A Fresh Chapter Awaits Darian DeVries and the Indiana Hoosiers
As the Indiana Hoosiers prepare for the 2025–26 men's basketball season under new head coach Darian DeVries, the roster has undergone a significant overhaul. Following the departure of all the scholarship players with remaining eligibility, DeVries and his staff have actively rebuilt the team through the transfer portal and recruiting, utilizing their new $10 million NIL budget. While dealing with significant roster changes, DeVries has also revamped and brought in a newly energized staff for the Hoosiers. After just a one-year tenure at West Virginia, he set his sights on his dream job stemming from his childhood in a small Iowa town. DeVries saw a few seasons of success while at Drake, and then made his move to WVU where he battled roster injuries all season long. DeVries is looking to bring the Hoosiers back to glory, similar to what Will Wade is doing at NC State, and back to the NCAA Tournament.
Headlining this newly-looked Hoosiers roster is the coach’s son, Tucker DeVries. Joining his father in the transfer portal, DeVries committed to Bloomington. The two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year provides the Hoosiers with wing versatility and NBA potential. In a new offense and roster construction, coach DeVries has emphasized three-point shooting and defensive versatility. Lamar Wilkerson and Tayton Conerway are two experienced guards who will be the backbone of the Hoosier's back-court. Conerway, the Sun Belt Player of the Year, tested NBA waters this off-season but ultimately decided to play his final collegiate season in Bloomington. Wilkerson, who was a Conference USA First Team All-American this past season, brings a deep-threat ability that Indiana fans haven’t seen in decades. Rounding out this top-ranked transfer portal class is six-foot-ten forward Reed Bailey. The tallest player on this Hoosiers roster is a transfer from Davidson, where he earned first-team All-Atlantic and brings size and offensive versatility to this offense.
For the past few seasons, under coach Mike Woodson, the Hoosiers were notorious for having a dominant big man or two in the same lineup. This season, however, Indiana is fairly thin with only Bailey registering above six-foot-nine. A new style of play will soon enter Assembly Hall, and fans might not be used to it. Going from traditional centers like Trayce Jackson-Davis, Kel’el Ware, and Oumar Ballo to almost not having an interior presence will be challenging for coach DeVries; however, this style of play isn’t new to him. With an almost identical roster to what he had at West Virginia last year, DeVries will look to have the Hoosiers play under three rules: shoot threes, play tough defense, and be the more energetic team in every game. This roster has the outlook to compete in what seems to be an open Big Ten.
