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IU basketball\u2019s team building for the 2025-26 season is well underway in Bloomington.<\/p>\n
The Hoosiers are now in week four of their summer program, which includes four hours per week of on-court work in addition to a full practice each week in preparation for an August trip to Puerto Rico. Indiana will play three exhibition games in Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n
It was a busy spring for Darian DeVries, who completely overhauled the IU basketball roster after his hiring on March 18.<\/p>\n
DeVries retained signee Trent Sisley, signed 10 players from the transfer portal and recently added Serbian guard Aleksa Ristic, who won\u2019t join the program until later in the summer.<\/p>\n
With a new roster, DeVries is beginning to get a feel for the team he\u2019ll have next winter at Indiana.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been really pleased with the approach that the group has had for a group of guys that don\u2019t know each other very well, and they\u2019re coming in, and everybody\u2019s got a new role, and maybe they\u2019re all wondering what their expectation level is for for this team and coaches that are all trying to figure it out, too,\u201d DeVries told Inside the Hall. \u201cI think they\u2019ve done a really good job of just buying into whatever we need to do to try to get better individually and as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no secret that DeVries and the coaching staff prioritized shooting in the transfer portal. The Hoosiers have assembled a solid stable of guards and wings who have attempted \u2013 and made \u2013 a high volume of 3-pointers throughout their college careers.<\/p>\n
Lamar Wilkerson, a transfer from Sam Houston, shot 109-for-245 last season from distance. Jasai Miles, a transfer from North Florida, went 78-for-243. Tucker DeVries is a career 36.7 percent 3-point shooter with more than 275 makes over four seasons.<\/p>\n
With no shortage of players who are wired to shoot and score, it\u2019s been encouraging for DeVries that the new roster has exhibited a willingness to make sharing the ball a priority.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like their unselfishness a lot. I think they\u2019ve really shared the ball well,\u201d DeVries said. \u201cUsually when you have a new team, it starts off the opposite, because everybody\u2019s trying to establish their role, and they\u2019ve done a really good job of being unselfish. I think we have multiple guys that can really shoot it, which should allow us to get some good floor spacing offensively.\u201d<\/p>\n
Defensively, Indiana lacks a traditional rim protector, but is hopeful that it can make up for this perceived deficiency by being connected and communicating effectively.<\/p>\n
The Hoosiers have one player \u2013 Reed Bailey \u2013 who is 6-foot-10 or taller.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s going to have to be a really connected group in terms of just making sure that they\u2019re always covering for one another,\u201d DeVries explained. \u201cAnd we don\u2019t have great rim protection, but I do think we have guys that really understand how to do a wall up, how to perform verticality. I think we can protect each other enough in that regard.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeVries acknowledged there are challenges with a brand-new roster. In the current transfer portal environment, players and coaches are forced to get to know each other in a short period.<\/p>\n
The staff was diligent in collecting as much information as possible about each player recruited from the portal to identify a group of players that fit together cohesively.<\/p>\n
And now that the group is together, DeVries has emphasized effort as the priority in everything the team does.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe number one thing I told them is that it just starts with effort,\u201d he said. \u201cLike, I don\u2019t care if you don\u2019t understand what we\u2019re doing, just give great effort, even if it\u2019s wrong, and then we can work our way backwards to doing it right later. But just start with great effort, great energy, great enthusiasm, because that\u2019s all kind of contagious stuff. And then the technique of it all, we can build those habits as we go. And I wanted that to be kind of their primary focus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond the improved 3-point shooting \u2013 IU will take and make more 3-pointers next season \u2013 there\u2019s also a focus on two specific areas that DeVries believes are pillars to winning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe two things that we talk about in winning is just defensive rebounding and then not turning the ball over,\u201d DeVries said. \u201cSo those are two things from just like a schematic, I guess if you want to call it, standpoint, we need to be elite at those two things. And then the rest of the stuff, making and missing shots, now you can survive nights if you\u2019re still good at those two things. So that\u2019s the priorities kind of we want them to carry throughout summer and fall, and as we get into games.\u201d<\/p>\n
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)<\/p>\n
\n\t\tCategory: Media<\/a>\t<\/p>\n