Tayton Conerway was a fixture in Indiana’s starting lineup through the first 19 games of the season. But after a sprained ankle sidelined him during IU’s January 17 matchup with Iowa - followed by an untimely illness ahead of the Wisconsin game - the junior guard is now healthy, yet he’s not returning to the starting five. At least not yet.
That’s not the norm. Typically, a starter doesn’t lose his role over a couple of relatively minor setbacks. But this isn’t a typical situation - and Nick Dorn isn’t your typical fill-in.
Since stepping into the starting lineup, Dorn has been lights out. In the four games following Conerway’s injury, the junior wing knocked down 20 of his 43 three-point attempts - that’s a blistering 46.5% clip.
His emergence as a legitimate third deep threat, alongside Lamar Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries, has added a new dimension to Indiana’s offense. Defenses have been stretched thin trying to account for all three shooters, and that extra spacing has opened the floor for Sam Alexis and Reed Bailey to do serious damage inside.
The offensive balance has been hard to ignore - and even harder for head coach Darian DeVries to disrupt.
“We’ll just take it a game at a time and see what those rotations look like,” DeVries said Friday, ahead of IU’s road test at No. 8 Illinois.
“But as we head into it, we’ll stick with what we’ve been going with recently and try to get [Conerway] back involved. Then those minutes will be distributed based on how we’re playing, how he’s playing, and we’ll just take it from there.”
Translation: the door’s not closed on Conerway, but Indiana’s current rhythm is too good to mess with.
Another wrinkle in this backcourt equation? Conor Enright.
The senior guard has been quietly orchestrating one of the most efficient stretches of his career. Over the last five games, he’s averaging 7.4 assists to just 1.4 turnovers - and he’s hit nearly 46% of his threes (6-for-13) during that span.
He’s also logging heavy minutes, averaging 37.6 per game, which leaves room for rotation tweaks. But it’s clear that Enright’s steady hand has been a stabilizing force for this team.
That’s where Conerway’s versatility comes in. He’s not just a scorer - he brings on-ball defense, slashing ability, and experience.
And he’s likely to be used as a flexible piece moving forward. Whether it’s to spell Enright, give Dorn a breather, or provide a defensive spark, Conerway’s role may shift game to game.
It’s worth noting that Dorn has cooled off lately, hitting just 4 of his last 22 threes (18.2%) over the past three games. DeVries mentioned that Dorn, along with several teammates, was battling the flu after IU’s return from a California road swing - which could explain the sudden drop-off. Even so, his earlier shooting surge proved how dangerous he can be when he’s in rhythm.
The reality is, Indiana’s guard rotation is fluid - and that’s by design. With the postseason looming, DeVries is looking for the right mix. And there will be nights when Conerway’s ability to attack off the bounce or lock down a perimeter scorer is exactly what Indiana needs.
But for now, as the Hoosiers head to Champaign for a Sunday showdown with Illinois, Conerway will come off the bench. His starting days may not be over - but for the moment, Indiana is riding the hot hand.