The three-point shot is a priority -- and asset -- for Indiana this year. Why?: 'That's what we believe in'

Friday night was another opportunity for Indiana basketball to showcase its new offensive style of play and it did not disappoint. While it was just an exhibition — and against an NAIA opponent — the outline of what Indiana wants to do this season was on full display.

The Hoosiers’ exhibition against Marian was the fourth preseason game this offseason, the other three coming in Puerto Rico during its preseason foreign trip. So with a baseline to compare itself to, head coach Darian DeVries was just looking for progress and to run their system.

“I was really happy tonight,” DeVries said on Friday after IU’s 107-46 win. “It’s the way we’ve been practicing. You just never know when you get on game night whether that will continue, that unselfishness, the ball movement. I thought the guys did a great job really all night moving the ball, sharing the ball, take what the defense gave us.”

Want all of your Indiana news in one place? Sign up for the daily TheHoosier.com newsletter!

What the defense gave Indiana was 15 made 3s, including 12 in the first half. Coming into this season, Indiana made double-digit 3s just twice last year and three times the last two years combined. You had to go back to the 2020-21 season when an Indiana team made more than 12 3s in a single game.

In last year’s exhibitions Indiana went 4-of-19 against Tennessee and 6-of-25 against Marian. The year before it was a 3-of-10 performance against UIndy and 9-of-17 against Marian. So, in four exhibitions prior, it was a 22-of-71 — good for just 30.9 percent.

Friday against Marian it was a 15-of-30 performance for Indiana.

“We have a lot of guys that can shoot it,” DeVries said. “I thought we had great distribution of 3s as well. So offensively I was excited. The assists, I think it was 19 at the half to 24 made field goals, something like that. That’s a team that’s sharing the ball.”

Indiana’s priority under Darian DeVries is to move the ball, play quick and get 3s up. Friday was the perfect outline for what it wants to be this year. Indiana finished with 27 assists on 39 made field goals and 42 percent of its points coming from three.

The roster was constructed to have multiple shooters on the floor at all times — and at all spots on the floor. Six different players made a three, including Tucker DeVries going 5-of-7, Trent Sisley 4-of-4, and Lamar Wilkerson and Conor Enright both making two 3s.

“Yeah, I think we work in practice a lot to get, like you said we shot a lot of 3s, but I think we get good 3s,” Sisley — who had 23 points — said after the win. “That just comes off of paint touches, coach’s offense, a lot of motion, stuff like that. We shoot them well in practice, so that translates in games.”

Shooting them in practice has transferred to every ‘game’ setting Indiana’s had thus far. In Indiana’s scrimmage earlier this month, the team went 12-of-30 from three in just about 19 minutes of action. In Puerto Rico, IU averaged 8.7 made 3s a game and attempted 29 a game.

Indiana made 6.3 3s a game last year and just 5.0 per game the year before.

What’s been evident is the priority and emphasis on shooting 3s, make or miss. It’s the clear identity now in four settings. Despite height advantages and size mismatches in all three Puerto Rico exhibitions, or on Friday against Marian, Indiana didn’t settle for the easy looks inside the paint. It was a clear part of the game plan to get the ball out on the perimeter.

“These guys really understand how to play. We talk about playing off of two feet, making sure that you can still be aggressive, but let’s make the right plays at the end of the night,” DeVries said. “I like how these guys have really adapted to the way we want them to play offense.”

Indiana attempted 20 3s in the first half versus 17 2s. That included a stretch of 12 3s attempted in a 15 possession span in the middle of the first half.

So, it’s clear — Indiana is not going to shy away from letting it fly from deep. It’s apparent that the three-point shot is not just part of Indiana’s scheme, it’s the scheme.

“That’s what we believe in, that’s what we recruit to. So you’ll see that as we continue forward too,” DeVries said at Big Ten Media Day. “Like this year’s team was put together with the idea that we wanna have a lot of guys that can really shoot it, a lot of guys that really understand how to play, have a great IQ, unselfish.

“And then we’ll recruit to that moving forward too. But I just believe if you can have a group that’s willing to play together and they can all shoot it, it makes you really challenging to guard for a defense. And we wanna be the aggressors, we wanna play in transition. That’s the best way to get open threes is against the broken floors. So you’ll see that from us throughout the year. It’s just a huge emphasis on wanting to get up and down and to shoot threes.”

It’s a system that players like, and will continue to in. So, Indiana fans won’t be seeing a change in the game plan any time soon.

“I feel like we shoot it pretty well in practice, even better than we did tonight,” Indiana forward Sam Alexis said. “So you’re all going to keep seeing us keep making shots.”

Not yet a member of TheHoosier?  Join our community for Just $1 for your first week and get a complimentary year of The Athletic included with your membership. Join here!

Use the code “IND20” on Rhoback.com for a generous 20% off for all new customers through the end of this week. Rhoback — Best Fit, Best Feel.