Indiana head coach Darian DeVries has made it clear: before anything else, the Hoosiers need to clean things up. Coming off a 72-60 loss to Kentucky, Indiana returns to Assembly Hall with a chance to reset against a struggling Chicago State squad.
That Kentucky game? It was a lesson in how quickly things can unravel when the basics break down.
Indiana turned the ball over 18 times-gift-wrapping 23 points for the Wildcats-and gave up 14 offensive boards that turned into 18 second-chance points. And yet, defensively, they held their ground, limiting Kentucky to just 37.9% shooting from the field.
The effort was there. The execution?
Not quite.
“Those turnovers created too many opportunities for them,” DeVries said. “We got them to miss enough. We need to secure those rebounds and go the other way.”
That’s the blueprint: defend, rebound, and take care of the ball. Do those three things, and this Indiana team has the firepower to hang with just about anyone.
Offensively, the Hoosiers have been putting up numbers-85.6 points per game, to be exact. But they’re also coughing it up 10.5 times per contest and sit in the middle of the pack nationally in rebounding, pulling down 36.3 boards per game (203rd in the country). For a team with Big Ten aspirations, those numbers need to trend up.
The good news? They’ve got the talent to make it happen.
Lamar Wilkerson has been electric, fresh off a 44-point explosion against Penn State that earned him co-Big Ten Player of the Week honors. He leads the team at 18.5 points per game and has shown he can take over when needed.
Tucker DeVries adds another 17.0 points, and Tayton Conerway chips in 12.2. It’s a balanced attack with multiple scoring options-now it’s just about tightening the screws on the other end.
Saturday’s matchup with Chicago State offers a chance to do just that.
The Cougars, sitting at 2-10, are still searching for an identity under first-year head coach Landon Bussie. They’re coming off a 76-55 loss at Bowling Green, though there were some bright spots-namely Doyel Cockrill III, who poured in 19 points off the bench.
Cockrill has been the most consistent offensive threat for Chicago State, leading the team with 15.1 points per game on 48.5% shooting. He’s been efficient and aggressive, a rare combination on a team still trying to find its footing.
Joining him in the scoring column are Marcus Tankersley, an Alcorn State transfer averaging 14.7 points, and CJ Ray, who adds 10.8. But as a unit, the Cougars have struggled to generate offense.
They’re averaging just 66.9 points per game and shooting 39.6% from the field-ranking 349th out of 361 Division I programs. The struggles don’t stop there: they’re also near the bottom in rebounding (33.3 per game) and assists (9.8).
For Indiana, this game is less about the opponent and more about execution. Can they cut down on turnovers?
Can they close out possessions with strong rebounding? Can they take a step forward in the areas that cost them against Kentucky?
The pieces are in place. The talent is there. Now it’s about building habits that will hold up when Big Ten play rolls around.
Saturday’s game isn’t just a chance to pad the win column-it’s an opportunity to sharpen the edges. And for a team with postseason ambitions, those little details make all the difference.