Darian DeVries Wowed By Kansas State Offense Heading Into Matchup

Plenty of exciting college basketball matchups are in store throughout Feast Week, and Tuesday's game between No. 25 Indiana and Kansas State should feature some real offensive firepower.

The Hoosiers are off to a 5-0 start in coach Darian DeVries' first season, in large part thanks to an offense that ranks 30th nationally with a 39.5% 3-point percentage and 12th with 20.8 assists per game. That sets up a high-scoring affair with a Kansas State team that's ahead of the Hoosiers in both aforementioned categories.

The Wildcats are coming off a one-point loss to Nebraska, a game in which Kansas State guards PJ Haggerty and Abdi Bashir Jr. combined for 53 points on 50% shooting from the field. That type of play has caught the attention of DeVries going into Tuesday's 8 p.m. ET tipoff at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

DeVries wowed by Wildcats

Nate Johnson Kansas State — Kansas State Wildcats guard Nate Johnson (34) drives past the Cal defense at Bramlage Coliseum. | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Kansas State has been one of the most prolific offenses in the country in its fourth season under coach Jerome Tang. The Wildcats rank 32nd nationally in points per game (92.8), eighth in assists per game (21), ninth in 3-point shooting (43.3%), 23rd in 3-pointers made per game (11.3) and 21st in overall field goal percentage (52.1).

Point guard PJ Haggerty paces the Wildcats with 28 points per game, but he's far from the only player for opposing defenses to worry about. Junior guard Abdi Bashir Jr. ranks sixth nationally with 24 3-pointers made on 48 attempts –– good for 50%. He's one of three Wildcats, along with Nate Johnson and David Castillo, to be shooting above 50% from 3-point range while attempting at least four per game.

Those four guards lead the team in scoring, while forward Khamari McGriff gives the Wildcats a fifth player averaging over 10 points per game. McGriff is a 6-foot-9 senior who's shooting an incredible 82.9% from the field on 5.8 attempts per game.

Altogether, it's an offense that has impressed DeVries.

"Yeah, wow. That's what I say about the way they're playing offense right now," DeVries said Monday. "They are getting out, and they're getting out fast, and they're in transition, and they put a lot of pressure on your defense to get organized and get put together in a hurry. They have a lot of guys that can shoot it."

"I know going into the other night –– I don't know if it's still true, I didn't look at the updated stats –– but they were the number one 3-point shooting team in the country, and they're playing like it. They're shooting with that type of confidence. It will be a great test for us in not only transition but our half-court defense to do a good job there."

PJ Haggerty leads the way

The Hoosiers will have their hands full trying to contain Kansas State point guard PJ Haggerty, the nation's leading scorer at 28 points per game. He's done so in an efficient manner, too, shooting 40.9% from 3-point range, 60.3% from inside the arc and 83.9% from the free throw line.

PJ Haggerty Kansas State Basketball — Kansas State Wildcats guard PJ Haggerty (4) goes up for a layup against Mississippi State at T-Mobile Center. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Haggerty went into the season as an All-American candidate after transferring in from Memphis, and he's lived up to the billing so far.

"He's been off to an incredible start, playing at a high, high level," DeVries said. "He creates a lot for others too. It's not just him scoring. He comes off, he finds those shooters. He does a really good job of getting fouled in the paint. He gets in there and gets to the free-throw line a lot, and then he's got good size. So he's got good body control, so he gets in there and can finish over you as well."

"There's a lot of reasons why he's off to the start that he is. He's a really good player, talented player. Again, like everything, it's going to take a collective effort to do a good job on him, but also not focus so much attention on him that now you're allowing those guys the catch and shoot set they're looking for too."

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