IU basketball point guard Tayton Conerway has built an impressive college basketball resume.
The reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, the Texas product produced 861 points, 247 rebounds, 243 assists, and 164 steals in two seasons playing at Troy.
But his path to Division I was unconventional.
The 6-foot-3 Conerway spent three seasons at the junior college level before coming to Troy, playing in environments at Grayson College and then Ranger College far different than Bloomington.
Just a couple months into his first season at the high major level, Conerway can tell he’s stepped onto a new stage, with kids running up to him for pictures, and restaurants staying open late to make sure he got a meal.
“I remember being that kid,” Conerway said. “The community, they know what’s going on. They’re built into the basketball team.”
It’s not just Conerway’s path that is a bit unique. His head coach is learning to adjust to his point guard’s playing style.
Perhaps if Conerway was a freshman, IU coach Darian DeVries would try to mold him a bit more. But with Conerway’s proven track record and early results this summer at practice, DeVries is learning to let his veteran floor general do things his own way.
“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,” DeVries said. “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.
“To his credit, though, a lot of times you open up the stat sheet after end of practice, it will be six assists/one turnover type stuff. It’s almost impressive that he’s able to kind of do it the way he does it and not turn the ball over.”
Keeping turnovers low is a non-negotiable for DeVries. His last four teams at Drake were all top-40 among all Division I teams when it comes to offensive turnover rate. It’s a point of emphasis and an underpinning of his success as a head coach.
And while nothing dramatic, Conerway was a bit on the high side, with a 20% turnover rate (2.7 per game against 4.8 assists) last season with Troy. While he intends to let Conerway go, DeVries’ words suggest there’s a limit to just how much rope he’ll give.
“He’s almost sometimes, I think, bored with the simple play. He likes a little razzle dazzle with it,” DeVries said.
Conerway is every bit as impactful on the defensive end of the floor, where he generated more steals (2.9) than turnovers per game last year. He’s had 48 multi-steal games over the last two years.
DeVries credits Conerway’s quick hands as standing out. There’s also a toughness element that has been a hallmark of DeVries’ point guards through the years, and something that is noticable about Conerway on the floor, and in his words. He embraces the grittiness of the game.
“Just having a smaller team, we know we’re going to have to be tougher than everybody,” Conerway said. “We want every game to be like ‘Man we don’t want to play them again.'”
If there’s a question mark about Conerway, it has been his ability to make threes at a high rate. He’s made just 29.2% over the last two seasons including 27% last year. He’ll have to improve that rate to keep defenses honest and hold off those competing with him for minutes including Conor Enright and Jason Drake.
And making threes won’t be any easier against high major length and athleticism.
In so many ways, Conerway knows he has entered a brave new world. The lights are brighter, and the competition is stiffer.
But that’s exactly the challenge he wanted.
“I wanted to get on a bigger stage and show people that I can do it here just like I did it there (at Troy),” he said.
And with his coach’s backing, he’ll attempt to prove his ability in his own unique way.
For complete coverage of IU basketball, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- Join our Premium Discord Chat by GOING HERE.
- You can follow us on X: @daily_hoosier and find us on Facebook and Instagram
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
