Observations for IUBB’s Open Practice (9/30)

Indiana men's basketball coach Darian Devries watches practice. Image: Indiana University Athletics. The Indiana Hoosiers opened their practice to the media on Tuesday afternoon. IU is a little less than a month away from the start of the 2025-26 season and this was my first time getting eyes on the new era of Indiana basketball. Here are my observations from practice: Jason Drake and Aleksa Ristic were in walking boots on the sideline. Coach DeVries touched on this "Some of them are very short-term, some of them a little bit longer term. Certainly our practice depth has been cut into immensely here, so it's made some things challenging from a practice standpoint. We have a few of the guys that are getting closer to getting back. One guy out with some sickness today, so that's a minor one. One is out with a sprained ankle." Nick Dorn who is recovering from injury was dressed for practice but was not a full participant. DeVries also commented on this after practice: " I'm a little worried after watching him run on the sidelines that Coach Cig might try and steal him from me because he can run, he can move. You've seen him; he's a big, physical guy. As he's working his way back, we haven't had an opportunity to see a lot of the basketball piece. A lot of it has been shooting, some light movement stuff, but he's certainly getting closer and closer to full health before we get into more of that live contact. We're excited about him getting back whenever that time comes" Jasai Miles missed practice due to an illness. Specific Observations Tucker DeVries is the most complete player on the team. He's thick, can shoot the ball well from beyond the arc and can make the tough plays inside. Trent Sisley looks like he has all the talent and instincts to be a great player in the Big Ten. He does not look like your typical freshman, but could use another 10-15 pounds on his frame to hold up for a full season in the Big Ten. Is he ready for a bigger role than expected? I am not sure, but he can give this team some valuable minutes. Lamar Wilkerson is fearless. he has a good stroke from deep, but is streaky. If he gets hot, look out. He can take the ball to the basket as well. He'll be a vocal leader on the court too. I really liked watching Conor Enright play. He's tough, albeit undersized, and can shoot the ball. He's not afraid to go in the pain and grab a loose ball either. He may struggle a bit running the offense, but he is a really nice player off the ball and can bring a boost of energy off the bench if needed. Tayton Conerway looks like a veteran on the floor. He commands the offense well and has a solid shot when he wants it. Sam Alexis is going to do the dirty work for this team down low. He struggles from deep a bit, but he makes up for it with his athleticism down low. Reed Bailey looked fine. He could be a bit tougher getting rebounds, but he has the skill and length to play in this conference. Image: Indiana University Athletics General Observations This team can shoot the three ball and will do it often. For a group of players who really have not had that much time together, they seem like a close knit group. They communicate well on the floor and there is a general like for each other. Depth at the "5" could be a concern. As I mentioned above Bailey looks like a solid player, but there really is not much experience behind him in Andrej Acimovic. There is a lot of energy at practice. Players and coaches clapping, communicating during drills. There is not a lot of wasted time. Coaches gave coaching points in huddles. Nobody looked panicked if something went wrong. IU worked on pick and roll offense and defense, half-court offense before ending with a sort of full court live scrimmage drill that would go a couple of possessions before the coaches huddled with their players and it would start again.

Observations for IUBB’s Open Practice (9/30)

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