CBR school page lists Chase Branham, a shooting guard, at No. 30 on CBR's 2027 board. Wabbington is No. 13 on CBR's September 17 Top 25. The two pledges give Indiana a highly ranked player in the backcourt and another at center. Those are CBR editorial ranks, while ESPN's No. 9 is ESPN's own evaluation.
A center decision with national reach
Wabbington's final recruitment also involved Arizona and Illinois, the Indiana Daily Student reported. Both programs appeared in CBS Sports' September 28 preseason Top 25 And 1. Arizona was No. 6 and Illinois No. 3. Indiana was outside that list. Wabbington choosing Bloomington moves one of ESPN's top 2027 centers out of those two ranked programs' recruiting plans. That is a recruiting consequence today, separate from what any of the three teams does on court this season.
There is a basketball reason the position matters. 247Sports evaluator Adam Finkelstein described Wabbington as a big with touch, passing and ball-handling skills, while noting areas for physical and finishing improvement. CBR's Wabbington profile records those attributed notes and his Sunnyslope production. That evaluation explains the attraction, but it cannot tell us how DeVries will use him after another high-school season.
Indiana also has a second 2027 center pledge in Felix Kiehlneker, the Indianapolis Star reported. That makes the fall signing period more interesting than a projected lineup. If both centers sign, Indiana will have to sort out their roles against the rest of a 2027-28 roster that has yet to be assembled. For now, the class has a guard, two centers and a recruiting win over two ranked contenders.
