Heading into the season, the expectation for Indiana men’s basketball was an explosive offense. The hiring of head coach Darian DeVries in March came with the promise of a high-powered offense that the former West Virginia University and Drake University coach was known for.
And through the Hoosiers’ first few games, it looked like he had delivered. The Cream and Crimson scored 98 or more points on four occasions early in the season, including against Shaka Smart’s Marquette University. Inadequacy emerged for the first time in the DeVries era against the University of the Incarnate Word, with the Hoosiers only notching 69 points.
It reappeared in a nine-point loss to Minnesota on Wednesday, and it marred an 87-78 loss to the University of Louisville on Saturday inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
From the jump, the Hoosiers were overmatched. The No. 6 Cardinals possessed more talent than Indiana has seen thus far, and it showed in the early minutes as Louisville stormed out to a 16-0 lead. The Cream and Crimson didn’t score until over six and a half minutes had passed — senior forward Sam Alexis slammed home a lob from fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson.
For a spell, the Hoosiers had life, as redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries scored Indiana’s next nine points. Wilkerson hit a 3-pointer from the left wing to bring the Hoosiers within five, but senior guard Ryan Conwell knocked down a triple of his own to immediately reestablish Louisville’s momentum.
The Cardinals' timely responses continued throughout the game. Every time Indiana made a run, Louisville answered in turn, refusing to let the Hoosiers back into the game. But for much of the matchup, Indiana struggled to do what it had done so efficiently at the beginning of the season: score the ball.
“They did a really good job early defensively,” Darian DeVries said postgame. “They did a good job of making things tough and challenging, and we had some moments where we were able to break free and get loose a little bit, but overall it was just too big of a deficit to overcome.”
One of Louisville’s strengths defensively was physicality. The Cardinals flocked to the ball, frequently leaving the weak side to double ball handlers and taking away passing lanes. At times, it appeared that the Hoosiers weren’t prepared for the aggressive defensive style.
As Louisville crowded the 3-point line and swarmed Indiana’s primary options, turnovers became an issue for the Hoosiers. Instead of finding the open man, the Cream and Crimson often found a Louisville defender. Indiana’s 13 turnovers were the second most it’s had in a single game all season. Darian DeVries emphasized the importance of offensive resilience postgame.
“If they're pressed out taking away threes, you have to be able to, you know, drive and get to the rim and finish,” DeVries said. “Drive and get to the rim and get fouled, or back cuts, you know, those are other ways that you can put pressure.”
Due to high pressure from Louisville, Indiana’s offense often felt one dimensional. While Tucker DeVries was able to find individual success, there wasn’t much cohesion in the half court. DeVries was forced to shoulder the offensive load, ending with a game-high 26 points.
Against Minnesota, Wilkerson shot 5 for 14. He followed it up with a 5-for-15 effort Saturday. Despite offensive shortcomings, Darian DeVries praised his team’s mindset and mentality.
“Our guys played their tails off, they left it out there,” DeVries said. “I was proud of them from that standpoint. Was there things that we could have done better? Yeah, absolutely. But I liked the way we approached the game. I liked our mindset. I liked our toughness, physicality. I thought that's what we need to do every night.”
After starting the season 7-0, the Hoosiers have lost back-to-back games away from Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Indiana will return home to take on Penn State at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in Bloomington as it looks to snap its losing skid.
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.
