Indiana men’s basketball hadn’t scored 100 points since a 13-point win over Kennesaw State University on Dec. 29, 2023. But in just three games under head coach Darian DeVries, the Hoosiers have done it twice.
With a combination of versatile scorers and unselfish facilitators, DeVries has instilled an aura of confidence in his players. Indiana’s willingness to share the ball has translated to production from all over the roster. The Hoosiers’ unselfish mentality was on full display in their 101-70 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Wednesday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
In three games, the Hoosiers have had three different leading scorers. In the season opener against Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, it was senior forward Reed Bailey. Against Marquette University, it was redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries. And against Milwaukee, it was fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson with 24 points.
While Wilkerson had the team-high, sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway had his best game of the early-season. Conerway had a season-high 21 points, but he also dished out six assists in 34 minutes on the court. Bailey lauded the Hoosiers’ ball movement postgame.
“All the guys here are here to win, and we know that from the coaching staff, from coach DeVries, that the way we're going to do that is keep the ball moving and make sure that we touch the ball,” Bailey said. “I think we're just a really good basketball team when we're able to move the ball like we have.”
With an emphasis on selflessness, the Hoosiers have racked up 73 assists in their first three games. Their 27 assists against Marquette were more than any game in the 2024-25 season, and they’ve added 23 against Alabama A&M and Milwaukee.
And it’s not like one player is the source of the Indiana's playmaking. Against Milwaukee, six Hoosiers had multiple assists. Conerway and Bailey led the way with six and five, respectively. Redshirt senior guard Conor Enright had three, and Wilkerson, junior guard Jasai Miles and redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries each had two.
DeVries — known for his scoring ability — shot 4 for 10 from the field. But like Wilkerson, he’s not just a threat from distance, and can find other ways to contribute when the shot isn’t falling.
“We got Tucker who can post up, he can shoot, he can come off ball screens. Lamar doing the same thing,” Conerway said postgame. “A lot of people label them as just shooters, but the way they can come off ball screens, put him in jail, kind of figure out where that open pass is something that they're underrated in and something they're really good at.”
Against Milwaukee, DeVries was able to cut to the basket and make himself available for his teammates, rather than creating his own shot like he did against Marquette. Instead of just taking up space in the half court, DeVries embodied the team’s group mindset, adding five rebounds and three steals to contribute to the Hoosiers’ blowout victory.
Enright, Miles and Bailey all tied DeVries for the team lead on the glass, but rebounding proved to be an issue for the Hoosiers. In the first half, Indiana was outrebounded 20 to 14 and allowed Milwaukee to grab eight offensive boards. However, the Hoosiers rallied to win the rebounding battle 35 to 31.
Just like unselfishness, resilience is a theme of Darian DeVries’ squad. And remembering to keep the ball moving and get everyone involved is key to Indiana’s hot start offensively.
“One night it could be this guy, one night the next guy. They really don't care,” Darian DeVries said. “I think that's why you get the shooting percentages you get, because we're getting the right type of shots.”
Bailey hasn’t had the kind of success in the paint that is expected of a 6-foot-10 big man. At times against Milwaukee, it looked as if he was overmatched by bigs with a powerful paint presence. But he’s a prime example of taking the right shots. Through three games, he’s shooting 70.6% from the field. After the game, he summarized Indiana’s offense.
“When we get open threes, it's a pretty good chance that thing is going in.”
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.
