A new era officially began at precisely 7:55 p.m. on Wednesday as new Indiana men’s basketball head coach Darian DeVries took Branch McCracken court to a raucous crowd for his first game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Indiana basketball started the DeVries era off strong with a 98-51 win over Alabama A&M University on Wednesday night.
Hoosier fans got a taste of what they will be accustomed to in the DeVries era, relentless defense and 3-point shooting.
The first basket of the DeVries era officially belongs to senior guard Lamar Wilkerson who connected on a 3-pointer 56 seconds into the first half. From there on it was smooth sailing for Indiana, who took a 58-22 lead into the halftime locker room.
It was a night to remember for Wilkerson. The Sam Houston transfer was on point from beyond the arc with four 3-point makes and 15 points in the opening 20 minutes. Wilkerson finished with 19 points.
Indiana shot a total 41% from beyond the arc with 10 total makes.
Senior centers Reed Bailey and Sam Alexis were forces down low. Bailey had a game-high 21 points and Alexis added 17 points off the bench.
Indiana's defensive style was similar to its performance in its exhibition win over Baylor on Oct. 25. The Hoosiers forced Alabama A&M into many bad shot attempts. The visitors had just five 3-point makes while shooting 34% from the floor.
Fifth-year guard Tucker DeVries also eclipsed 2,000 career points, finishing the game with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
So far, so good for this new Hoosier roster and staff in its new home building. The Hoosiers will be back in action when they face Marquette at the United Center in Chicago at 1 p.m. Sunday.
