Inside IU basketball with Darian DeVries returned Monday night from Hoosier Hank’s in Bloomington.
The first-year IU coach sat down with the voice of the Hoosiers, Don Fischer, Wednesday night ahead of Indiana’s Big Ten opener against Minnesota at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.
Tayton Conerway was the player guest this week.
Here’s a summary of what DeVries had to say Monday night:
• DeVries commented on IU’s defensive performance after the win over Kansas State. “It was a team we were really worried about. We knew it was going to be a big challenge to slow them down offensively.”
• DeVries joked that Fischer ruined the team’s success in limiting turnovers. He called the team’s 17 goals against Kansas State “disappointing.” He said he thought his boys were anxious at times and went too fast at times.
• DeVries complimented IU’s ability to overcome the high turnover figure by “doing other things well to offset it.”
• DeVries on his biggest takeaway from the win over Kansas State: “The most important thing they did was play as hard as they could.” He said IU’s efforts make up for the underachievement.
• DeVries said he doesn’t worry about the workload during games and instead handles the rest by being careful during practice.
• DeVries on allowing players to attempt deep 3-pointers: “We give our guys a lot of freedom on offense. We want them to play with confidence. We want other teams to know that we’re not afraid to shoot at them either.”
• DeVries said he was concerned that the Bethune-Cookman game would give Bethune-Cookman a big win against Kansas State. He praised his team’s ability to stay locked in and set the tone defensively.
• DeVries discussed how basketball has evolved in terms of three-point shooting. He mentioned his emphasis on spacing the floor and praised his team’s ability to play unselfishly, highlighting the team’s 27 assists against Bethune-Cookman.
• DeVries said that while it is possible to be too unselfish, he liked IU’s roster so far this season.
• DeVries: “I feel really good about the depth on our team. I like the way the guys approach it from top to bottom. They all come every day, they give their best, have a great attitude and are always ready when their number is called.”
• DeVries on Nick Dorn: “He’s going to be a guy who can come in and do exactly what you saw last night. He can be that guy who comes in, gets you three, four, five threes in a game and can single-handedly completely turn a game around.”
• DeVries discussed the development of Aleksa Ristic. He said Ristic is getting closer to playing and will give IU depth later in the season. DeVries praised the Serbian’s quick learning ability and versatility.
• DeVries said the team watches 15 to 30 minutes of film on opponents every day.
• DeVries talked about Conor Enright’s mentality. “He wants to guard, he wants to go out there and compete. That’s what makes him so fun to coach and so fun to watch.”
• DeVries mentioned Conerway’s playmaking. “I thought he had a really, really good floor game last night and generated a lot of chances for our guys.”
• DeVries said he has a good relationship with Minnesota head coach Niko Medved. He noted that the Golden Gophers are beginning to figure out their identities.
• DeVries said Minnesota plays a similar half-court offense to IU. “Five out, really give you space, try to play more with cutting and backdoors and things like that… They make you have to be very disciplined as a defense.”
• DeVries said the Thanksgiving meal he hosted with players and staff went well despite his Detroit Lions’ loss. He claimed that his players had a lot of fun watching the match at his expense.
• DeVries talked about Louisville’s aggression and ability to play in the open floor. He said he played in the Bahamas against the Cardinals last season while coaching West Virginia. He jokingly said he expects a lot of Hoosier fans in Indianapolis, referring to IU football’s game in the Big Ten championship later that day.
• Conerway said he wanted to play football as a kid but fell in love with basketball during his three years in high school.
• Conerway recalled meeting Lamar Wilkerson during offseason workouts in Dallas. He said Wilkerson was the first teammate he met.
• Conerway attributed IU’s selflessness to trust. “You make that extra pass because you believe they’re going to make the shot the way you would. Give up a great one for a better one.”
• Conerway said Enright gives him tips on defense every day. He said it’s difficult in practice when they match up.
• More about Enright: “I haven’t played with as many people as Conor. He does everything and can do anything. He accepts any challenge you throw at him.”
• Conerway on Trent Sisley: “He’s a problem now, but man, in a few years not many people are going to be able to mess with him.”
• Conerway said growing up in Texas, he was surprised by the basketball culture in Bloomington.
• Conerway said it’s “pretty special” to see the success of IU football. He referenced the upcoming Big Ten Championship, adding that “they’re going to get the job done.”
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