Multiple members of The Daily Hoosier staff attended an IU basketball open practice at Cook Hall on Wednesday afternoon.
Here is our notebook on who and what stood out:
— If only one word could be used to describe the practice, it would ENERGY. This team is not going to be caught off guard by game speed or game intensity. The noise and effort in the gym felt like a game atmosphere. There was very little standing around, and it was clear a standard has been set that the effort level will be crisp, and the players, managers, assistants, — *everyone* — will be vocal, engaged and supportive.
— Sticking with the energy theme, I (Mike) asked one person who has been around the program and attended practice for decades how the energy compared to the practices of the prior regime. His answer? “There is no comparison.” I went to one practice back in 2021 and had the same thought.
— Darian DeVries is not a turn practice over to the assistants kind of coach. He was front and center and engaged throughout. DeVries is not one for theatrics, but he isn’t afraid to stop practice to make a firm point — repeatedly if necessary. The assistants were all engaged on the periphery offering feedback.
— Everything they were doing in practice you could see how it translates to the game. There was no skill work, no obscure drills. This was a very intentional session focused on game reps. A lot of ball screen and handoff offense and defense, transition work, and live 3-on-3 and 5-on-5.
— It was clear this is going to be a high-volume 3-point shooting team. And they have a chance to be a good shooting team. For stretches it seemed like every possession was resulting in a 3-point attempt. Every player looked like they knew they were expected to shoot, and they all have the ability to score from deep. Some much more than others of course.
— DeVries said after practice the offense was ahead of the defense, and that was pretty clear throughout practice. At one point the scholarship players were struggling to get stops against a group of walk-ons and graduate managers. One area that has DeVries’ attention right now — where he wants help defenders to be positioned.
— We’ll see who Indiana starts in Puerto Rico, but for now the starting five appears to be Tucker DeVries, Lamar Wilkerson, Tayton Conerway, Reed Bailey and Conor Enright.
— The team was shorthanded on Wednesday, with Nick Dorn and Jason Drake both unable to practice. And the two international players who were recently added to the team — Aleksa Ristic and Andrej Acimovic — are not yet in the country. So there were only nine scholarship players participating.
All nine looked like guys who, to varying degrees, will be able to contribute at the high major level:
QUICK PLAYER OBSERVATIONS
Obviously it’s just one practice and dangerous to extrapolate too much. But here are some quick thoughts on each player. We’ll have more in depth thoughts during and after the Puerto Rico trip.
— Tucker DeVries: It’s surprising to no one that DeVries is really good. Indiana is probably going to go as far as he can take them. He seems to really be the heartbeat of the team. He’s very vocal but you wouldn’t know his father is the head coach.
— Lamar Wilkerson: He’s lethal when he gets space to get his shot off. His mechanics are pure and everything about his shot looks effortless. Teams are obviously going to focus on running him off the arc but he looks good in the midrange. The DeVries and Wilkerson combination is really going to space the floor. He’s vocal and looks like a good teammate too.
— Tayton Conerway: It’s interesting — everyone’s question about Conerway is whether he can make threes. I don’t remember seeing him miss a three. Again, don’t overreact to just one day, but if you came into this cold you’d think he was a good shooter. Conerway should be a good on ball defender too.
— Reed Bailey: Is he a true five in the Big Ten? Probably not. He’s not as thick as most Big Ten fives. But Bailey can exploit matchups at both the four and the five. It will be interesting to see how Indiana utilizes him, and what frontcourt players join him in rotations. He can be effective facing the basket, and his athleticism popped a few times.
— Jasai Miles: Miles has potential. He has good length, can defend, rebound and make shots. It will be interesting too see more of him in Puerto Rico. Enright’s familiarity with DeVries’ system and standards probably gives him a slight edge right now.
— Sam Alexis: At least within this group of nine, Alexis is the closest thing IU has to a physical big man. And he was agile defending away from the basket too. Alexis has good length and runs the floor. Still need to see more of what he can do offensively at this level.
— Conor Enright: Enright’s intensity on both ends really stood out. He’s a true competitor. He’ll probably be a player the other teams and their fans hate. And he’s probably a better player than most people are anticipating. He flashed on both ends.
— Josh Harris: If you watched Harris’ highlights from last season and came away impressed with his ability to make tough shots in the paint, he did more of that. He also made threes. He looks like an improved and confident player who can be a factor.
— Trent Sisley: Sisley was the only freshman on the floor, but you wouldn’t know it. His year at Montverde has prepared him for the physicality and talent level. And he’s skilled and a good shooter. It would be surprising if he didn’t carve-out a role.
HIGHLIGHTS, VIA INDIANA ATHLETICS
–Seth Tow contributed to this story.
For complete coverage of IU basketball, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- You can follow us on Twitter: @daily_hoosier
- Find us on Facebook and Instagram
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
