What: IU (0-0) vs. Marian Knights (0-0)
Where: Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN
When: Friday, November 17 at 7:30
How to Watch: The game will be streaming on B1G+ (get $10 off an annual subscription with code B1GSAVE10.
Opponent Glance: The Marian Knights are an NAIA team in the powerful Crossroads League. Pat Knight, the former IU player and son of legendary head coach Bob Knight, is entering his second season as the head coach at Marian. The Knights finished ninth in the league in 2024-2025 and are picked to finish fifth in the league’s preseason poll. The squad returns nine players from last season and have added six new members to the team. The two names to watch are Aidan Franks and Dylan Moles. Moles (Greenfield Central) was the team’s leading scorer last season at 14.8 points per game while Franks (Wapahani High School) was second on the team (14.3) and was named the Crossroads League Freshman of the Year. 13 of the 15 players on Pat Knight’s roster played high school basketball in Indiana prior to playing for the Marian Knights. The Hoosiers beat Marian 106-64 in last season’s exhibition opener.
What to Watch For
- Style of Play
The most discussed storyline of the offseason has been the expected change in how the Indiana Hoosiers are going to play. In short, the sport being played is still basketball but the plan of attack is a near polar-opposite of what Indiana fans saw from Mike Woodson’s teams. Instead of two big men patrolling the paint and a team that rarely shot three-pointers, new head coach Darian DeVries’ team is going to start most possessions without a single player in the lane. Indiana was near the bottom of the country in three-pointers attempted in 2024 but the new roster and new philosophy on display on Friday night is expected to be in the top quartile of the sport this season as perimeter shooting goes from a weakness to a strength in Bloomington. Sweeping conclusions should not be made from one night of observation but for context, no power conference team shot more three-pointers than Illinois last season (30.1 per game). Indiana was 305th nationally at 19.8 attempts per game.
2. New Faces
The game program will probably be a popular purchase in Assembly Hall on Friday night. Beyond the new head coach, Hoosier fans will be looking at a brand new coaching staff and roster that looks completely different than the group that was on the floor a season ago. Mainstays like Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal are gone, Malik Reneau is back in Florida and there are no scholarship players remaining from the 2024-2025 roster. Darian DeVries brought his son, Tucker DeVries, with him from West Virginia and then turned to the lower levels of college basketball to find players that fit his system and had proven production. Lamar Wilkerson, a transfer from Sam Houston, is expected to lead the attack along with DeVries. The starting five is likely to be rounded out by tough point guard Tayton Conerway (Troy), skilled big man Reed Bailey (Davidson) and Conor Enright (DePaul), at least until 6’7” wing Nick Dorn (Elon) is healthy and in-rhythm. The only freshman that is expected to contribute is Indiana native Trent Sisley and he has played extremely well since arriving in Bloomington and has likely carved out a significant role this season. This is a very likable group of players and coaches but fans will need some time to get to know them. That process starts on Friday night.
3. Work in Progress
The primary concern for Indiana’s coaching staff heading into the season is undoubtedly the lack of a true rim protector and the impact that could have on IU’s ability to have a strong defense. Reed Bailey and Sam Alexis are capable defenders but it would be inaccurate to describe either of them as above-average shot blockers. Throughout the exhibition trip to Puerto Rico and preseason practices, IU’s defense has struggled to keep drivers in front without fouling and they have not been great keeping dribblers from getting to the rim. Tonight is the first time since Puerto Rico that we will be able to see how much progress has been made on the defensive end and how far away the Hoosiers are from being a solid defensive unit. Keep an eye on how much ball pressure players like Tayton Conerway and Conor Enright put on Marian’s guards and how far out DeVries has the defense extend when the Hoosiers primary lineups are in the game.