IU is going to be very happy with Karvala.' Indiana recruit shines at Chipotle Nationals

FISHERS – It did not take long for Vaughn Karvala to get recognized in his future home state.

The 6-foot-7 Indiana recruit joked that he had “taken at least 50 pictures” with fans since he arrived at the Hamilton Southeastern gym on Thursday for the Chipotle Nationals, a 10-team tournament featuring many of the top high school basketball players in the country.

“It’s great here,” Karvala said with a smile.

Karvala, ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 51 player nationally in the 2026 class by 247sports, helped his third-seeded CIA Bella Vista Prep (Ariz.) team to a 79-67 win over sixth-seeded Paul VI (Va.) on Thursday in the first round of the Chipotle Nationals. Karvala made his first four shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, and finished with 15 points, four rebounds and two steals.

“I feel like he’s one of the most underrated players in the country,” said Karvala’s teammate, senior point guard Miles Sadler (West Virginia), who finished with 26 points and six assists. “IU is going to be a very happy school with Karvala.”

Though he is attending the Scottsdale school as a senior, Karvala is originally from Wisconsin. He attended Oregon High School in Fitchburg, which is near Madison, before transferring to Bella Vista Prep. He committed to IU over finalists Cal and Xavier.

“There was adversity playing for a brand-new team,” Karvala said. “Coming from four hours down the road from here to all the way across the country (it) was definitely hard leaving my family.”

On the court, Karvala said defense has been a major emphasis, especially playing against competition similar to what he is up against this weekend at the Chipotle Nationals, where players like Jordan Smith of Paul VI – and Arkansas commit ranked No. 2 in the country who went off for 35 points – provide a view into the next level of basketball.

“It’s definitely a grind,” Karvala said of the competition. “It’s an uphill grind every single game … you can play the No. 1 team or No. 20 team; they are still going to give you a run for your money.”

Karvala is the highest ranked of the three IU high school recruits. Prince Alexander-Moody, a 6-4 combo guard from Bishop McNamara in Forestville, Md., is ranked No. 80 in the country by 247sports and Trevor Manhertz of Christ School in Arden, N.C., is ranked No. 64.

Though IU came into the picture for Karvala a little later in the recruiting process after Darian DeVries was hired last spring, he said the relationship quickly blossomed.

“Coach DeVries is a great guy,” he said. “I really clicked with him when I went on my visit, and I knew right when I got to campus that’s where I wanted home to be. (DeVries) is a very personal guy. He loves his family and I’m a big family guy. That was the biggest thing for me.”

With so much turnover on the roster, he is hoping the year at CIA Bella Vista has him prepared for next season.

“Freshman role, they have spots right now for the starting lineup,” he said. “So, I’m definitely going to work my butt off to get into that starting lineup.”

Karvala has a reputation as a player who can knock down the outside shot. But Sadler is quick to point out that his teammate has a 40-inch vertical jump.

“He jumps 40 inches in the air so naturally he’s going to add some athleticism, and he plays both sides of the ball,” Sadler said. “He’s a knockdown shooter, too. So, it’s the off-court stuff that he’s going to continue to improve like his leadership. He’s going to be great in college.”

CIA Bella Vista Prep will play at 4 p.m. on Friday in a semifinal game, which will be televised on ESPN2. A win there would put his team in the championship on Saturday at noon on ESPN.

“I’m surrounded by a team that wants to win as much as me,” Karvala said. “That’s what I love.”

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.Get IndyStar's high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IU recruit Vaughn Karvala helps CIA Bella Vista Prep to Chipotle Nationals win