Indiana head coach Darian DeVries has been around the game long enough to know that slumps are part of the journey. He’s helped plenty of players work through rough patches. This time, though, it’s personal - the player in question is his son, Tucker DeVries.
Tucker, a key piece of Indiana’s lineup, is looking to rediscover his rhythm as the Hoosiers (12-5, 3-3 Big Ten) prepare for a Saturday showdown with Iowa (12-5, 2-4) in Bloomington. The sophomore guard is still averaging 14.6 points per game - second on the team - but the recent stretch has been uncharacteristically quiet.
He’s scored in single digits in four of his last six games, including a tough outing against No. 12 Michigan State where he went just 3-for-10 from the field and 1-for-7 from deep.
“He’s obviously going through a little bit of a shooting slump right now,” Darian DeVries said. “For him, it’s a longer one than he’s had. He’s got to find his way back out of it.”
That process starts against an Iowa team that’s also searching for answers. The Hawkeyes come into the weekend riding a three-game skid, having dropped matchups to Minnesota, then-No.
16 Illinois, and most recently, No. 5 Purdue.
Tuesday’s loss in West Lafayette was a gut-punch - Iowa led by as many as nine points and shot an impressive 52.9% from the field, matching Purdue’s percentage. But the Boilermakers closed stronger, pulling away late for a 79-72 win.
Despite the result, Iowa head coach Ben McCollum saw flashes of growth. Now, it’s about turning those flashes into consistency.
“The message is just to continue to get better, continue to stay process-focused,” McCollum said. “But we told them, ‘Here’s some of the things that we didn’t do, and had we done, we could have won probably any of the three.’
“They were all right there. We just weren’t ready to make those plays down the stretch. We continue to show them those clips.”
For Iowa, Bennett Stirtz has been the go-to scorer, putting up 17.7 points per game. Tavion Banks adds 9.6 per contest, while Alvaro Folgueiras chips in 8.7. It’s a group that’s shown potential but hasn’t quite clicked on the road - the Hawkeyes are 0-4 away from home this season.
Indiana, on the other hand, has been a force in Bloomington. The Hoosiers are 10-1 at home, and they’ve leaned heavily on Lamar Wilkerson to lead the charge. Wilkerson is delivering 20.2 points per game and knocking down 42.4% of his threes - a lethal combination that’s helped anchor Indiana’s offense.
Saturday’s matchup features two teams with identical overall records but very different current trajectories. For Indiana, it’s a chance to steady the ship in conference play and get Tucker DeVries back on track. For Iowa, it’s about proving they can close out games - especially on the road - and end a losing streak that’s threatening to derail their Big Ten hopes.
Both teams are talented. Both are hungry. And come Saturday in Assembly Hall, something’s got to give.