Lamar Wilkerson is playing some of the best basketball in the country right now - and Indiana is reaping the rewards.
On Saturday, the senior guard once again put the Hoosiers on his back, scoring their final four points in regulation and all six in overtime to lift Indiana to a gritty 78-77 win over Wisconsin at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. It was a game where Indiana saw a 14-point first-half lead slip away, but when it mattered most, Wilkerson made sure the Hoosiers stayed on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble.
He finished with 25 points - a team-high - and once again showed why he’s become the heartbeat of this Indiana squad. The Hoosiers are now 16-8 overall and 7-6 in Big Ten play, and according to Bart Torvik’s metrics, they’re sitting 1.4 wins above the bubble. That’s no small feat in a conference that’s been a grind all season.
Wilkerson has been electric in Big Ten play, averaging 23.2 points per game. To put that in perspective, the last Indiana player to average over 23 in conference games was Alan Henderson back in 1994-95. That’s elite company, and Wilkerson is earning every bit of that status.
“He’s an elite player,” said IU head coach Darian DeVries. “From a pro standpoint, I don’t think people are talking about him enough.
He’s got the intangibles, he’s got that one skill everyone wants - and he’s a winner. I love everything about him.”
And how could you not? Wilkerson has scored 20 or more in eight of Indiana’s 13 Big Ten games, and he’s hit at least 15 in 11 of them.
His résumé this season includes a 32-point game against No. 10 Nebraska, a 33-point outing at USC, and a jaw-dropping 44-point performance against Penn State back in December - the highest-scoring Big Ten game by a Hoosier since Mike Woodson dropped 48 at Illinois in 1979.
That 44-point night wasn’t just big - it was historic. Wilkerson hit 10 threes in that game, setting a new Indiana single-game record.
He became the only Division I or NBA player in the last 30 years to score 40-plus points and make 10 or more threes in under 25 minutes of game time, according to OptaSTATS. That’s not just rare - that’s unheard of.
Heading into the Wisconsin game, Wilkerson ranked top five in the Big Ten in total points (276), points per game (23.0), made threes (44), and three-point percentage (38.9%) in conference play. He’s doing it efficiently, he’s doing it consistently, and he’s doing it when it matters most.
Saturday was a perfect example.
After Indiana surrendered a 10-0 run late in regulation and fell behind 72-68 with under a minute to play, Wilkerson calmly stepped to the line and knocked down four straight free throws to send the game to overtime. In the extra period, he went 4-for-4 from the stripe again, added a clutch driving layup with 30 seconds left, and then sealed the win by drawing a foul with 2.8 seconds remaining and hitting both free throws - ice in his veins.
And here’s the kicker: Wilkerson didn’t even shoot well from deep in this one. He went just 1-for-8 from beyond the arc. But he made every single one of his eight free throw attempts, and when the game was on the line, there wasn’t a shred of doubt about who was taking the shot.
“He doesn’t really miss in practice - or ever,” said IU center Sam Alexis. “I don’t think he feels any pressure when he’s shooting them.”
Guard Conor Enright didn’t hesitate either: “If I had to pick a guy, I would put Lamar out there every single time to shoot every free throw in the game.”
At this point, Wilkerson has become Indiana’s closer - the guy who wants the ball with the game hanging in the balance. And he’s delivering night after night. If he keeps this up, not only will Indiana be dancing in March - Lamar Wilkerson might just be the name everyone is talking about when the lights are brightest.