‘This is a special place’: How Darian DeVries is rejuvenating Indiana Basketball

Indiana Basketball has long been considered one of college basketball’s blue bloods, but since Bob Knight left, the program has struggled to consistently find success.

In Knight’s legendary 29-year tenure, he missed the NCAA Tournament just five times.

In the 25 years since Knight left the program, the Hoosiers have missed the tournament 12 times.

Indiana cycled through six different coaches over that span, but none were able to consistently find success.

Darian DeVries is the 7th coach to lead the program since Knight, and he has already sparked some excitement.

“This is a special place. You can rank it wherever you want to rank it, but I think it’s right up there at the top, and in terms of one of the most unique college experiences in all of college basketball,” DeVries said on Inside College Basketball Now with Jon Rothstein.

“The building itself has an aura about it that’s just different from anywhere else you go, and when you have a fanbase as passionate as we have and the way they get into games and support us, it’s a pretty cool feeling. [I’m] excited for the start of Big Ten play as it’s even a little more rowdy in there. It should be a lot of fun.”

DeVries is quickly changing the feeling around Indiana Basketball.

After years of an outdated offense highlighted by a lack of three-point shooting, DeVries has made the three-ball a point of emphasis, and the roster reflects that.

“We wanted to make sure we had a lot of shooting out on the floor, guys that had a good feel for the game as well,” DeVries said.

All of the top nine players in the Indiana rotation have hit a three, with the team averaging 10.6 three-pointers per game. Last season, the Hoosiers hit 10 threes in just two games.

Lamar Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries have led the way from deep for the Hoosiers. They both are averaging at least 3.0 threes per game while shooting above 40% from deep.

Not only does this team shoot the ball at a high level, but they also share it.

“They have a great understanding of how to play offense. They have a good feel for one another. I think that connectivity happened pretty fast,” DeVries said.

Building trust can take time for a new team, but despite a brand new roster, Indiana has had no trouble sharing the rock.

Through seven games, Indiana is averaging 20.9 assists per game, which is 6th in the nation.

The Hoosiers have assisted 146 of their 212 made field goals so far this season.

The combination of ball movement and shooting has helped Indiana jump inside the top 20 in KenPom, Torvik, and the Net Rankings.

While the start has been impressive, DeVries recognizes there is room to grow.

“[Rebounding is] the number one thing we’re going to have to really put a focus on every day from here until the end of the season. Just doing a really good job of making sure we make contact for rebounding,” he said.

“We’re not going to be above the squares going and getting a lot of rebounds, so we got to make sure we do some of the little things that’s going to help us be effective as a defensive rebounding group.”

The consistent knock surrounding Indiana basketball has been their lack of size in the front court. That issue has been apparent on the boards as opponents have averaged 10.7 offensive rebounds per game.

Indiana has been one of the best defensive teams in the country, ranking as the 14th-best defensive team according to KenPom, but they will need to improve on the boards heading into Big Ten play.

“That’s where things really get amped up, and we got to make sure we’re doing a great job in our preparation, getting ready for the start of Big Ten play,” DeVries said.

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Indiana opens Big Ten play on the road against Minnesota, and DeVries knows it will be a challenge.

Minnesota is currently outside the top 100 in KenPom and will be without their starting point guard, but Big Ten road games are always difficult.

Indiana has had a winning record in Big Ten games just twice in the last 10 years, and has only had a winning record in conference road games once.

Despite the lack of recent success, the Hoosier fanbase remains as hungry as ever.

“Everybody knows this is a fanbase that loves their hoops, and that’s a really good thing. Overall, it’s been exactly what we thought it would be, and we’ve really enjoyed it,” DeVries said.

Fair or not, Indiana basketball always has high expectations. It can be easy to get lost in the history of the program, and DeVries recognizes that.

He also acknowledges that, despite the pressure, his job is to improve each day, and he remains committed to doing that.

“Every day it’s a special feeling when you walk into the arena, and I think that’s enough in itself right there. You look up at those banners, and then you get started with practice, and it’s about practice,” DeVries said. “We’re just trying to do everything we can to continue to make everyone that’s a proud alum of this program and represent them all in a positive way.”

While just seven games into his tenure, it’s easy to understand why Hoosier fans are excited about the direction of the program.

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