IU makes halftime adjustment, turns defense into offense in exhibition win against Baylor

• Josh Pos

• 2h ago

 

INDIANAPOLIS – Tucker DeVries’ straightaway transition 3-pointer fell through the net, forcing a Baylor timeout. His dad, Indiana head coach Darian DeVries, was red in the face, ferociously clapping as his players jubilantly rushed towards the sideline.

Indiana’s offense had finally come to life, yet it was its intensity on the other end that powered the charge. A five-point halftime deficit swiftly turned into a lead of eight.

After allowing Baylor to shoot 51.7 percent from the field in the first half, Indiana flipped a defensive switch. Their effort helped secure a 74-72 exhibition win Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

“I think there’s an identity that we have defensively, and it’s really come a long way,” Darian DeVries said postgame. “I think we saw that in the second half.”

Darian DeVries’ teams are known for their aggressive defense, refusing to allow opponents easy baskets. West Virginia finished in the top 20 in defensive efficiency under DeVries last season, allowing 64.8 points per game.

Baylor, meanwhile, had its way in the first half, in part due to Indiana’s miscues. The Bears picked apart the Hoosier defense, finishing six mostly uncontested layups. Indiana appeared out of sorts – a normality this time of year, especially for programs with an entirely new roster.

As shown in its first four exhibition games dating back to August in San Juan, Indiana can learn from its mistakes and adjust on the fly. After halftime, that ability was on full display. The Hoosiers forced Baylor into tough shots, played with purpose and embraced a more aggressive defensive approach.

In the second half, Baylor made just two more field goals (nine) than it had turnovers (seven) and shot 29 percent from the field – a testament to Indiana’s defensive adjustments.

“[Indiana] did a better job at being tougher on forcing us into gaps and turning it over,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “They played a lot tougher than us.”

That aggressiveness, however, comes at a cost.

Similar to its two games against Mega Superbet in its August trip to Puerto Rico, Indiana’s starting guards, Tayton Conerway, Conor Enright, and Lamar Wilkerson, picked up two fouls apiece in the first 12 minutes of the game.

Fortunately for Conerway and Wilkerson, five fouls did not mean disqualification on Sunday. Baylor took 24 shots from the charity stripe off the 22 personal fouls whistled on Indiana.

Indiana will continue to be a feisty defensive team. However, Darian DeVries is aware that his roster lacks depth. The team can ill afford multiple players to be in foul trouble at once.

“We can’t have guys that we need on the floor sitting by me,” Darian DeVries said. “I do like the fact that we are being physical as opposed to ‘hey, we didn’t foul, but we didn’t have a physicality or toughness to us.’”

The coaching staff now has nine days until the regular-season opener against Alabama A&M next Wednesday night, plenty of time to address missteps on both ends of the floor.

Sunday afternoon proved that Indiana won’t shoot 15-for-30 from 3-point range every game. Off nights will happen, but leaning on its defense during those stretches will keep the Hoosiers in games.

Like many teams this early in the preseason, Indiana hasn’t yet found its identity. It might not see it by next Wednesday, either. Still, the Hoosiers showed defensive grit that could define them, offering a glimpse of the identity they are still shaping.

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