IU basketball has completed the non-conference portion of the schedule and the Hoosiers are 10-3.
Ahead of the restart of Big Ten play against Washington on Jan. 4, we’re taking a player-by-player look at the performance of each rotation player on the roster so far this season.
Next: Sam Alexis
Earlier: Tayton Conerway, Lamar Wilkerson, Tucker DeVries, Reed Bailey, Nick Dorn
Numbers for Alexis through 13 games
Alexis was a national champion in Florida last season and moved to Indiana last spring for his final season of eligibility.
The 6-foot-1 big man has started four of Indiana’s 13 games and is the team’s second-best rebounder at 5.3 per game.
Alexis is averaging 8.2 points in 20 minutes per game while shooting 69.6 percent from the field. The Apopka, Florida, native is 38-for-53 on 2s (71.7 percent) and 1-for-3 on 3-pointers. He hits 27-of-33 on free throws, good for 81.8 percent. He also has a team-high 26 offensive rebounds.
What went well for Alexis
The only frontcourt player on the IU roster with a reliable back-to-the-basket game, Alexis has proven to be a capable post scorer during the non-conference portion of the schedule.
He is a solid lob threat for IU’s guards and is comfortable catching the ball in the post and making moves to the basket. His instincts in the paint are very good, and he hasn’t tried to force the issue at the rim, resulting in a very high field goal percentage.
On the glass, he is the team’s best rebounder and has an offensive rebound percentage of 12.9, which ranks just outside the top 100 nationally. While IU doesn’t emphasize crashing the offensive glass, Alexis has been a strong offensive rebounder throughout his four-year career, which started at Chattanooga.
Alexis has also improved his free throw shooting dramatically this season. Before this season, he was 82-for-159 (51.5) for his career from the line.
He is also IU’s leading shot blocker, with a 5.5 block percentage per KenPom.com, and has 14 blocked shots in the first 13 games.
Areas of concern for Alexis
Alexis has been in a rut offensively lately after a very strong start to the season. He scored in double figures in five of IU’s first eight games, but hasn’t scored more than eight points in the last five games.
Indiana will have to carefully manage Alexis’ minutes once the meat of the Big Ten schedule begins. Alexis is best suited to play 20 to 24 minutes per game, which can be difficult against conference opponents with imposing front lines.
He has only logged 30 minutes in one match and is also prone to mistakes at times, averaging 4.1 fouls per 40 minutes, according to KenPom.com.
Outlook for the remainder of the 2025-2026 season
Alexis brings a veteran frontcourt presence to an IU roster lacking depth in the paint. He also seems to be a great guy in the locker room, always having a smile on his face off the field.
As Indiana’s best and most experienced rebounder, the Hoosiers need him to put some big performances on the board to win consistently in Big Ten play.
He’s also a capable post scorer who should be able to reliably put up seven to 10 points per game in most games without lobs, the occasional post-up, free throws or putbacks.
Shot chart for Alexis through 13 games
Shot Chart via our friends at UMHoops.com
See more: Commentary, Sam Alexis
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