BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — We’re seven games in to the Darian DeVries era at Indiana, but the pattern is already set. This team likes to shoot three-pointers. Even better, they like making them — and this is such a refreshing change.
No. 25-ranked Indiana crushed Bethune-Cookman on Saturday, winning 100-56 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall to go to 7-0 on the season. They made 12 threes, and it was the fifth time in seven games that they’ve hit double-digits from deep.
Advertisement
You have to go back 91 games in the Mike Woodson era to find the fifth double-digit outing, way back in November of 2022. Seven sounds far better than 91.
Tucker DeVries led the way Saturday, making 5-of-10 threes and scoring 20 points. Four other Hoosiers were in double figures, with Lamar Wilkerson scoring 18 and Trent Sisley, Sam Alexis and Nick Dorn all had 14 off the bench.
It was such a clean game that Indiana had 27 assists and just seven turnovers.
“I felt the guys did a great job today just playing within the offense and really moving it and sharing it and getting into actions,” coach Darian DeVries said. “They’ve been doing a great job of that all year. We got up there in the turnovers in the Kansas State game, but outside of that game, we’ve really taken care of the ball.
Advertisement
“Again, I think the guys are just unselfish. They really have a good understanding of what we’re trying to do on offense, and they really move it and share it.”
This outcome was never in doubt and the Wildcats, a Southwestern Athletic Conference school from Daytona Beach, Fla. were down double-digits within the first five minutes. Indiana came out blazing, despite the early Noon ET start.
Indiana scored 51 first-half points and led 51-23 at the break. Bethune shot just 25.7 percent in the first half, and made only one three-pointer. Indiana made seven, and 11-of-12 free throws in the first.
Indiana has been going nine deep in its rotation all year, and their bench play has been excellent. We saw more of that on Saturday, with Sisley and Alexis continuing their solid play and Dorn, who’s been slowly working back from foot surgery, had his best game as a Hoosier. He had 14 points vs. Bethune, and had just 15 total in his first four games.
Advertisement
He gives the Hoosiers a big boost.
“I think our training staff has had a really good plan, and Nick has been great about it, too,” DeVries said. “He understands that this is a process as he’s making his way back, and he’s been terrific about that, too.
“Sometimes you can get a little anxious, and I think Nick has done a really good job of understanding, I’ve got to build myself back up. When you’ve been out that long, you don’t want to put yourself back at risk. He’s getting more and more comfortable. You can obviously see it today why we’re so excited to have him back, because he does bring a lot of firepower for us right now coming off the bench.”
Saturday was a nice marker in the schedule, but it gets grueling now. Their next four include two December Big Ten games — at Minnesota on Wednesday, home against Penn State on Tuesday, Dec. 9 — and high-profile games against No. 6 Louisville in Indianapolis next Saturday and at No. 19 Kentucky on Dec. 13.
Advertisement
DeVries said these first seven games — plus the exhibition win against Baylor — have all been good learning tools for his roster, which includes 13 new players. It’s prepared them well for what lies ahead.
“Yeah, I think so. I think we’ve had a good balance there,” DeVries said. “Even the Baylor exhibition game I thought was really good for us, too. We’ve been able to work on a lot of things, see a lot of different things, different types of defenses, different types of offenses, and that will continue to be the case as we move forward, too.
“This group just continues to learn, and it will be that way throughout the whole rest of the year, where every game is a new game, and it never goes away. You plan it perfectly. I think these guys have done a great job of being able to adjust as things get thrown at them in a short period of time, especially when you’ve got as many new guys as we have right now.”
HERE’S WHAT DARIAN DeVRIES SAID: Here is the complete transcript and video of Indiana coach Darian DeVries’ postgame press conference after the Hoosiers’ 100-56 win over Bethune-Cookman. Reserve Nick Dorn, who had a season-high 14 points, joined DeVries on the podium. CLICK HERE
INDIANA 2025-26 SCHEDULE, RESULTS: Here is the complete 2025-26 Indiana men’s basketball schedule, with dates, locations, game times, and TV information, with results in real time. CLICK HERE
