Markus Burton is transferring to Indiana. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Notre Dame transfer Markus Burton a massive portal pickup for Indiana basketball

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Apr 13, 2026 10:21 PM ET

The Indiana Hoosiers used to be known for their basketball program.

That could be easy to forget after Curt Cignetti, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza and the Hoosiers just went undefeated and won the College Football Playoff.

This is a school with a strong basketball tradition, though. In fact, the Hoosiers' five NCAA titles on the hardwood were the pride of the athletic department not all that long ago.

Change happens quickly in college sports, but Indiana head men's basketball coach Darian DeVries is trying to get things back to where they were for IU hoops.

As he heads into his second season after going 18-14 in year one, DeVries just picked up a massively underrated win in the transfer portal.

Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Markus Burton is transferring to Bloomington.

BREAKING: Notre Dame guard transfer Markus Burton has committed to Indiana, @JoeTipton reports ⚪️https://t.co/zZI1ERI0cJ pic.twitter.com/3bBoENz80A
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 13, 2026

On the surface, this may not move the needle a ton. Burton was limited to just 10 games for Notre Dame last season due to injury.

A closer evaluation of his time in South Bend would suggest there's plenty of reason for Indiana to be excited about this transfer, though.

Markus Burton was a star for Notre Dame when healthy

Burton averaged 21.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in 2024-25 for the Fighting Irish. In fact, he was the ACC's leading scorer a year ago, averaging 23.5 points per game in league play.

This is a big-time player, and IU has every reason to be excited about Burton. From Mishawaka, Indiana, he was the 2023 Indiana Mr. Basketball and he started 68 of the 69 games he played in at Notre Dame.

Burton averaged 19.1 points, 3.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 33.2 minutes per game at Notre Dame over three seasons. He suffered a broken left ankle and underwent surgery on Dec. 10, 2025, which ruined his junior season.

The good news for Indiana is that Burton is likely to receive a medical redshirt for last season, meaning he'll have two years to play two in Bloomington.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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