“We love to shoot threes. That’s what we believe in, that’s what we recruit to”, says new Indiana University Head Coach Darian DeVries in a recent press conference. Coach DeVries has spent the entire offseason hammering in his philosophy to the new crop of Hoosiers this year and arguably the biggest piece in that philosophy pie is shooting 3’s at a high clip.
Three pointers haven’t exactly been a strength of the Hoosiers over the past several seasons. Last year, for example, the Hoosiers ranked 281st in the country at shooting three’s, with a percentage of 32%. Coach DeVries is hoping to flip that on its head entirely. However, just wanting to shoot 3’s at a strong clip isn’t enough, you need to instill a culture.
When hearing from star Hoosiers Tucker DeVries and Lamar Wilkerson, you hear just that. Tucker spoke a bit on his father’s philosophy, mentioning, “[Head Coach Darian DeVries] doesn’t nit pick each each shot, but if it becomes an issue as a team as a whole, then it can get addressed a little bit, which I think gives the guys confidence to know that they have the green light.”
Wilkerson touched on the ‘green light’ piece that Coach DeVries gives to his players, sharing, “[Having a green light] gives you the utmost confidence. You know, when you put in the work, you put in the time each day, you get better at that shot. You know, do what you got to do and for [Coach DeVries] to just let you go [and] not have you on a leash? Man, is great for confidence.”
Freedom and confidence. The lifeblood of any strong three point shooter. That is the culture Head Coach Darian DeVries is trying to cultivate at Indiana. Coach DeVries wants to play a modern style game with proper spacing, pace, and shooting ability. He has put together a team (largely from the transfer portal) who possesses all of those skills on paper. It is now up to Coach DeVries and the players to, as Lamar Wilkerson so eloquently put it, “play the way that Indiana basketball is meant to be played.”
The Indiana Hoosiers Men’s Basketball Program opens up their regular season slate on Wednesday, November 5 when the Hoosiers take on Alabama A&M. Stay locked in with Hoosier Huddle for all things Indiana Basketball – and Indiana sports – all season long.