CHICAGO — Somber, emotional and downhearted.
A seventh straight loss to Northwestern marked the end of Indiana men’s basketball’s Big Ten Tournament, and likely its entire season.
Following a 13-point loss to the Wildcats on Wednesday night, the Hoosiers sat in the locker room at the United Center in Chicago, many facing the reality that their collegiate careers are coming to an end.
Just a year ago, the Hoosiers moved on from former head coach Mike Woodson following consecutive seasons without an NCAA Tournament appearance. Now, the Cream and Crimson are almost certain to extend the streak to three after finishing 18-14 in head coach Darian DeVries’ first year at the helm.
For a spell, Indiana appeared to be a tournament lock. The Hoosiers reached 17 wins by Feb. 9. They added just one more win to that total over the next 30 days and now sit on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble.
“Any game, any given night, you know, you can go out, you can lose, you can win,” junior guard Jasai Miles said postgame. “But that's just what happens when you play in like the best league in the country.”
DeVries built his first roster from scratch. The sole remnant of Woodson’s Hoosiers was an incoming freshman — forward Trent Sisley. Each addition to the roster and the coaching staff was a first-time Hoosier. Senior forward Reed Bailey called it “a unique experience.”
“I think everybody here was just committed to each other and wanted to create a real culture for Coach DeVries to start and carry on for a long time,” Bailey said. “I'll always remember the guys. Everybody was in the same boat this year.”
Rather than dwell on what could’ve been, the Hoosiers prefer to reminisce about what was. While the 2025-26 season didn’t pan out how they’d hoped, Indiana leaves behind a legacy of hope for the future of the program.
Indiana is redshirt senior guard Conor Enright’s third collegiate team. Following stints at Drake University and DePaul University, he had just one year of eligibility remaining. Throughout his lone year in Bloomington, he formed an enduring connection.
“Oh, man. Just proud to wear the jersey,” Enright said. “I think we all know what it meant to wear Indiana across our chests. That's what I'll take 10, 15 years down the line.”
When Enright committed to the Hoosiers, the roster was barren. Enright’s reunion with DeVries was a show of faith in his former coach.
“I wouldn't know why anyone wouldn't want to play for him,” Enright said. “I just think they should just trust what he's building. He's going to get the job done.”
Belief in the future was a constant across the roster. While the outcome wasn’t optimal, the players felt the design was.
The Cream and Crimson’s up-and-down season produced highs that will be remembered long after they’ve departed Bloomington.
Fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson set the single game Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall scoring record with a 44-point outburst against Penn State in December. Enright’s relentless defense held the Big Ten’s new all-time assist leader — Purdue senior guard Braden Smith — without a dime through the first 20 minutes of Indiana’s upset victory over the Boilermakers in January.
But the Hoosiers lacked the ability to rise to the challenge when it mattered most. Championship caliber teams peak in March, and Indiana went 1-6 to end the season.
However, what’s most important to the first iteration of DeVries’ Hoosiers is the relationships and culture they built along the way. Along with pride, brotherhood was a theme of the Hoosiers’ season.
“Oh, man, we love each other, like, all these guys in here,” Miles said. “I know I'll always be able to call them for life, you know, I got some brothers in here, and that's, at the end of the day, that's the most important thing.”
With six seniors, Indiana will need to replace much of its production. Exiting players account for over 83% of the team’s points. Of the players who consistently received minutes, Miles, Sisley and junior guard Nick Dorn are the only ones with remaining eligibility.
While the Hoosiers to come remain unknown, this years’ Hoosiers are proud of the Indiana program that they’ll leave behind.
“We're going to go out there and try to play the hardest we can,” senior forward Sam Alexis said. “I feel like that was the foundation we set for the next couple of years, for whoever wants to come in here.”
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.
