In years past, Indiana men’s basketball has been powered by stars. Be it guard Victor Oladipo, forward Trayce Jackson-Davis or center Kel’el Ware, the Hoosiers typically knew where their production would come from.
But in the first regular season game under first-year head coach Darian DeVries, the offensive output came from everyone. The Hoosiers’ balanced attack led them to a 98-51 victory over Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University on Wednesday night inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
While fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson and redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries — the two most highly touted Hoosier scorers — put up 19 and 18 points, respectively, neither led the team in scoring. It was senior forward Reed Bailey atop the stat sheet with 21. Senior forward Sam Alexis also added 17 points off the bench, and Wilkerson was quick to credit the team's group mindset postgame.
“Coach DeVries is big on just moving the ball, being unselfish,” Wilkerson said after the win. “The ball is always moving. We feel like we're better playing when the ball is moving, moving off ball again, getting us open shots.”
With unselfish ball movement came a smattering of assists. The Hoosiers dished out 23 assists on the night, which is over seven more than their 2024-25 season average. Sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway led the team in the category with five assists. He also added 14 points and two steals.
Despite not having his best scoring night, Tucker DeVries found a multitude of ways to contribute. The redshirt senior impacted the game more than anyone else on the court, and it showed in the box score. In addition to his 18 points — which pushed him over 2,000 in his career — DeVries tallied 11 rebounds, four assists and a steal.
Twelve of DeVries’ 18 points came from 3-point range, and Wilkerson added four triples of his own — including one from much further beyond the arc. But Wilkerson's damage wasn’t limited to the outside.
“Even at Sam Houston (State University), teams tried to run me off the line, so I really took that personal during the summer to try to put the ball on the ground and expand my game to score at three levels,” Wilkerson said. “That way they can't stop me; I won't be one-dimensional.”
The Hoosiers found success at all three levels throughout the game. While Wilkerson and DeVries combined for eight 3-pointers, Bailey’s team-high scoring effort was accomplished without an attempt from deep. And when the Hoosiers weren’t letting it fly from three, the focus was solely on the interior.
Of the Hoosiers’ 58 shots, 34 were from inside the arc. Of those, 18 were layups and 13 were dunks.
“It's just kind of how the offense ends up,” Darian DeVries said. “When you start to make those threes, defense can tend to get stretched, and then we were able to get some slips and some rolls to the rim as guys are chasing shooters out the backside, and they just didn't have a lot of help. I thought the guys did a good job of taking what the defense gave them tonight.”
The abundance of easy buckets at the rim is a testament to Indiana's new offensive identity. The Cream and Crimson knocked down 10 3-pointers in the game, a feat they only accomplished twice last season against Rutgers and Penn State. With shooting threats all over the court, defenses will have a hard time containing the Hoosiers.
After a summer of practicing together, Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries emphasized the confidence that Darian DeVries instills in their game. After his first win at the helm, Darian DeVries echoed that sentiment, praising how his guys have developed as a team.
“We've got a group that has a really good IQ and feel,” Darian DeVries said. “For a group that hasn't been together very long, they really play well off of each other and have a great understanding of some of the concepts that we're trying to do, but they're just out there playing. I think that's allowed them to play fast and really trust their instincts.”
Finding group success early in the year is critical for the developing Hoosier squad. While star power absorbs the limelight, synergy wins games. The Hoosiers will step further into the spotlight against Marquette University at 1 p.m. Sunday inside the United Center in Chicago.
But for Darian DeVries, the first regular season experience in front of the Assembly Hall crowd set the tone for the season to come.
“It was a fun night, a special night,” he said, “and hopefully it's the first of many.”
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.
