A look at Darian DeVries’ coaching journey reveals one constant: his teams shoot the ball – and shoot it well. The scouting report on Drake and West Virginia, where he previously coached, often warned that his squads, given space, could blast opponents out of the gym.
Friday evening at the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, his team from Indiana met and exceeded these expectations during the exhibition opening.
Six different Hoosiers connected from deep and the team finished as a unit 15 of 30 from deep. Forty-five of Indiana’s 107 points came in the 107-46 win against NAIA Marian.
“We have a lot of guys who can shoot,” Darian DeVries said after the game. “I thought we had a great distribution of 3s as well.”
Tucker DeVries hit a triple in the left corner to open the scoring, but Indiana was quiet for a few minutes.
After missing five straight, IU turned the exhibition into a shooting clinic. The Hoosiers finished the first half with twelve of their last fifteen three-point attempts.
With a new roster built primarily around making 3s, Indiana’s 15 brands are a stark contrast from seasons past.
Last year, Indiana made 10 or more triples twice, but never more than 12 in a game. Attempting 30 three-pointers may seem excessive to some, but for a team that installed a perimeter-oriented offense all summer, it was to be expected. Friday night’s performance was simply a reflection of the offseason work.
“We work a lot in practice to hit a lot of threes, but I think we’re hitting good threes,” freshman Trent Sisley said. “That just comes from paint touches, coach’s offense, a lot of movement, things like that.”
Sisley was instrumental in Indiana’s outside blowout.
Similar to his first game during Indiana’s summer trip to Puerto Rico, Sisley thrived in his Assembly Hall debut. The four-star recruit finished with 23 points in his 22 minutes of playing action.
Known as a scorer at all three levels, Sisley converted on all four of his three-point attempts while shooting 4-for-6 from beyond the arc.
“I love what Trent is doing. He’s really fitting in,” DeVries said. “He works hard on it. He puts a lot of time into it. This summer he spent a lot of time on his photo.”
Another calling card of a Darian DeVries-led offense is the wealth of ball movement.
Indiana’s 27 assists on 39 made field goals on Friday night reassured the head coach. However, it is far from the best Darian DeVries has ever seen when it comes to his team’s ball movement.
He shared during his pregame availability on Thursday that the team posted a remarkable 31-to-3 assists/turnover ratio during a recent practice. He called it the best he has ever seen.
“These guys really understand how to play. We talk about playing from two feet, making sure you can still be aggressive,” Darian DeVries said. “I like how these guys have really adapted to the way we want them to play offensively.”
It has become a pastime for college basketball fans to overreact to preseason results. After all, Marian is by far the least formidable opponent IU will face this season.
That said, Indiana’s three-point barrage provides a glimpse of what the offense will look like when it is at its best.
The preseason finale against Baylor in Indianapolis next Sunday won’t be as lopsided as Friday’s blowout. Still, it will provide a clearer picture of where Indiana stands against a power conference opponent.
However, the attacking approach will not change. The Hoosiers will continue to share the ball in transition and hunt for quality looks from beyond the arc.
It’s the blueprint that has defined DeVries’ career — and the one that will likely define Indiana’s success.
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
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