Five takeaways from IU basketball’s exhibition win against Marian

Trent Sisley attempts a 3-pointer.

Indiana cruised to a 107-46 exhibition win against Marian on Friday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Here are five takeaways from the win against the Knights:

Trent Sisley shines in exhibition opener

IU fans who followed the program’s August trip to Puerto Rico saw glimpses of Trent Sisley’s stellar play in highlights and read glowing reviews of his impact in those early exhibitions.

On Friday, Sisley looked the part of a rotation player for the Hoosiers as a freshman.

The 6-foot-8 forward from Santa Claus, Indiana, tied for the team-high with 23 points on 7-for-9 shooting. Sisley was a perfect 4-for-4 on 3-pointers and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.

The Hoosiers are thin in terms of frontcourt depth and there’s an opportunity for Sisley to carve out a regular role in his first season in Bloomington.

“I love what Trent’s doing,” Darian DeVries said postgame of Sisley. “He’s really fitting in well. He works hard at it. He puts a lot of time into it.”

Friday’s performance, albeit against inferior competition, was the latest example that Sisley is ready to contribute right away.

Tucker DeVries stuffs the stat sheet

Tucker DeVries set the tone for a 3-point shooting barrage for the Hoosiers.

His 3-pointer less than a minute into the game got IU on the board first in a contest that was a blowout after less than 10 minutes.

DeVries is one of the best shooters in the country and he put his prowess on display to IU fans for the first time on Friday night.

The 6-foot-8 forward shot 7-for-9 from the field, including a 5-for-7 mark from distance and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line in 22 minutes. The Hoosiers were +50 with him on the floor.

Just as important as the scoring were the other contributions from DeVries. He had six assists, a team-high, and five rebounds and two steals.

“It’s great to have a guy like Tucker,” Sam Alexis said postgame. “He’s been playing in this offense for a long time. He’s the guy – he’s a great leader on and off the court.”

Sam Alexis continues the strong play he exhibited in Puerto Rico

It’s no secret that Indiana’s rim protection is a question mark entering the season.

The Hoosiers are likely to start Reed Bailey at the five and will bring Sam Alexis, their best shot blocker and rebounder, off the bench.

Alexis was terrific in IU’s August trip to Puerto Rico, averaging 12.7 points and 7.7 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game while shooting 53.6 percent from the field.

The Florida transfer had another strong game in Friday’s exhibition.

In 18 minutes off the bench, Alexis recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. He was 6-for-9 from the field and also had two assists and two blocked shots.

“Sam gives us that physicality,” DeVries said. “And we don’t have a lot of big, girthy guys, especially on the interior. He’s one of the guys that does bring some of that physical presence, some of that shot blocking.”

Alexis will be a pivotal part of the IU rotation, particularly against Big Ten opponents who emphasize post play.

Hoosiers let it fly from deep

Darian DeVries admitted that IU would stick to the basics when it came to running offense on Friday night.

The thinking behind that is the Hoosiers are focused on winning regular-season games and don’t want to reveal any wrinkles on tape that opponents can analyze before the games that count.

While there are sure to be some surprises from the Hoosier offense this season, it’s well documented that DeVries wants his team to take – and make – plenty of 3-pointers.

On Friday, Indiana did just that.

The Hoosiers shot 15-for-30 from distance as six different players connected from beyond the 3-point line. In addition to the aforementioned performances from Tucker DeVries and Sisley, Lamar Wilkerson and Conor Enright each made two 3s and Bailey and Tayton Conerway each made a triple.

This should be the last exhibition IU plays against Marian

For a fourth straight season, the Hoosiers hosted Marian at Assembly Hall for an exhibition.

Since IU began playing the Knights in 2022, the exhibition landscape in college basketball has changed.

Division I programs are playing each other in exhibitions now, thanks to rule changes. Indiana will play Baylor next Sunday in Indianapolis.

Moving forward, Indiana should schedule both of its exhibition games against Division I opponents to better prepare for the season.

Marian is a fine NAIA program, but Friday’s 61-point drubbing didn’t offer much benefit to either program.

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

See More: Five Takeaways, Sam Alexis, Trent Sisley, Tucker DeVries