As the start of the college basketball season approaches, we’ve transitioned from our look at other Big Ten programs to our player-by-player previews of the 2025-26 IU basketball roster.
Today our player profiles continue with senior Reed Bailey.
Earlier: Andrej Acimovic, Trent Sisley, Aleksa Ristic, Josh Harris, Jasai Miles, Nick Dorn, Jason Drake, Lamar Wilkerson, Conor Enright, Tayton Conerway
A top 200 recruit in Brewster Academy’s class of 2022, Reed Bailey showed steady development during a three-year career at Davidson College.
A native of Harvard, Massachusetts, Bailey was on the major radar as a recruit, with offers from Boston College, Kansas State, Iowa, Maryland, Xavier and Virginia Tech, among others.
But Bailey smartly chose to play in the Atlantic 10 and immediately got minutes in the Wildcat frontcourt as a freshman.
In his first season at Davidson, the 2022-2023 season, Bailey started all 32 games at Davidson and averaged 5.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per game. He scored in double figures five times, including 20 points in an early-season win against San Francisco.
In his second season, Bailey was one of the best players in the Atlantic 10. In 32 starts, his production increased to 12.7 points and 5.8 rebounds in 28.3 minutes per game. He scored 21 games in double figures and three double-doubles as his work on the glass improved.
Last season as a junior, Bailey was one of the best mid-range players in the country. Bailey, an All-Atlantic 10 first team selection, averaged 18.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 33.3 minutes. He was one of only two players nationally 6-foot-10 or taller to compile 600 points, 200 rebounds and 100 assists last season.
Passing and perimeter shooting were notable developments for Bailey in his third college season and made him even more attractive once he entered the transfer portal.
His assist percentage – 27.3 percent in conference games – ranked sixth in the Atlantic 10. And his three-point shooting – 41.5 percent on 41 attempts – showed he can be a real perimeter threat.
Bailey was also one of the nation’s best at drawing fouls last season. According to KenPom.com, he ranked 33rd nationally, with an average of 6.5 fouls committed per 40 minutes. His free throw percentage, defined as FTA/FGA, was 47.7 percent in Atlantic 10 games, eighth-best in the league.
Not long after entering the portal last spring, Bailey left for Indiana in early April before even visiting campus.
As he approaches his final season at Bloomington, there is no shortage of intrigue with Bailey. His ability to put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket is unique for a player his size. He can finish plays with either hand at the rim and is a great passer who can facilitate the offense. His three-point volume could increase as he becomes more comfortable with that aspect of his game.
The concern is of course his rim protection. Indiana will likely start Bailey at the five and shot blocking is not a strength of his game. The Hoosiers do have Sam Alexis, a more capable interior defender, but opponents will try to attack Bailey in the paint. The IU staff will have to keep him from being on an island defensively in the paint. Last season, Davidson opponents shot better than 60 percent at the rim with Bailey on the floor.
In short: Bailey has ball-handling ability like a guard and will be one of the better passing big men in the Big Ten this season. He will be able to clear defenders from the basket and also start the break for the Hoosiers, as Darian DeVries has already said he is comfortable with. While there are questions about his ability to guard in the paint, big opponents will also have to deal with his versatility and mobility.
Quotable“I just love Reed’s feel and IQ to make plays, he can shoot. He has a great understanding of the game, the screening, all those things. I’m really impressed with Reed. Our challenge as a coaching staff is, I think Reed is really unique because he’s incredibly fast and handles like a 6-1 guard. He can bring it up in the open floor, he can make plays, so he’s someone we’re going to have to be a little bit creative about. how to make the most of some of his skills and talents, because I think he can cause problems, especially in attack.” – DeVries to Inside the Hall at the end of June.
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
See more: Commentary, 2025-26 Season Preview, Reed Bailey
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