Conor Enright’s all-around effort lifts Indiana past Washington
- Josh Pos
- Jan 5, 2026 8:07 am
Conor Enright sat on the hardwood, swung his right arm and screamed, even as the roar inside Assembly Hall swallowed the sound. The senior had just banked in a circus shot through contact, drawing a foul — a moment that felt bigger than two points.
On Indiana’s bench, Darian DeVries turned and pumped his fist. It was only one of the Hoosiers’ 18 made baskets in the first half, but it came from an unlikely source.
Indiana’s emotional engine, Enright, rarely fills the stat sheet. On Sunday, he did just that, scoring a season-high 12 points — 11 in the first half — to help lift IU to a 90–80 win against Washington.
He’ll take the points when they come, but he takes far more pride in creating them for others.
“I definitely take more pride in assists because two people are happy from that,” Enright said. “I love sharing the ball.”
With Washington deploying a triangle-and-two to slow Tucker DeVries and Lamar Wilkerson, Enright stepped up, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers in the opening five minutes. The shooting display was rare, but it was exactly what Indiana needed as DeVries and Wilkerson struggled to find a rhythm.
When the Huskies shifted back to man-to-man, Enright slid into his usual offensive role — and never stopped being a pest defensively.
It’s as if Enright was built for Assembly Hall. He’s everywhere on the floor, hounding Washington ball handlers, and when his pressure forces a turnover, the building erupts as he lets the crowd know. Energy surges through the arena when Enright is on defense.
“He plays the game with great enthusiasm, great energy, great passion,” Darian DeVries said. “Your team needs a guy like that. Obviously, fans love having a guy like that.”
Enright’s value as Indiana’s glue guy showed in the final 20 minutes. Washington opened the half on a 10–2 run, trimming the Hoosiers’ lead to four within the first few minutes.
After the under-16 media timeout, Enright steadied Indiana’s offense. He assisted on five of the Hoosiers’ six baskets over consecutive possessions, igniting a 13–2 run. As his teammates scored, Enright looked as excited — if not more so — than the scorer himself.
At his best when pushing the pace, Enright’s court vision stood out. Instead of hunting his own shot, he found Wilkerson for a transition three. Enright finished with a season-high nine assists, six of them coming in the second half.
More impressive than his high assist numbers were his zero turnovers. His ball security and playmaking are why his coach trusts him to run the offense and stay on the floor.
“He just has such a great feel and understanding of the game,” DeVries said. “All he cares about is winning. That’s what makes him so special.”
The spark Enright provided on the playing floor on Sunday stems from what he brings to practice every single day. Similar to his first go-around with Darian DeVries at Drake, Enright serves as the energy guy inside Cook Hall.
“Doesn’t matter how many days in a row we practice, he’s going to bring it,” DeVries said. “That just raises the standard for everybody else to try to match.”
As the calendar flips to 2026, Enright is entrusted as Indiana’s primary ball handler. His modest 3.8 points per game won’t turn heads, but his 4.9 assists keep him on the floor.
With 17 Big Ten games remaining, Enright will continue to earn the love of Indiana fans while becoming opposing crowds’ least favorite player.
It’s the role the 6-foot-1 senior embraced in high school — and one he’ll play until the end of his career.
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