Darian DeVries admittedly fought the inevitable emotions all day Wednesday.
Before Indiana men’s basketball faced off against Minnesota on Senior Night, six Hoosiers were recognized for their contributions — including Darian’s son, forward Tucker DeVries.
When Darian DeVries emptied his bench in the game’s final minutes, allowing the Hoosier faithful to give each senior a standing ovation, he stood just beyond the line of assistant coaches. After Tucker DeVries hugged all five assistants, he finally reached his father.
The two shook hands before sharing an embrace.
While the Hoosiers head coach said he shares a special connection with all six seniors, the father-son connection he holds with Tucker DeVries is unmatched.
“When you get that opportunity with your son, it's a different feeling,” Darian DeVries said after the Hoosiers’ 77-47 victory over the Golden Gophers inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington. “I'm one of those guys, I fought it all day and I'm not giving in now.”
Wednesday marked Tucker DeVries’ final collegiate home game. His career spanned five seasons and three schools. He spent three years at Drake University before following his father to West Virginia University.
After a shoulder injury cut his lone season with the Mountaineers short, Tucker DeVries obtained a medical redshirt to play his last season with the Hoosiers. He trails only fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson in scoring, averaging 13.8 points alongside 5.3 rebounds per game.
Both Tucker DeVries’ and redshirt senior guard Conor Enright’s presence brought the new-look Indiana squad familiarity. The two already understood Darian DeVries’ scheme and process, helping to acquaint the other Hoosiers with it.
Enright’s statistical output doesn’t often jump off a box score, but he’s provided defensive tenacity while also distributing the ball to Indiana’s scorers on offense.
Wilkerson has led the Cream and Crimson all season, becoming just the second Hoosier to drain at least 100 3-pointers in a single season — the other being All-American guard Steve Alford in 1986-87.
Senior forward Reed Bailey began the season as Indiana’s starting big man, but senior forward Sam Alexis later overtook Bailey and has started the past 21 games.
Sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway suffered an ankle injury in mid-January that sidelined him for a handful of games, and while he hasn’t been a part of the starting lineup since, he’s a crucial piece who can drive to the rim.
In all, the six seniors accounted for 62 of Indiana’s 77 points against Minnesota. Alexis said just the fact it was Senior Night provided enough motivation, but the bubble-talk did, too, as NCAA Tournament hopes are unsettled — some bracketologists have them in the field while others don’t.
Wednesday’s dominant victory is just the latest chapter in the rather up-and-down season Indiana has endured. The Cream and Crimson notched close victories over then-No. 12 Purdue and at UCLA, but they also suffered two four-game losing streaks.
Tucker DeVries has often served as the predominant player voice of the Hoosiers during postgame press conferences, ensuring the squad understands the significance of their stretch run of the season. Now, Indiana has just one regular-season game left: a 5:30 p.m. matchup Saturday on the road against Ohio State.
Alexis said the Hoosiers see all the March Madness talk on social media. However, they can’t control the losses or missed opportunities in the past.
“We focus on getting these wins,” Alexis said, “and whatever happens, happens.”
While it’s uncertain when the Hoosiers’ season will end, they won’t return to the hardwood inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall again. And while Tucker DeVries didn’t show the emotion his father did, he recognized his collegiate career is nearing its end.
"It's obviously a little hard, being around it for so long, realizing this is kind of it, but I also know there's a lot of basketball still to be played,” Tucker DeVries said on the Big Ten Network. “So, can't get caught up too much in it."
Darian DeVries held back tears while sitting inside the press room after the game as he recalled the embraces he shared with his son. The two have spent 142 games together, and while they aim to continue their season and add more, their time on the same team is almost over.
“There's just a lot of emotion tied to it,” Darian DeVries said. “Some special times are about to end.”
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.
