Indiana men’s basketball appeared to have shaken off its slump after starting the season on fire. With a victory over Kansas State University and a return to form 44-point trouncing of Bethune-Cookman University, the Hoosiers had erased some early doubts about their brand new roster and moved into the No. 22 spot in the Associated Press’ top 25 poll.
Head coach Darian DeVries won his first seven games at the helm, the best start to an Indiana men’s basketball tenure since Branch McCracken in 1938. But for all the early tests DeVries’ squad passed, one challenge still remained: a road game.
In its first true road game of the season, Indiana was sent back to reality as Minnesota quashed the Hoosiers’ undefeated record with a 73-64 victory Wednesday night inside Williams Arena in Minneapolis. The win also ended the Cream and Crimson’s nine-game winning streak over the Golden Gophers that dated back to 2019.
A recurring theme of Indiana’s early season explosive offense was the shooting prowess of redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries and fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson. Through the first seven games, the pair averaged 17.9 and 16.7 points per game, respectively.
But in the Hoosiers’ first Big Ten matchup of the season, Minnesota constrained the Indiana duo, holding them to just 24 combined points on 8-for-27 shooting. Darian DeVries praised the Golden Gophers’ approach to handling his offensive weapons.
“I think they did a good job being physical with Tucker and Lamar, made the catches tough, made the opportunities for them to come off clean, challenging,” DeVries said postgame. “We got to do a better job as a staff of figuring out, ‘Okay, here's how we're going to get guarded from these two guys...’ but also still find ways to be able to get them free and get them open.”
After Indiana scored on each of its first six possessions to open the game, putting the ball in the basket became an arduous task. However, some of the damage was self-inflicted. Tucker DeVries’ first three attempts from beyond the arc were all off balance, contested, low-percentage shots, stalling the Hoosiers’ momentum.
While DeVries went cold throughout the first half, Wilkerson’s typical offensive aggressiveness was noticeably absent. The high-octane scorer only attempted two shots before halftime. As sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway poured in 10 points in the first half and DeVries continued to fire away, Wilkerson faded into the background of a Hoosier attack that Darian DeVries said was influenced by Minnesota’s truculence.
“Offensively, we just kind of let their physicality kind of bog us down a little bit and we didn't get the type of quality shots that we've been getting and accustomed to getting,” DeVries said.
In the second half, the Hoosiers’ shooting woes worsened. As a team, Indiana shot 33.3% from the field in the final 20 minutes. Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries combined for 29.4%.
But even when the shots aren’t falling, Tucker DeVries remains an important leader for the Hoosiers, and Darian DeVries emphasized the importance of finding other ways for him to contribute.
“I thought he was very vocal in the huddles and things,” Darian DeVries said. “If they are going to try and take away some of his scoring, how else can he impact the game?”
Tucker DeVries ended the game with three rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal. But it wasn’t enough to overcome his 3-for-13 shooting night. His nine points tied a season low. Wilkerson attempted 12 shots in a reinvigorated second half, but only connected on four, ending with 15 points as the Golden Gophers successfully fought off the Hoosiers.
Coming off its first loss in the Darian DeVries era, Indiana faces a tough task as the Hoosiers will take on No. 6 University of Louisville at 2 p.m. Saturday inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Cardinals are also coming off their first loss of the season.
“The main thing now is that, now that you've lost one, is how do you respond,” DeVries said. “We have a group that's pretty connected. We've got some guys that have played a lot of basketball. So, I expect them to come ready and to respond and be ready for Saturday.”
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.
