In its final exhibition match of the preseason, last minute heroics propelled Indiana men’s basketball to a 76-74 victory over Baylor University on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
While the Hoosiers emerged victorious, the game wasn’t without flaws. Indiana came out slowly, and the offensive firepower showcased against Marian was noticeably absent. The Bears made eight 3-pointers to the Hoosiers’ six and nearly doubled Indiana’s total rebounds.
Despite falling behind in the first half and a late push from Baylor, Indiana was able to hold onto its lead and finish the preseason undefeated.
Here’s what stood out from the Indy Showdown:
Lamar Wilkerson
Fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson made his impact prevalent throughout the Hoosiers’ last exhibition game of the season. Wilkerson, a transfer out of Sam Houston State University, led the Hoosiers’ scoring efforts, going 6 for 15 from the field, 3 for 9 from 3-point range and a perfect 13 for 13 from the free throw.
In addition to leading all scorers with 28 points, Wilkerson displayed his ability to share the ball and get a basket when Indiana needed one down the stretch. Wilkerson dished out four assists and was responsible for critical free throws in the last five minutes of the game that stemmed from his aggressiveness to get to the basket.
While most of his game was a positive look for Indiana, Wilkerson found himself in foul trouble.
In his 35 minutes of play, Wilkerson picked up five fouls — which would have fouled him out if played in a regular season contest under typical rules. However, Indiana head coach Darian DeVries was not concerned about the fouls and instead favored Wilkerson’s forcefulness.
“I’d much rather have them be aggressive right now, this time of year.” DeVries said postgame. “I do like the fact that we are being physical as opposed to ‘hey, we didn’t foul, but we had no physicality, no toughness to us.’”
Devries said the foul situation will work itself out as the season progresses and players adjust to the officiating.
Defensive rebounding
One of the biggest concerns heading into the year was Indiana’s lack of size. The tallest player expected to play a major role for the Hoosiers is 6-foot-10 senior forward Reed Bailey. Against Baylor, Bailey grabbed only two rebounds in 19 minutes.
The Bears outrebounded the Hoosiers 44-25 in the game, which included 16 offensive boards. While DeVries liked the team’s first shot defense, Indiana struggled to finish possessions.
“We are undersized, so we have to really be technical in hitting people,” DeVries said. “We can't allow people to just run in there and jump. We're not winning a lot of those jumping contests.”
Amid the team’s lackluster effort on the glass, senior forward Sam Alexis made a major impact off the bench. Despite not occupying a starting spot, Alexis played for 14 minutes in the second half, and his aggressiveness on the glass helped the Hoosiers build a lead.
“I thought Sam came out and gave us some great physicality,” DeVries said. “I just liked his energy and thought he was the guy that kind of got us going a little bit.”
Depth and short rotation
With injuries to freshman guard Aleksa Ristic, sophomore forward Josh Harris and junior guards Nick Dorn and Jason Drake, Indiana’s depth is limited. Against Baylor, eight Hoosiers hit the court. However, three of those eight players played less than 20 minutes, with junior guard Jasai Miles only putting in one minute on the stat sheet.
With the lack of depth, production off the bench was very limited for the Hoosiers. Of Indiana’s 76 total points, only 9 of those points came from the bench.
Alexis was credited with all 9 bench points for the Hoosiers after going 4 for 5 from the field and 1 for 1 from the free throw line. The other two players off the bench — freshman forward Trent Sisley and Miles — only tallied a combined three total rebounds and one field goal attempt.
Clutch plays
After leading by 9 points with under eight minutes to play, Indiana found itself trailing by 2 at the two-minute mark. The ensuing possessions highlighted the resilience of the Hoosiers’ offense.
Wilkerson drew two fouls in the last two minutes — one with one minute and 55 seconds to go, which tied the game, and another with one minute and 29 seconds remaining to put the Hoosiers up by 2 points. But after a 3-pointer from Baylor senior guard Dan Skillings Jr., Indiana trailed once again.
Entering the final minute of the game, Indiana found redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries on the baseline, and his mid-range jumper retook the lead for the Hoosiers. However, a foul on the next Baylor possession allowed the Bears to knot the game once more at 74.
With 12 seconds to play, sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway picked up the rolling ball at half court and instantly lost his man on the way to the hoop. After sending one defender flying with a pump fake, Conerway finished through contact to give Indiana a 76-74 lead. And this time, it lasted.
In the final two minutes, three different Hoosiers made lead-taking shots, showcasing the poise and versatility of the new roster.
Now, Indiana will have some time off to watch film and make any necessary changes to prepare for its season opener against Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University at 8 p.m. Nov. 5 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Streaming will be available on the Big Ten Network.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Nathan Shriberg (@NShriberg and naashri@iu.edu) and columnist Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki8773 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
