Indiana’s opener Monday night gave Darian DeVries plenty to coach, but it also gave him something far more valuable this early in the season: a backcourt he can trust.
In a 91-57 win over Eastern Illinois, the Hoosiers looked like a team still sorting through the edges of a roster that has been heavily remade. The defense wavered, especially after halftime.
The shooting came and went. But Markus Burton and Bryce Lindsay looked comfortable running the show, and that matters a lot more than the final margin in a game like this.
Burton, the Notre Dame transfer from South Bend, drew an appreciative roar when he was introduced before tipoff. He heard it, and he made sure to acknowledge how much it meant.
“That was really cool,” Burton said. “Obviously, I’m an Indiana kid. Hearing the recognition and hearing how loud it got, that was crazy.”
By the time he came off the floor late in the second half, the noise had only grown. Burton had just made a hustle play, diving on the floor out of bounds in pursuit of a loose ball before heading to the bench for a high five from DeVries and a louder ovation from the crowd.
That kind of moment fit the night for Indiana’s new lead guards. Burton and Lindsay, the Villanova transfer, were the most encouraging part of the evening for a team that still has plenty to clean up.
“Those guys,” DeVries said, “are going to be critically important to us all year.”
Burton finished with 19 points and five assists to lead Indiana, while Lindsay added 14 points off the bench. Each knocked down three 3-pointers. Outside of Burton’s foul trouble, the Hoosiers got steady production from the two players most responsible for organizing the offense.
“A lot of new guys, obviously,” Burton said. “It’s gonna take time for us to just come out and be efficient. But today was a learning experience.”
DeVries had no shortage of teaching points after the game. Even with Indiana comfortably ahead of Marty Simmons’ Eastern Illinois team, the Hoosiers allowed too many easy drives in the second half. DeVries said he even burned a timeout during that stretch to get his message across.
“Overall, (the defense) was good,” DeVries said, “but you can’t allow a team just to parade right to the rim. We did it way too many times in the second half.”
Still, there was plenty DeVries liked. Indiana put together nearly eight minutes of scoreless defense late in the first half, and the Hoosiers showed signs of the kind of energy he wants to see more often. They rebounded with purpose, pushed the pace, and leaned on depth that should matter as the season goes on.
After preseason concerns about ball security, Indiana also took care of the ball reasonably well, finishing with 11 turnovers in 67 possessions. DeVries will likely be even happier that the Hoosiers forced twice that many.
“Overall, I was really pleased with the offensive stuff, and again the offensive rebounding,” DeVries said. “It's something we talk about every day. It's got to be a strength of ours.”
For now, though, the biggest takeaway is simple: Indiana has two guards who can handle the ball, make the right reads and keep the offense moving while the rest of the roster settles in around them. DeVries sees the difference clearly.
“To have two guys like that, they’re both different in how they attack and what they bring on the offensive end,” DeVries said. “I like having both out there, one out there. If you need to sub one, you know there’s not gonna be a drop-off.”
In Other News...
Indiana Backcourt Depth Already Facing A Troubling Early Setback
Indianas backcourt depth took an early hit in practice when freshman guard Prince-Alexander Moody suffered a knee injury and is expected to miss an extended period while he undergoes further evaluation. Coach Darian DeVries said Moody will be out for quite some time, a tough development for a player who was expected to help stabilize the guard rotation this season.
For a Hoosiers team trying to build out its perimeter options, the timing makes the setback sting even more. Moody was one of the freshmen penciled in to supply depth and energy in the backcourt, and now Indiana has to wait for a clearer picture before it knows how much of that plan will need to be adjusted. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Playoff Push Suddenly Centers On One Troubling Josh Hoover Question
Curt Cignettis decision to replace Josh Hoover at halftime in an overtime win over Minnesota added a new layer to Indianas playoff push, because the Hoosiers have been leaning on a quarterback whose recent play has not looked quite as sharp as it did earlier in the season. Hoover has been dealing with an unspecified injury, and the dip in his passing accuracy over the last few games has become hard to ignore as Indiana tries to keep its momentum rolling.
The concern now is less about one rough stretch than what it might mean for the stretch run ahead. Former college quarterbacks Danny Kanell and Joel Klatt both weighed in on Hoovers physical condition and confidence, and their comments only sharpened the sense that something is off. For Indiana, the bigger question is whether Hoover can get back to full form in time to keep the Hoosiers on track. [Read more 🡒]
Philip Rivers Could Leave Alabama For A Job That Changes Two Programs
Philip Rivers has surfaced as a leading candidate to replace Dave Doeren at NC State, a development that would send the former NFL quarterback from a high school sideline in Alabama to one of the more intriguing openings in the ACC. Rivers, the former NC State standout, is currently coaching at St. Michael Catholic High School, where his son Gunner Rivers plays quarterback and has already committed to the Wolfpack.
The appeal is obvious even with the obvious leap of faith. Rivers has no college coaching experience, but some around the sport see the move as the kind of bold swing worth taking for a program looking to reset quickly. For NC State, it would be a homecoming with immediate recruiting implications, and for Rivers, it would mean leaving a familiar setup in Alabama for a job that could reshape both his coaching path and his sons next stop. [Read more 🡒]