Indiana men's basketball seems to have found its groove with a late-season starting lineup featuring Conor Enright, Lamar Wilkerson, Nick Dorn, Tucker DeVries, and Sam Alexis. This group has sparked a surge, and despite Nick Dorn's recent 3-point struggles, it's a lineup that maximizes the team's scoring potential with threats at the 2-4 spots. Enright orchestrates the offense with finesse, Wilkerson shines as one of the nation's top scorers, Dorn stretches the floor, DeVries adapts to his evolving role, and Alexis has become a force down low.
But where does Tayton Conerway, the former starting point guard, fit into this equation? As the sixth man, he might just be the spark Indiana needs.
Conerway is Indiana's best downhill attacker, adept at scoring around the rim, but his 3-point shooting leaves something to be desired. His assist-to-turnover ratio surpasses Enright's in conference play, yet he lacks the chemistry with DeVries and the new lineup that Enright enjoys. Defensively, Conerway excels on the perimeter but sometimes gambles, opening up opportunities for opponents.
Injuries and illness have disrupted Conerway's rhythm since mid-January, making it challenging to reintegrate him into the starting lineup. However, his skills could provide a significant boost off the bench.
Indiana doesn't rely on consistent scoring from the point guard position-Enright's play has proven that. What they do need is an offensive spark off the bench, particularly as the rotation has thinned. Outside of Reed Bailey's occasional contributions, scoring beyond the starters has been sparse, and Jasai Miles often serves as a defensive substitute.
Introducing Conerway off the bench could inject much-needed energy into the offense, especially if the team struggles to score beyond Wilkerson, as seen against Illinois. In that game, Conerway logged just four minutes, contributing an assist and a missed layup. His decision-making on the drive, however, was spot-on, setting up Wilkerson for a key play.
While Enright is a pass-first guard, Conerway might thrive in a more aggressive scoring role when coming off the bench. His layup stats are impressive, suggesting that attacking the rim with floor spacers like Wilkerson and Dorn could offer Indiana a scoring boost they can't find elsewhere.
With limited time to experiment with lineups, Indiana should consider leveraging Conerway's 67.3% shooting inside the arc, including a remarkable 75.7% at the rim. His ability to attack and score could be the key to unlocking the Hoosiers' full potential as they head into the season's final stretch.