Multiple staff members from The Daily Hoosier attended another open practice on Tuesday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
We’ve already provided you an extensive report on Indiana’s first open practice in late July, so we won’t repeat the same points from that afternoon. Most of the themes carried over — it was another high energy, competitive day in Bloomington.
We’ve also already shared extensive in-person coverage of Indiana’s summer trip to Puerto Rico , so by now you should have a very good feel for the players and the team. If not we strongly encourage you to go back and read that in-depth reporting.
And we’ve reported on the health of the team as of Tuesday as the Hoosiers are now just five weeks from the start of the 2025-26 season. IU only had eight of their 13 scholarship players fully available at the open practice.
So what was new on Tuesday?
Well, there was a new player we saw for the first time — Bosnian center Andrej Acimovic.
Although some reports have listed him at 6-foot-11, on the floor Acimovic appears to be roughly the same size as Sam Alexis and Reed Bailey, so it isn’t like the Hoosiers suddenly gained something they didn’t have size-wise. He’s listed at 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds by IU, and that seems directionally right, if perhaps slightly inflated like most players on college rosters.
Most of the 19-year-old Acimovic’s reps came with the second team. He definitely gives IU another big body to enhance practice, and allows the staff to work more on lineups that include Alexis and Bailey together, something they dabbled with in Puerto Rico before Acimovic arrived.
Acimovic acknowledged after practice he’s still adjusting to the physicality and pace of high major college basketball, and that seems like a fair self-assessment. He’s definitely a more skilled than athletic big man, with a soft touch both in the paint and out to the 3-point arc. And he’s a good passer too.
But only on the floor with the team for roughly 5-6 weeks, you can see he’s still learning. Acimovic will likely have to significantly increase his aggressiveness and motor before the staff gives him minutes in key moments. That will likely come as he gets more comfortable with Indiana’s scheme on both ends of the floor and plays more instinctively.
Alexis gave his scouting report of Acimovic.
“He’s a young guy, he’s learning what the system is because he came a little later. He’s got a good touch, he can shoot a little bit and pass,” Alexis said. “To me he plays like (Nikola) Jokic.”
Acimovic says he watches a lot of Jokic film and says the NBA superstar from neighboring Serbia is an inspiration to him.
Obviously no one is saying Acimovic is going to have a Jokic-like impact at IU this season, but you can see a path for him to be an effective high major player at some point down the road.
Here are a few other thoughts that are front of mind from Tuesday’s practice:
- Lamar Wilkerson will literally pull the trigger from anywhere within 25 (30?) feet if he senses even a hint of space. Fans are going to love his fearless mindset and the many ways IU works to get him open. Wilkerson has the complete confidence to let it fly from anywhere and skill to back it up like we haven’t seen since James Blackmon, Jr.
- Tayton Conerway is an alpha competitor. He is going to be someone fans enjoy watching as he attempts to lock down opposing point guards on defense, and battles to get paint touches on offense.
- Conor Enright and Tucker DeVries were both coming off long injury rehabs in late July and in Puerto Rico. They both looked more physically comfortable on the court Tuesday, and that brought out more of their skill and competitiveness. Everyone knows DeVries will be a star on this team, but Enright is going to have a significant role too.
- Freshman Trent Sisley’s motor pops every time you see him. You can not even be focusing on him and he appears in your peripheral vision sprinting the court, chasing down offensive rebounds, etc. He’s got the skill to play now, but he’s going to ensure his spot in the rotation with effort.
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