What Went Wrong For Indiana And How Can Darian DeVries Fix It? Roster Construction

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Few college basketball programs can call upon the resources Indiana University has at its disposal.

There is financial support at the institutional level for coaching salaries, top-notch support staff and amenities. There is one of the best NIL collectives in Hoosiers Connect. Money is no object for Indiana in the new age of college basketball where financial resources provide the muscle.

What it means is that Indiana can target whoever they want in the transfer portal and be competitive with any other school in the country as far as compensation is concerned.

It’s a great thing, no? In theory it is. In practice, too much of a good thing can have diminishing returns.

Indiana’s NIL might have become more of a factor as the Mike Woodson coaching era carried on. NIL was in its infancy in 2021 when Woodson was hired. By 2024, Woodson’s last offseason, NIL was the driver in building a roster.

Woodson could shop for whoever he wanted. It’s a great power, but it’s a great power that has to be applied responsibly.

Woodson amassed plenty of talent – and some of the players were very good for Indiana. Xavier Johnson, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Malik Reneau, Kel’El Ware, Oumar Ballo and others all had their moments in an Indiana uniform. Some were outright stars.

However, Indiana never could manage the talent in a way that took advantage of it. Regardless of whether you agree with Indiana’s two bigs rotation it used for much of the time under Woodson, it’s fair to say the bigs didn’t always mesh.

In 2023-24, Indiana had virtually no reliable 3-point shooters. Woodson attempted to address the issue by mass adding guards for the 2024-25 class, but some of those players were disappointing.

Having talent alone wasn’t enough. The talent had to be molded into an identity and fit a plan that was more than a single-season solution. That never happened in the Woodson era.

Not having that identity was a core cause of both the inconsistency Indiana had and some of the troubles players had on the floor trying to acclimate to one another. Indiana would play well and poorly in equal measure over the course of its seasons under Woodson, and the 2025 season was no exception.

What Have DeVries Teams Done?

Both at Drake and at West Virginia, Darian DeVries’ teams had definable characteristics that Indiana teams have not had in recent seasons.

DeVries teams have been ranked in the top 100 in Kenpom’s defensive efficiency for the last four years. His teams may try to get scoring from early offense, but most of his teams will patiently hunt shots in a longer possession. Only one of DeVries’ teams ranked in the top 100 in adjusted tempo.

DeVries values shooters. His West Virginia team was an aberration in that the Mountaineers weren’t ranked in the top 100 in either 2-point or 3-point percentage. At Drake, his teams were ranked in the top 100 in at least one for his entire six-year tenure.

Apart from the stats, DeVries puts a huge emphasis on the point guard position, and he recruits toughness.It’s all tied to a plan. DeVries puts value in the puzzle pieces fitting together.

A defined identity often demonstrates its benefit in close games. During his career, DeVries is 25-9 in games decided by a single possession. When players have a specific plan and have their skill sets augment those of their teammates – good things happen.

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