If Darian DeVries aimed for a strong first impression as Indiana’s head men’s basketball coach, he can check that off his list.
In his first game at IU, DeVries’ team displayed a level of dominance on Wednesday rarely seen by the program in recent years. It cruised to a 98-51 win over Alabama A&M in the season-opener at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, and gave DeVries the largest margin of victory for any IU coach in their first game with the program.
The Hoosiers wasted no time this year showing what they’re about — and showing how different they are from their preceding teams.
“I thought tonight was pretty special. To be a regular season game certainly has a different feel and different vibe, and I was a little worried tonight our guys were going to be too excited because they were so ready, so pumped to be out there tonight,” DeVries said after the game. “It was a fun night, a special night, and hopefully it’s the first of many.”
Indiana (1-0) won this game by 47 points. During Mike Woodson’s four years as head coach, the Hoosiers reached that margin of victory only once — a 52-point drubbing of Bethune-Cookman in November 2022.
IU shot 10 for 24 from 3-point range on Wednesday. The Hoosiers hit double-digit 3-pointers just three times in the last two seasons.
DeVries’ group defended with a lot of energy, a staple of his team. Indiana also moved the ball around well, the same way it did during preseason. The Hoosiers finished with 23 assists on 36 made field goals, with 11 turnovers. Tayton Conerway led the way with five assists, and all eight scholarship players who entered the game recorded at least one.
That ball movement, as well as the team’s offensive spacing and awareness, is a good look at what DeVries sees his team doing behind closed doors, and what he wants his team to look like on a nightly basis.
“That’s what they’ve been every day in practice. I was really excited to see it carry over on the game floor,” DeVries said. “We’ve got a group that has a really good IQ and feel, and for a group that hasn’t been together very long, they really play well off of each other and have a great understanding of some of the concepts that we’re trying to do. But they’re just out there playing. I think that’s allowed them to play fast and really trust their instincts.”
It’s only one game, and Alabama A&M (1-1) is far below the level IU will see in the Big Ten — the Bulldogs are ranked No. 330 in KenPom and No. 302 in Torvik after this game. Indiana will have much harder tests ahead, starting Sunday against Marquette in Chicago.
But the Hoosiers can only play the team in front of them, and they handled their business in the season-opener. They knew how important it was to start the year strong for their coach.
“It’s awesome. We’re all new here, and we just wanted to come out and be able to show what we can do,” Bailey said. “For coach DeVries, it feels good to get him that first one, because I feel like it’s only just a start for him and what he’s going to do here.”
Many recent IU seasons got off to rocky starts, either with concerning performances in wins or with surprising losses. Just look at the last two debut games for Hoosier coaches: Woodson’s 2021-22 team had to squeak out a two-point win over Eastern Michigan, and Archie Miller’s 2017-18 group lost to Indiana State by 21 points.
Those aren’t the highest bars to set, but DeVries’ team soared far and beyond them on Wednesday. IU got highlight-reel dunks from Bailey and Jasai Miles, Tucker DeVries scored his 2,000th career point and recorded a double-double, and he and Lamar Wilkerson each drained four 3-pointers. And, most importantly, this game was never in doubt for Indiana.
Darian DeVries has a long way to go this season, and for his entire tenure in Bloomington. But Wednesday was a good start.
“I thought our guys had great preparation heading into this all summer and fall, now we’ve got to go play games,” DeVries said. “We certainly understand that Sunday is going to be different than today, so we’ve got plenty to work on, plenty to continue to improve. But I like this group in that regard. They’re all eager to get better. They just want to win. That’s what makes this group fun to coach.”
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