Indiana Basketball Eyes Litmus Test vs Baylor in Exhibition Finale

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana men's basketball has already played — and won — four games against other teams entering its final exhibition game against Baylor at 1 p.m. Sunday inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

But the Hoosiers haven't faced an opponent quite like Baylor, which serves as a formidable preseason litmus test.

"I think it's our first opportunity to play against somebody that is a little bit higher in the rankings, has a little bit more skill on their team," Indiana senior guard Tayton Conerway said. "So, I mean, we're going to try to be competitive."

Indiana and Baylor enter this season in similar positions — they're two of the seven high-major programs without a returning scholarship player from the 2024-25 campaign.

But the Bears have a reputation that precedes themselves. Baylor has made 10 of the last 11 NCAA Tournaments and 13 overall under coach Scott Drew, who's entering his 23rd year at the helm of the program.

The Bears went 20-15 last season, earning a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament and topping No. 8 seed Mississippi State in the first round before losing to No. 1 Duke in the Round of 32.

Baylor faced first-year Indiana coach Darian DeVries during Big 12 play last season, when DeVries led West Virginia. The Bears took a 74-71 victory in overtime. History aside, DeVries feels the experience of playing against a respected program in an NBA arena will benefit his team entering the regular season.

"What I love about it is you get to get in front of fans, which is great," DeVries said Oct. 9 at Big Ten Media Day. "Play another high-level opponent. They're always really good. We thought it would be a great game for both of us. I think we both appreciate what this game does for us from a non-conference or exhibition game standpoint."

DeVries added the Sunday afternoon meeting will serve as a strong indicator of the new-look Hoosiers' readiness.

"Give us a real barometer of, 'Where are we at?'" DeVries said. "Really gives us a real clear picture of some things we need to clean up before we get into wins and losses."

Indiana went 3-0 in exhibition games during a mid-August trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Hoosiers topped Puerto Rico college team Universidad de Bayamon 98-47 on Aug. 6 and twice beat Serbian professional team Mega Superbet, first winning 93-71 on Aug. 9 and then 81-80 on Aug. 11.

Marian University, an NAIA team in Indianapolis, entered Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for an exhibition game Oct. 17, and the Hoosiers cruised to a 107-46 victory while shooting 15-for-30 from beyond the arc.

Indiana's exhibition slate mattered primarily for chemistry-building purposes — the team's roster and coaching staff are both entirely new — but as the regular season nears, the Hoosiers are eager to see the fruits of their labor Sunday in Indianapolis.

And don't lose sight of this: While the result doesn't count to Indiana's record, the Hoosiers care.

"We're attacking this just like a normal game, Big Ten Championship, man," Conerway said. "We want to go in there, we want to play hard, we want to win and we ain't going to stop until that buzzer goes off."

Part of the value of Indiana's exhibition Sunday is as simple as playing at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Hoosiers will be back in Indianapolis to face Louisville on Dec. 6, carrying forth a cross-border rivalry that Indiana currently leads, 12-9.

DeVries said it's beneficial for the Hoosiers to gain comfort with the arena, be it the lighting, court or locker room.

"Certainly an added benefit to get the opportunity to play in the gym, get a little bit of a feel for the surroundings, walk in the locker room, all that stuff," DeVries said. "Just to be as comfortable as possible before the regular-season game."

Indiana begins the regular season at 8 p.m. Nov. 5, when it hosts Alabama A&M at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington. It'll mark the first official act of DeVries' time in Bloomington.

But first, the Hoosiers have business to handle — and lessons to learn — Sunday afternoon against Baylor.