Written by Matt St. Charles
When Indiana introduced Darian DeVries as its new head basketball coach on March 19th, he expressed his vision for what a successful Hoosier team would look like. It was simple, yet eloquent, and expressed the values that he’s brought from his time as an assistant at Creighton to Drake, West Virginia, and now IU.
“I think the biggest thing and where you can get yourself in trouble is you’re not building a collection of players,” DeVries said. “You have to build a team, and a team has to be able to fit together, play together, win together, and be able to function together.”
The team that was on the floor Wednesday night in the Hoosiers’ opening night 98-51 win over Alabama A&M reflected every part of that sentiment.
With five players in double figures–led by Reed Bailey’s 21 points and Lamar Wilkerson’s 19–and 23 assists on 36 made field goals, Indiana showcased its new brand of basketball under DeVries, and Assembly Hall felt the shift.
“I thought tonight was pretty special,” DeVries said. “To be a regular-season game, it certainly had a different feel and different vibe…It’s just one of these special places that there’s not much like it in college basketball. It’s certainly a privilege for us to be out there, and our team and our coaches to be out there and performing…It was a fun night, a special night, and hopefully it’s the first of many.”
Everybody had their turn against the Bulldogs’ defense, with Wilkerson opening the game with 12 points in the first eight minutes, displaying his confidence and range from outside. As the defense shifted its focus to Wilkerson, the frontcourt found its groove, with Tucker DeVries and Reed Bailey initiating actions to create for both themselves and for Sam Alexis, who provided great energy off the bench with 17 points.
With Alabama A&M putting two players on the ball when defending screens, Bailey and Alexis flourished in rolling hard to the rim and finishing effectively, as the two combined to go 13-16 from the field.
A flurry of back screens, inverted pick and rolls, and endless cuts ensued as Indiana built up a lead that would never be let go, heading into halftime up 58-22 while shooting 61% from the field.
On the other end of the floor, the Hoosiers dominated the glass 26-8 in the first half while only giving up one offensive rebound. They also didn’t allow Alabama A&M to make a 3-pointer until the 18:55 mark of the second half, while holding the Bulldogs to 29% from the floor in the first 20 minutes.
“We really tried to make them feel uncomfortable,” Bailey said. “And then I think we can always get better down the stretch in that second half, just making sure we keep it consistent all 40 minutes.”
The second half became a dunk fest, with the Hoosiers putting on a show for the crowd at Assembly Hall. DeVries, who scored 18 on the night, passed the 2,000-point mark on a second-chance 3 from the right wing with 6:10 left in the game.
But even with the game in hand, DeVries didn’t call off the dogs until about the 4:30 mark, experimenting with different lineups to see what could work down the road. Notably, Bailey and Alexis shared the floor for an extended period, a sign of what’s to come when Big Ten play brings much more size and physicality. The 42-19 rebounding advantage on the night gives Indiana hope when it comes to that aspect of this season.
On that March day when DeVries was introduced, he also said, “Shooting is a critical piece…we want plenty of depth in the shooting areas because I think you can’t win if you don’t make shots. That’s a huge priority for us.”
The Hoosiers shot 62% from the field and 42% from 3 on the night, and open looks were everywhere with driving lanes open and help being forced. If they can keep getting those open shots and knocking them down at a similar clip, they’ll be a force.
“Coach DeVries is big on just moving the ball, being unselfish,” Bailey said. “The ball is always moving. We feel like we’re better playing when the ball is moving, moving off ball again, getting us open shots.”
With a team that reflects his standards, DeVries has that first Indiana win under his belt, but now, they head to Chicago for a Sunday matchup with Marquette, which won’t prove to be easy.
“I thought our guys had great preparation heading into this all summer and fall,” DeVries said. “Now we’ve got to go play games. We certainly understand that Sunday is going to be different than today, so we’ve got plenty to work on, plenty to continue to improve.
“But I like this group in that regard. They’re all eager to get better. They just want to win. That’s what makes this group fun to coach.”