Indiana basketball didn’t waste much time putting Bellarmine away Thursday night, and the 92-69 win gave Darian DeVries a second straight look at a team that can score in bunches.
With Syracuse coming up next, the Hoosiers moved to 2-0, and there was plenty for DeVries to like on the offensive end. A couple of transfers kept Indiana moving, while the defense still had stretches that left room for tightening.
Darren Harris was the biggest shooting story of the night. The Duke transfer opened the game by knocking down the first shot, then cooled off before catching fire again. By halftime, he had 15 points and three made 3s, and he ended the night with a career-high 23 points.
That’s the version Indiana hoped to get when it brought Harris in through the transfer portal. He didn’t fully settle into that kind of rhythm at Duke, and like any shooter, he’s going to have his dry spells.
Still, there’s value in letting a player like Harris keep letting it fly, especially while he’s getting comfortable in a new setting. More freedom early can pay off later in the season.
Bryce Lindsay kept his strong start rolling too. For the second game in a row, Indiana got double-figure scoring from its sixth man, and the Villanova transfer finished with 15 points. He also added three 3s and four assists, showing the same calm, controlled style that stood out in the opener.
Lindsay gave Indiana a little bit of everything: passing, driving, kicking, and creating his own looks when needed. That kind of steadiness off the bench is exactly what DeVries can lean on.
The one area that still needs work was on the defensive end. The lapses weren’t as long or as obvious as they were Monday night against Eastern Illinois, but they were still there. At one point in the second half, DeVries even burned a timeout out of frustration.
After halftime, Bellarmine was averaging roughly 1.5 unadjusted points per possession for a stretch, a sign that Indiana’s off-ball and baseline defense wasn’t sharp enough and allowed too many easy layups. It wasn’t a major red flag, but it’s the kind of thing DeVries will want cleaned up before the competition gets tougher next week.
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Indiana Fan Who Missed $1 Million Kick Had A Wild Next Move
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Instead, Stallings took the attention and pushed it somewhere unexpected, posting a viral LinkedIn message that framed the experience through business lessons. For a fan base used to seeing the football program under a microscope, it was a reminder that the days most memorable moment did not end with the kicks themselves. The bigger curiosity now is how far that post travels, and whether the miss ends up being remembered more for the money left on the table or the way Stallings handled it afterward. [Read more 🡒]
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Curt Cignetti said the possibility of a quarterback switch was discussed, which only adds to the pressure around Hoovers status moving forward. Indiana stuck with him for now, but with injury concerns and uneven play both in the picture, the Hoosiers are suddenly facing a decision they cant put off for long. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Bye Week Still Has Playoff Stakes Fans Need To Watch
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Games involving UCLA, Ohio State, Utah and Notre Dame are among the ones that could ripple back toward Indiana, shaping how the playoff race looks by the time the Hoosiers return to the field. For a team already in position to make a serious postseason push, the bye week is less of a break than it looks, with the bracket conversation still very much alive in the background. [Read more 🡒]