'He likes a little razzle dazzle': Tayton Conerway is bringing a combination of flash and toughness to Indiana

Indiana basketball’s newest floor general, Tayton Conerway, is not one to shy away from the ‘razzle dazzle’. 

The 2024 Sun Belt Player of the Year likes to keep the defense on their toes, not knowing what he is going to do next.

“[I’m] trying to make that defense not know what’s coming next, and just having everybody being on their toes helps a lot, too,” Conerway told The Hoosier.

Conerway showcased his playmaking ability a season ago, averaging 14.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game while leading Troy to the NCAA Tournament. 

The sixth-year senior isn’t the most traditional playmaker as he often brings some ‘razzle dazzle’ to the game.

“He’s done some really good things in practice, and he’s a little unique, and he may be one of the most creative guys with the ball in terms of the way he delivers passes,” Darian DeVries said on Wednesday. “It’s very unconventional. He’s one of those guys, I told the coaching staff, like, you have to let him just go a little bit.”

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While he struggled with turnovers at times last season, averaging 2.7 per game, that has not been a problem in practice so far with Indiana. 

“To his credit, though, a lot of times you open up the stat sheet after the end of practice, it will be six assists/one turnover type stuff,” DeVries said. “It’s almost impressive that he’s able to kind of do it the way he does it and not turn the ball over.”

Conerway boasted an assist rate of 39% for Troy, higher than any Hoosier last season. With the talented scorers Indiana added alongside him, he could surpass his playmaking numbers from last season. 

Conerway credited his mother for the pass-first emphasis he takes to the game.

“That passing stuff is just so fun. Growing up, my mama always said, ‘Man, you pass it, that’s a stat for you, you get an assist and a stat for them, they get points.’ So best of both worlds, everybody’s happy,” he said. 

Conerway’s play last season was indicative of that mindset as he had 10 games with more assists than made field goals, despite leading his team in scoring. 

While his mother’s impact is seen on the court, Conerway recognizes the role his family played in getting him to this point.

“My family really took pride in me at a young age. They didn’t want me to go off my path,” he said. “It wasn’t like they forced me to do anything, but they seen potential in me and they really pushed me. My family is what got me here.” 

Conerway’s Indiana family is going to ask a lot of him next season, but that also means he will be able to play the game his way. 

“He’s almost sometimes, I think, bored with the simple play. He likes a little razzle-dazzle with it. But he’s really talented at both ends of the floor,” DeVries said. “He’s really gifted. I think for us offensively letting him kind of playmake, the way he knows how to playmake.”

Indiana is going to rely on Conerway heavily next season to provide stability from the point guard spot on offense. 

On the other end of the court, his role will be just as important. 

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“Defensively, he’s really got quick hands. He has the ability to create steals, turnovers for us,” DeVries said. “I’m excited about what he can continue to grow into for this team.”

Conerway was third in the country a season ago, averaging 2.9 steals per game as he has taken pride in his work on that end of the floor. 

When asked who the toughest defender on the team was, he declared it was himself with zero hesitation.

Without a true center, Indiana is going to be one of the smaller teams in the Big Ten, and the work they do on the defensive end will be even more important because of that.

“Our coaches always say offense is going to come. We have shooters, playmakers, we got people who can score. But defense is going to be our big thing that separates us,” Conerway said. 

“Just be tougher than the other team. Like I was telling them, I want every team to say, ‘I don’t want to play them again,’ whether we won or lost, say ‘that was a tough game’. As long as we can get that, we’ll be alright.”

DeVries has emphasized the importance of that end of the floor, and Conerway has fully bought in. 

With West Virginia last season, DeVries led the 15th-best defense in the nation according to KenPom.

Similar to this Indiana roster, last season’s West Virginia team also lacked size but still found success on the defensive end of the floor.

If Indiana is going to mimic that defensive success this season, Conerway will play a big part. 

For all the ‘razzle dazzle’ and flashiness he brings on the offensive end of the floor, he matches that with his intensity and effort on the defensive end of the floor. 

As Indiana heads into a new era, Conerway’s combination of creativity, grit, and leadership will be pivotal to what the Hoosiers are looking to accomplish in year one under DeVries. 

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