Talking season is generally reserved for the local and league-wide media days that captivate college sports. As it’s college basketball’s turn, a comment made on an Instagram Live video questioned the availability of Indiana basketball senior Tucker DeVries at his former school.
Sencire Harris, a teammate of DeVries’ last season at West Virginia, was asked if DeVries was injured.
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“No, he was not hurt,” Harris replied before the conversation moved on.
DeVries was ruled out for the season Feb. 4, nearly two months after his last game played for the Mountaineers, due to an upper-body surgery later revealed to repair his shoulder.
“Since early December, we have consulted with our team doctors and numerous medical professionals to evaluate and treat Tucker’s injury,” coach Darian DeVries, Tucker’s father, said then. “Tucker did everything he could to get back on the court this season, but unfortunately it has been determined by all parties involved that surgery is necessary. He will be out of action for approximately three months. “We will apply for a medical redshirt and certainly look forward for Tucker to come back healthy for his final year. As I’ve said before, we have a great bunch of guys in the locker room who have rallied around him during his absence. I have complete confidence in our team that they will continue to do so.”
Darian and Tucker DeVries did not have comment, an IU spokesperson said. IndyStar attempted to reach Harris through a Cincinnati basketball spokesperson Friday afternoon but a message was not immediately returned.
West Virginia got off to a 6-2 start with Tucker DeVries, including overtime wins over Gonzaga and Arizona with losses to Louisville (in overtime) and Pittsburgh. DeVries averaged 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks in 34.5 minutes per game while converting 47.3% of 3-point attempts.
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The Mountaineers, like the Hoosiers, were left out of the NCAA tournament with their bubbles burst March 16. It even led to West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey to support his state university by saying, “This was a miscarriage of justice and robbery at the highest levels,” while standing in front of a NCAA sign that read, “National Corrupt Athletic Association.”
Two days later, Darian DeVries was named IU basketball coach after one season at West Virginia.
Myth busters: How the Indiana basketball coaching search was kept quiet, landed on Darian DeVries
Tucker DeVries injury history
Tucker, of course, announced April 2 he was transferring to IU. The fact he played in fewer than one-third of WVU’s games last season meant he was eligible for, and granted, a medical redshirt to play one more season.
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The injury suffered Dec. 6 led him to not be fully cleared until June. The Hoosiers began summer workouts June 2 and days prior Darian DeVries said at an event at Huber’s Orchard he expected his son to be ready for those workouts.
DeVries was limited to modified workouts until that point, able to do some shooting and other drills. He said in August that it was good to have a healthy offseason after missing the previous two due to injuries. He played through a shoulder injury, leading Drake to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2024, that also required surgery.
The 6-foot-7 forward then showcased his skills for the first time in IU cream and crimson during the trip to Puerto Rico.
Who is Sencire Harris? Cincinnati Bearcats transfer stats at Illinois, West Virginia
Harris is a 6-4, 180-pound junior guard for the Cincinnati Bearcats. A native of Canton, Ohio, he played at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, where LeBron James played, where he won back-to-back state championships.
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He committed to Illinois for his first college season as the No. 113 national player in the 247Sports composite rankings. He started seven of 33 games and averaged 3.7 points and 2.1 rebounds per game during the 2022-23 season before redshirting in 2023-24.
Harris followed his lead recruiter, Chester Frazier, to West Virginia when Frazier joined Darian DeVries staff prior to the 2024-25 season. Harris started all 32 games, averaging 5.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game, and was an All-Big 12 defensive team pick.
Tucker DeVries stats at Drake, West Virginia
Tucker DeVries has already had a decorated career. He was twice named Missouri Valley Conference player of the year after being a second-team and rookie of the year pick as a freshman in 2022-23. He started 97 of 104 games played at Drake and averaged 18 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He shot 43.7% from the field, 35.9% on 3-pointers and 81.2% on free throws.
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In eight games at West Virginia, he averaged 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks in 34.5 minutes per game while converting 47.3% of 3-point attempts.
Darian DeVries coaching history, Creighton, Drake, West Virginia, Indiana
Darian DeVries was an assistant coach at Creighton from 2001 to 2018, serving under Dana Altman — now Oregon’s coach — and Greg McDermott. DeVries’ first head coaching job was at Drake, where his teams were 150-55 (.732) and 79-33 (.705) in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Bulldogs won a share of the MVC regular-season title in 2019, prior to Tucker’s arrival, finished second in his last four seasons there and twice won the tournament in 2023 and 2024.
DeVries led the Mountaineers to a 10-win improvement, going 19-13, 10-10 in Big 12 play.
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His career record is 169-68 (.713).
IndyStar IU insider Zach Osterman contributed to this report.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Was Tucker DeVries hurt at West Virginia? Injury history, Sencire Harris
