4 Takeaways from Indiana Basketball Cream and Crimson Scrimmage

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Half an hour before tipping off Friday night's Cream and Crimson scrimmage, Indiana men's basketball emerged from Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall's Northeast tunnel to hit song "Swag Surfin'" playing over the speakers.

It was an untraditional entry fit for an offseason full of new, fresh, innovative ideas. The Hoosiers played basketball on Kirkwood Avenue the night before. They opened Assembly Hall for fans to see an intrasquad Friday night.

First-year coach Darian DeVries shook hands with fans before and after the game. His players joined him following the 18-minute, 49-second scrimmage, during which players switched teams to spend time in a variety of lineups.

Here are three takeaways from Friday night's scrimmage ...

Indiana can take, and make, lots of 3-pointers

After an offseason full of optimism regarding their 3-point shooting, the Hoosiers quickly validated fans' belief. Senior guard Lamar Wilkerson made four triples, while senior forward Tucker DeVries, senior guard Tayton Conerway and freshman forward Trent Sisley each made two 3-pointers.

In less than 19 minutes of action, Indiana made 10 triples — a mark the Hoosiers hit only twice last season.

Alexis impressive as paint presence, rim runner

Senior forward Sam Alexis matched Wilkerson for the team lead with 14 points, but each of his seven buckets came in the paint. Alexis had a pair of physical layups at the rim, one of which saw him go through Sisley's chest to get there, and he flushed three lobs in his first period with the Crimson team.

Alexis also knocked down a fadeaway mid-range jumper, a shot he told Indiana Hoosiers On SI on Tuesday he feels he can make 90% of the time.

To cap a quality night, Alexis blocked Wilkerson's third period layup attempt. The 6-foot-9, 240-pound Alexis is Indiana's most physical paint presence, and he looks the part of a Big Ten big.

Conerway taking promising steps as shooter

After shooting just 27% from distance last season at Troy, Conerway has discovered his shooting touch in Bloomington. Wilkerson said Conerway is making nearly 50% of his 3-pointers in practice, and he knocked down two triples Friday night.

Both of Conerway's made 3-pointers came from the right wing. On his first, he drove inside the perimeter with his right hand, crossed back to his left hand and connected a jumper over the hand of freshman walk-on Tryce Grensing. Conerway's second triple was in transition off a bounce pass.

Already Indiana's best on-ball defender and a potent scorer off the bounce, if Conerway connects more consistently from beyond the arc, he adds another element to the Hoosiers' offense.

Indiana still down 5 players

The Hoosiers scrimmaged without freshman guard Aleksa Ristic, sophomore forward Josh Harris, junior guard Jason Drake and redshirt junior guard Jordan Rayford, a preferred walk-on.

Junior guard Nick Dorn also did not participate in the scrimmage due to a foot injury. He warmed up but hasn't yet participated in contact periods this fall.

Ristic and Rayford each wore a boot on their left foot, while Harris had a boot on his right foot. Drake, who didn't travel with the team on its three-game exhibition series in Puerto Rico, hasn't practiced this fall. He wore his red No. 2 practice jersey on the court with teammates during pre-game warmups but did not participate.

Junior guard Jasai Miles, who was not present at Indiana's open-to-media practice Tuesday due to an illness, participated in the scrimmage. Miles fell to the court and suffered what appeared to be a cramp in his lower right leg, ending the session just 49 seconds into the fourth period.