Now Healthy, Tucker DeVries Back at His 'Peak' for Indiana Basketball

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — As the ball left Indiana men's basketball forward Tucker DeVries' right hand, an observant Lamar Wilkerson shouted his thoughts from behind the play.

"That's it right there," Wilkerson said. "That's the one."

DeVries proved Wilkerson right, burying a 3-pointer from the top of the key during Indiana's open-to-media practice Tuesday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

"Hell yeah, 12," Wilkerson said, alluding to DeVries' jersey number.

Wilkerson is one of the nation's best shooters. He shot 44.5% from distance last season at Sam Houston State, and Indiana coach Darian DeVries, Tucker's father, said Wilkerson is among the best shooters he's ever coached.

But to Wilkerson, Tucker DeVries is perhaps the biggest challenge to his spot as the Hoosiers' top marksman. Though he played only eight games year at West Virginia due to a season-ending shoulder injury, DeVries made 47.3% of his triples while taking 6.9 attempts per game.

DeVries, a sixth-year senior, enters his one and only season in Bloomington with momentum from the first healthy offseason he's had in three years. He's been able to lift weights and stay conditioned, resulting in more comfort and confidence in his body being able to stay healthy for the season.

"It's been great," DeVries told Indiana Hoosiers On SI on Tuesday. "I think the last two have been coming back mid-October, so having, like, three weeks to ramp up and get ready. But this one, being able to work my way back in the summer and then being able to play in Puerto Rico and all fall has been great."

DeVries struggled finding his shot during the Hoosiers' three August exhibition games in Puerto Rico, but he had no issue stuffing the stat sheet. The 6-foot-8, 225-pound DeVries averaged 10.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and four assists per game, though he made only 28.6% of his field goals and 22.2% of his 3-pointers.

Indiana collectively struggled shooting in Puerto Rico, but Darian DeVries noted the nature of the trip — a bonding-based experience with untraditional game-day routines — is unfavorable to shooting performances.

The Hoosiers returned from their week-long trip to Puerto Rico with a two-week break before the start of the school year.

Tucker DeVries battled inconsistency upon the resumption of practice, but as he grows healthier and more comfortable in his daily rhythm, he's started feeling more like himself.

"In the fall, coming back, it's really wavy," DeVries said. "It is every time. You feel great one day, and then you feel like you play awful and you don't even belong out on the court one day. But I'd say the last few weeks, it's been really good."

DeVries projects as one of Indiana's best scorers. Across four years — three at Drake and one at West Virginia — and 112 appearances, DeVries is averaging 17.7 points per game. He's a career 36.7% 3-point shooter, and he impacts the game in various ways — he's averaging 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

Now healthy, DeVries has shown teammates his multi-faceted playmaking skills in practice. It's nothing new to senior guard Conor Enright, who served double duty as DeVries' teammate and roommate at Drake.

After spending last season apart, Enright and DeVries are reunited in Bloomington — and Enright has enjoyed seeing DeVries return to the heights he reached before injuries hampered his progress.

"You can see it in his confidence, like he doesn't have a shoulder bug in him or anything," Enright
told Indiana Hoosiers On SI on Tuesday. "Seeing him at his peak, which I haven't seen for a while, but even when he was hurt, he was still awesome. So, it's really, really special, and I know he will be huge asset to us this season."

DeVries wasn't supposed to be playing college basketball this year. The 2024-25 season was supposed to be his last. His shoulder injury robbed him of a full campaign in Morgantown, West Va., but paved the way to help his father build a foundation in Bloomington.

Now, DeVries gets to write his final college chapter with a cream-and-crimson pen — and a healthy body.

"It's been a long road for him," Darian DeVries said on the Field of 68 podcast. "I know he's excited to hopefully stay that way and be able to complete a whole season and perform with a healthy shoulder. So, we're excited about where he's at right now. I know he's excited to get back out there and play again."

And Wilkerson, surely, is excited to celebrate many more 3-pointers from DeVries.