Kayaks and comebacks: IU basketball grows on and off the floor during ‘great’ Puerto Rico trip
- Josh Pos
- 1h ago
CAROLINA, Puerto Rico — The team had been here before, facing a strong headwind and finding the strength to push through it.
Facing adversity on the floor, Indiana once again excelled.
The Hoosiers staged another 20-plus point comeback to edge out Serbian professional team Mega Superbet for the second time in three days, securing a thrilling 81-80 victory Monday at Coliseo Guillermo Angulo.
Their resilience extended beyond the court, fueled by off-court activities like a kayak trip that forced the team to battle strong winds to return to shore.
“We’ve done a lot of different activities that put guys in uncomfortable situations,” said coach Darian DeVries. “A lot of guys never kayaked before. A lot of guys are afraid of sharks, and they still jumped in the water.”
Similar to Saturday night’s game, Indiana found itself down big early and, for the most part, without an answer.
After scoring on the game’s opening possession, Indiana’s offense was dormant. As a result, Mega Superbet took a commanding 16-point lead in the game’s opening minutes.
Though Indiana had erased a 23-point deficit less than 40 hours earlier, this time it seemed out of reach. The Hoosiers appeared destined to leave Puerto Rico with a 2-1 record.
Despite trailing by as many as 22 in the second quarter, Indiana’s intensity once again didn’t waver. The Hoosiers still wanted to come back the same way they did on Saturday, as a team.
Despite cutting the deficit down to six in the second quarter, Indiana went into the locker room trailing by 20 at halftime.
“You really don’t know who is beside you until adversity hits,” senior guard Lamar Wilkerson said. “Once adversity hits, everybody’s true colors show.”
Wilkerson and fellow senior Tucker DeVries were scoreless in the first half but led the second-half charge. The two combined for 30 of the team’s 51 second-half points.
Despite having the same result as Saturday’s game, Indiana had to overcome Mega Superbet, providing more resistance on Monday.
When Wilkerson fed a bounce pass to senior forward Reed Bailey for a two-handed slam with six seconds left, Indiana took its first lead since 2-0.
As time expired and Mega Superbet’s shot fell short, the Indiana bench rushed the floor in jubilation. It was the mark of a team that had overcome obstacles, possession by possession, as a united group.
“These last two games, we learned a lot,” DeVries said. “I love the fact that we stuck with it until we found a little crack and were able to kind of take advantage of it.”
The primary purpose of this trip wasn’t necessarily about the basketball. Because of the trip, DeVries was allotted 10 extra summer practices with his team. These practices were crucial for a team of new faces, giving coaches additional time to teach and implement their system.
The team-bonding experiences were just as meaningful as the practices.
Indiana participated in various group activities throughout the week-long trip. From trying local food to playing beach volleyball and snorkeling, the program provided opportunities for everyone to mesh in a different environment.
“I think they’ve come off very positively here,” DeVries said. “You can see them growing together and connecting together over the course of this week.”
The team’s growth, fostered through those off-court excursions, translated into on-court success during their three games.
Finding the will to win in an exhibition game on a Monday morning wasn’t easy. However, Indiana’s adjustments and ability to mount a comeback instilled confidence in the young team.
The trip has concluded, but the lessons learned on and off the court will leave a lasting impact. For a program full of new faces, it was a wholly positive experience.
“This was a great trip for us,” DeVries said. “Now, we get to go back home, take a couple of weeks off. As a staff, we got some great film, some great data to work with as we now begin the fall workouts and get ready, ultimately, for our season.”
Some players may leave San Juan still fearing sharks. But when there was blood in the water, Indiana became the sharks, seizing the moment to escape with a hard-fought victory.
“Adversity hit us twice in the mouth this week, and we responded the right way,” Wilkerson said. “It doesn’t get much better than that.”
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