IU basketball showcases 3-point shooting in exhibition win against Marian

Trent Sisley celebrates a 3-point make by IU basketball.

A glance at Darian DeVries’ coaching track record reveals one constant: his teams shoot the ball — and shoot it well. The scouting report on Drake and West Virginia, where he previously coached, often warned that if given space, his squads could shoot opponents out of the gym.

On Friday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, his Indiana team met — and exceeded — those expectations in its exhibition opener.

Six different Hoosiers connected from deep and the team finished 15-of-30 from deep as a unit. Forty-five of Indiana’s 107 points came in the 107-46 victory against NAIA Marian.

“We have a lot of guys that can shoot it,” Darian DeVries said postgame. “I thought we had great distribution of 3s as well.”

Tucker DeVries nailed a left-corner triple to open the scoring, but Indiana went quiet for a few minutes.

After missing five straight, IU turned the exhibition into a shooting clinic. The Hoosiers closed the first half by making 12 of their final 15 three-point attempts.

With a new-look roster built primarily to make 3s, Indiana’s 15 makes is a stark contrast to recent seasons.

Last year, Indiana made 10 or more triples twice, never making more than 12 in a game. Attempting 30 3-pointers may seem excessive to some, but for a team that spent the summer installing a perimeter-focused offense, it was expected. Friday night’s performance was simply a reflection of that offseason work.

“We work in practice a lot to get a lot of 3s, but I think we get good 3s,” freshman Trent Sisley said. “That just comes off of paint touches, coach’s offense, a lot of motion, stuff like that.”

Sisley played a significant role in Indiana’s outside outburst.

Similar to his first game in Indiana’s summer trip to Puerto Rico, Sisley flourished in his Assembly Hall debut. The four-star recruit finished with 23 points in his 22 minutes of game action.

Known to be a scorer at all three levels, Sisley converted on all four of his three-point attempts while shooting 4-of-6 from inside the arc.

“I love what Trent’s doing. He’s really fitting in well,” DeVries said. “He works hard at it. He puts a lot of time into it. Spent a ton of time on his shot this summer.”

Another calling card of a Darian DeVries-led offense is a wealth of ball movement.

Indiana’s 27 assists on 39 made field goals Friday evening appeased its head coach. However, it’s far from the best Darian DeVries has seen in terms of his team’s ball movement.

He shared during his Thursday pregame availability that the team posted a remarkable 31-to-3 assist-to-turnover ratio in a recent practice. He called it the best he has ever seen.

“These guys really understand how to play. We talk about playing off of two feet, making sure that you can still be aggressive,” Darian DeVries said. “I like how these guys have really adapted to the way we want them to play offense.”

It has become a pastime for college basketball fans to overreact to preseason results. After all, Marian is by leaps and bounds the least formidable opponent IU will face this season.

That said, Indiana’s 3-point barrage provides a glimpse of what the offense will look like when it’s at its best.

Next Sunday’s preseason finale against Baylor in Indianapolis won’t be as lopsided like Friday’s blowout. Still, it will offer a clearer picture of where Indiana stands against a power-conference opponent.

The offensive approach, however, won’t change. The Hoosiers will keep sharing the ball in transition and hunting quality looks from beyond the arc.

It’s the blueprint that has defined DeVries’ career — and the one most likely to drive Indiana’s success.

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

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