DeVries, Wilkerson deliver from deep as IU basketball blitzes Marquette

Tucker DeVries attempts a 3-pointer.

CHICAGO – Shaka Smart had seen enough. He needed a timeout. Tucker DeVries had just converted his fifth 3-point make of the first half and Indiana had extended its lead to 11 points late in the first half.

The Indiana contingent, already on its feet because of the make, roared as Tucker DeVries motioned for them to get louder as his teammates gathered around him in jubilation.

The redshirt senior was up to 24 points. To him, the basket seemed large enough for a beach ball. He finished with 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including a blistering 6-of-9 from beyond the arc.

The performance fueled Indiana’s 100-77 victory against Marquette at the United Center on Sunday afternoon.

“That was obviously a big performance from Tuck in the first half,” Indiana head coach Darian DeVries said postgame. “That’s how our team was built, just having different guys that can always get in one of those zones a little bit and Tucker certainly had it.”

Just one game after surpassing 2,000 career points, Tucker DeVries reaffirmed his status as one of the nation’s elite 3-point shooters. No matter where he was on the floor, the Waukee, Iowa, native was a threat.

Tucker DeVries cooled off in the second half, scoring just three points, but another offensive leader took over.

Lamar Wilkerson had five 3-pointers of his own in the second half, scoring 15 points on 5-of-7 from behind the arc.

Together, DeVries and Wilkerson have become Indiana’s primary offensive weapons. The duo combined for 12 of the team’s 14 made 3s, keeping the offense potent and steadying the team when a comeback threatened.

When Marquette trimmed the deficit to 10 early in the second half, the duo quickly responded. They buried three triples to stretch the lead back to 21.

Through Puerto Rico, exhibition play, and the season’s first two games, one thing has become clear: Darian DeVries is giving the duo carte blanche to shoot from anywhere on the floor.

When the two are in rhythm, their teammates seemingly do everything in their power to give them the ball. It has become a testament to the unselfishness of a Darian DeVries offense, which had 27 assists on 33 baskets.

“They’re just a really unselfish group, and that’s what leads to some of the scoring opportunities we get,” Darian DeVries said. “They’re very willing passers and understand in moments like when Tucker and Lamar have it going, they understand to keep finding them.”

The selflessness of a team this early into the season is remarkable, yet even more so when it comes to Indiana. The Hoosiers have a roster built from scratch. Outside of Tucker DeVries and Conor Enright’s days at Drake, the roster consists of guys who never played together until June practices.

Darian DeVries didn’t bring in the best talent via the portal. He brought in players who would fit his system. Tucker DeVries and Wilkerson lead, but the entire team shares a singular focus from top to bottom: achieving victory.

“I think they prioritize winning,” Darian DeVries said. “None of them really care who gets the credit. I watch them do this in practice all the time.”

Indiana will go as far as their two best players take it. Tucker DeVries and Wilkerson have combined to score 45 percent of the team’s points this season.

The Hoosiers will keep thriving by making extra passes, finding open shooters and converting opportunities. Kill shots like Tucker DeVries’ in the first half are becoming Indiana’s trademark, forcing opposing coaches to call timeouts in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

Through two games, there’s no sign of their 3-point barrage slowing down anytime soon.

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

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