Reed Bailey is making his return to the starting lineup for Indiana University as they gear up for the Big Ten Tournament. Head coach Darian DeVries announced on pregame radio that Bailey will replace Nick Dorn in the starting five for the tournament opener.
Joining Bailey on the court will be Sam Alexis, Tucker DeVries, Lamar Wilkerson, and Conor Enright. This lineup tweak comes after DeVries experimented with Bailey and Alexis playing together in the second half of their recent game against Ohio State, where the team showed impressive offensive prowess.
Bailey's presence is expected to bolster IU's defense, particularly against Northwestern's standout scorer, Nick Martinelli. DeVries has shown he's not afraid to shake things up, having previously rotated players like Tayton Conerway and Sam Alexis in and out of the starting positions, and inserting Dorn when his three-point shooting was on fire.
Bailey, who started the first nine games this season and was a staple during his three years at Davidson, brings solid stats to the table. He's averaging 8.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game, with an impressive shooting percentage of 57.5% from the field.
Indiana, seeded 10th, will face off against 15th-seeded Northwestern at 6:30 p.m. ET in Chicago. This matchup promises to be an exciting start to the tournament, with Bailey's return adding an intriguing layer to IU's strategy.