No. 25 Indiana has won all six of its games this season.
One reason for the Hoosiers’ hot start is consistent rebounding. And one reason for the team’s consistent rebounding is – well, let coach Darian DeVries explain it.
“Spirited practices,” he said bluntly, prompting laughter.
Indiana (6-0) will try to translate its difficult practices into desired outcomes when it tips off against Bethune-Cookman (2-5) on Saturday afternoon in Bloomington, Ind. It will be the final tune-up before the Hoosiers open Big Ten Conference play next week at Minnesota.
In its most recent game, Indiana pulled away for a 17-point win at home against Kansas State. The Hoosiers limited Kansas State top scorer PJ Haggerty to 7-for-17 shooting, and six players on Indiana pulled down at least four rebounds.
DeVries said he was happy to see so many players contribute on the boards.
“We have to continue to make that our mindset every night,” DeVries said. “We have to defensive rebound if we’re going to be good, and I think the guys that get that, I think they’ve seen it enough now that we’ve just got to continue to improve and make it a priority.”
Tucker DeVries, son of Indiana’s head coach, leads the team with 17.5 points to go along with 5.8 rebounds per game. Lamar Wilkerson is next with 16.5 points per game, and Reed Bailey and Tayton Conerway are tied for third in scoring with 12.3 points per game.
Indiana has shown glimpses of its depth as nine players are averaging at least nine minutes per game. That group includes freshman Trent Sisley, who is averaging 8.8 points and is coming off a 12-point performance in the win over Kansas State.
“He doesn’t really get much plays run for him right now as a freshman but, man, he impacts the game,” DeVries said. “He will fall into double digits. He will fall into rebounds because he knows how to play. He finds his role and really capitalizes on it and a lot of it is just with effort plays.
“… He’s just getting better and better and more confident. You can see it in practice, and it’s carried over into his games. For a freshman, he’s pretty poised out there for us.”
The Hoosiers will face a Bethune-Cookman squad that is coming off back-to-back losses against Jacksonville and Stony Brook. The Wildcats are looking for their first win since Nov. 19, when they knocked off Ohio on the road.
Jakobi Heady leads Bethune-Cookman with 14.7 points per game on 46% shooting from the field. Arterio Morris is next with 14.0 points per game, and Quentin Heady is scoring 12.4 points per game and shooting 51.6% from the field.
This will be the second ranked opponent that Bethune-Cookman has faced in its first eight games. The Wildcats took then-No. 20 Auburn to overtime in the season opener Nov. 3 before losing 95-90 in the extra session.
“Things are moving in the right direction,” Bethune-Cookman coach Reggie Theus said. “We’ve got to just keep pushing at it.”
-Field Level Media
