Indiana Portal Additions: At His Best, Reed Bailey Is More Than Just A Stretch Forward

Editor's note: Hoosiers On SI looks at the Indiana players Darian DeVries has brought to the team from the transfer portal and their best performances.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – At risk of asking this question too early, is new Indiana forward Reed Bailey underrated?

Not by Indiana’s coaches, who obviously made Bailey a priority as he was one of the first players to commit to Darian DeVries. However, Bailey kind of got caught in a bit of a weird churn in the portal.

He wasn’t the first commit – that was either Conor Enright or Tucker DeVries, depending on how you might look at it – and he didn’t come in with the drama Lamar Wilkerson did as Indiana won the head-to-head fight with Kentucky for Wilkerson.

Bailey’s commitment also became public knowledge on a Sunday, a day when many aren’t paying attention to such things.

If it’s true that Bailey got overlooked due to circumstances beyond his control, know this. Bailey can play.

His statistical record, especially from the 2025 season, matches up to anyone else Indiana brought in from the portal. He averaged 18.8 points, made 47.7% from the field, including 41.5% from 3-point range. He averaged 6.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists, a very high total from a non-point guard who averaged nearly 20 points per game.

Bailey, a 6-foot-11 stretch forward, could be the best player Indiana brought in. If he isn’t getting notice yet, his career suggests that his game will do plenty of talking for him.

Here’s a look at some examples of Bailey when he’s been at his best in his career.

Big Moment

Sometimes, a player’s biggest moment becomes a footnote because his team lost. Such was the case for Bailey in a Davidson game at Rhode Island on Jan. 18.

Bailey went crazy against Archie Miller’s Rams. He scored a career-high 32 points on 11 of 17 shooting, and he was a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range.

Bailey also made a layup with five seconds left in overtime to put Davidson in front, 90-89. It was an effort that would be long remembered by Davidson fans.

Except Rhode Island’s Sebastian Thomas drilled a 3-pointer with a second left to give Rhode Island a 92-90 victory. Bailey’s fine effort didn’t produce a win, but it was hardly his fault.

Scoring

Bailey started all 97 games he played at Davidson. He displayed scoring prowess throughout, but he really didn’t become dominant until his recently completed junior season.

Bailey averaged 18.8 points for the Wildcats, shooting 41.5% from 3-point range and 47.7% overall.

It stands to reason that Bailey’s top six scoring efforts came in the 2024-25 season. He peaked with the 32-point game at Rhode Island, but he had five other games where he scored at least 25 points.

Given his shooting prowess, it’s not surprising that Bailey shot 50% or better on five or more shots in a game 27 times. Bailey’s career-best percentage was 5-for-7 against both Fordham and Peace.

His personal best was 11 field goals made in a 72-66 win at Richmond in January. More on that game shortly.

Bailey has had an impressive 23 games where he shot at least 50% from 3-point range. Only one of them came on five 3-point attempts or more, but he’s proven to be reliable from long range.

Bailey’s career-best in 3-point accuracy was a 4-for-4 performance in that win against Richmond. That’s also his career-best for 3-pointers made in a game.

Bailey can be lethal at the free throw line. A 76.9% free throw shooter, he gets to the line frequently, so he hurts teams with his volume.

He’s had 25 games where he was perfect from the line. Seven of those games came when Bailey attempted five free throws or more. He set his career mark in accuracy twice. He was 12-for-12 at the line twice – in a 2023 game against Miami of Ohio and in a January 2024 game at Fordham.

Other Statistics Of Note

Reed Bailey. — Davidson Wildcats forward Reed Bailey (1) loosk to shoot as Providence Friars forward Oswin Erhunmwunse (55) defends during the second half at the Imperial Arena at the Atlantis Resort. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Though rightly characterized as a stretch four forward, Bailey mixes it up on the glass plenty. He’s had six career double-digit rebounding efforts. His career high was 14 rebounds against Loyola in February.

Bailey also has good floor vision. He’s topped five assists 10 times, including an 11-assist effort in that aforementioned win against Richmond.

Bailey’s career high in steals is five in a December 2024 win against Detroit Mercy. Despite his size, he’s not a big-time shot blocker, though he’s had a trio of three-block games, most recently in March.

Bailey’s performance against Richmond gave him his best sports-reference.com game score of 29.8. He barely missed a triple-double with 30 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. It was one of the most dominant performances any of Indiana’s transfer portal additions have had in their careers.

Advanced Statistics

Given his scoring ability, Bailey rates highly in advanced offensive metrics. He ranked in the top 20 in the Atlantic 10 Conference in nearly every advanced offensive category – including the fourth-best Player Efficiency Rating at 22.3.

Advanced stats bear out Bailey’s distribution skills. His 25% assist rate is outstanding for a 6-11 forward.

In some ways, Bailey is the finished version of what Trent Sisley could become for the Hoosiers once he gets accustomed to playing at the college level. If he has Bailey to guide him, it will bode well for Indiana on two fronts. Bailey will help Indiana now, and he could help Indiana down the line given Sisley’s potential.

Big Moment

Scoring

Other Statistics Of Note

Advanced Statistics

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