3 Likes And Dislikes As Indiana Basketball Begins Big Ten Play

The Hoosiers are off to a 7-0 start, but some questions remain as they enter conference play.

Indiana coach Darian DeVries against Alabama A&M at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For several reasons, it's been difficult to project just how good this Indiana basketball team can be in coach Darian DeVries' first season.

All nine rotational players are new, so there was little familiarity with the group going into the year. On some nights, the Hoosiers make scoring 100 points look easy, like during their neutral site win over Marquette. But just a week later, they only put up 69 points on an Incarnate Word team with the 268th-ranked defense, according to KenPom.

"I'm not really sure if we're ahead of schedule, behind schedule," DeVries said after Saturday's 100-56 win over Bethune-Cookman. "For us, it's just how do we keep getting better. That's all we're really consumed with."

"That's what this groups has done a great job of from a day-to-day approach is, hey, here's what we were good at today, here's what we need work on, and I think they really try to focus in on that type of stuff. The games are going to continue to get harder and harder. When you start league play it gets amped up even more."

The next 10 days have long felt like an important evaluation period for these Hoosiers, beginning with their first Big Ten game Wednesday at Minnesota. That's followed by a neutral site matchup with No. 6 Louisville, a home game against Penn State on Dec. 9 and a trip to No. 18 Kentucky on Dec. 13.

We'll learn a lot about Indiana during this upcoming stretch. And going into it, here are three likes and dislikes based on the Hoosiers' 7-0 start.

Likes

1. High-scoring duo

Tucker DeVries and Lamar Wilkerson are averaging 17.9 and 16.7 points per game, respectively, which ranks ninth and 15th among all Big Ten players this season. DeVries is fourth among qualified Big Ten 3-point shooters at 44.1%, while Wilkerson is eighth at 41.2% from beyond the arc.

Even more impressive, they're doing so on high volume, with DeVries ranking second in the conference in 3-point attempts and Wilkerson sixth. When that duo is connecting at or above their season-long standards, they give the Hoosiers a chance to win just about every night.

Indiana Hoosiers forward Tucker DeVries (12) and Indiana Hoosiers guard Lamar Wilkerson (3) celebrate against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

2. Sharing the ball

Despite having talented scorers in Wilkerson and DeVries, it rarely feels as if Indiana is playing isolation basketball on offense. The Hoosiers have done a good job working the ball around the court, looking for the best shot.

That's led to an offense that ranks sixth nationally with 20.9 assists per game. It's been a group effort, too, with all five starters averaging at least 2.3 assists per game –– led by Tayton Conerway with 5.3.

Indiana's Tayton Conerway (6) passes against Bethune-Cookman at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. | RIch Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3. Defense against top scorers

Indiana has faced two high-major opponents this season –– Marquette and Kansas State –– and both lean on production from their veteran guards. For Marquette, that's senior Chase Ross, who's 20th nationally at 20.9 points per game. In a 100-77 victory over Marquette, the Hoosiers made life difficult for Ross, who had an inefficient 4-for-13 night from the field.

It was a similar outcome for Kansas State guard PJ Haggerty against the Hoosiers' defense. He leads the country with 25.1 points per game, but Indiana held him to a season-low 16 points with a season-low 38.9% field goal percentage. It started with stingy on-ball defense by Conor Enright, but Indiana collectively executed the defensive game plan well.

Through seven games, Indiana ranks 14th nationally in KenPom's defensive efficiency metric. Opponents are shooting just 36.2% from the field against the Hoosiers, good for 10th best from a defensive standpoint.

Kansas State Wildcats guard PJ Haggerty (4) argues a call in front of Indiana Hoosiers guard Conor Enright (5) at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Dislikes

1. Front court depth

Indiana has essentially split minutes at the center position between 6-foot-10 Reed Bailey and 6-foot-9 Sam Alexis, with each averaging just below 20 minutes per game. DeVries is the starting power forward at 6-foot-7, and he leads the team with 31.6 minutes per game. Trent Sisley, a 6-foot-9 freshman, has also earned 20.3 minutes per game off the bench.

Compared to the last few years of Indiana basketball, it's certainly a change in style of play toward more modern basketball. And perhaps that's a good thing. But what will happen when Indiana goes up against the bigger and more physically dominant front courts of Purdue, Michigan and Michigan State during Big Ten play?

Bailey is certainly a skilled offensive player, but he's averaging just 4.1 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game against mostly less-talented and smaller competition. Alexis is the team leader with 6.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game and always seems to bring energy in those areas, but he's only one player. If he or Bailey were to get into foul trouble or suffer an injury, Indiana could be in big trouble.

Indiana also has 6-foot-8 sophomore Josh Harris and 6-foot-10 Andrej Acimovic on the roster, but there's been little to suggest either will contribute any time soon. Harris, a North Florida transfer, has been wearing a boot on his right foot, and the Hoosiers may opt to redshirt Acimovic, a freshman from Bosnia.

There's been a lot to like about Sisley so far, especially on the offensive end, but relying on a 6-foot-8 freshman against taller, veteran centers during Big Ten play could be risky. DeVries has been great, too, but like Bailey, he's more of an offense-first player.

Indiana's Sam Alexis (4) dunks against Lindenwood at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. | RIch Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

2. What if 3-pointers aren't falling?

Indiana is attempting 28 3-pointers per game –– 64th most in the country –– and they're shooting 37.8%, good for 52nd. That means nearly half of their 60.1 field goal attempts per game are coming from beyond the arc.

When shots are falling, it's extremely difficult to slow down Indiana's offense. But with more 3-point attempts comes risk that, on some nights, shooters will go cold due to the lower percentage nature of those attempts. And when that happens, where will Indiana go for scoring?

The Hoosiers have been incredibly efficient from 2-point range, where they shoot 61.3%, a number that will go down over time. The offense is built to be successful by taking and making a lot of 3-pointers, and Indiana isn't going to abandon that –– nor should they, given the roster makeup.

Indiana already has five games with 10-plus 3-pointers made, and the Hoosiers could upset top competition with that formula. But there will also be the occasional dud, like their 5-for-24 night in an eight-point win against Incarnate Word. And in Big Ten play, they may not be so fortunate to come away with victories while shooting that percentage.

Indiana's Reed Bailey (1) shoots against Kansas State at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. | RIch Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3. Hoosiers haven't really been tested

Going into the year, Marquette and Kansas State looked like quality nonconference opponents that would test the Hoosiers before Big Ten play. It hasn't played out that way.

Marquette is 4-4 with other losses to Maryland, Dayton and Oklahoma. The Golden Eagles are No. 168 in the NET Rankings, with all four wins coming against Quad 4 opponents. They're also No. 79 on KenPom and rank outside the top 70 in both offensive and defensive efficiency.

Kansas State fell to 5-3 on Monday with an 82-66 home loss to Bowling Green, part of a three-game losing streak against Nebraska and Indiana. The Wildcats are No. 85 in the NET rankings, though two wins have come against Quad 2 opponents: Cal and Tulsa. It's still very early, but neither Kansas State nor Marquette were included in Joe Lunardi's latest NCAA Tournament Bracketology, which listed Indiana as a No. 6 seed.

As a result, Indiana ranks No. 323 in KenPom's nonconference strength of schedule rating. That will certainly improve after playing Louisville and Kentucky in the next 10 days. But as it stands, the Hoosiers have two wins against Quad 3 opponents and five wins against Quad 4 opponents.

That leaves the Louisville and Kentucky games as Indiana's only two opportunities to pick up wins over likely NCAA Tournament teams during nonconference play, which could hurt the Hoosiers resume come Selection Sunday.

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