News and notes from Inside IU basketball with Darian DeVries

Photos from IU basketball's win against Wisconsin.

Inside IU basketball with Darian DeVries returned Monday night from Hoosier Hank’s in Bloomington.

The first-year IU coach sat with the voice of the Hoosiers, Don Fischer, ahead of Indiana’s matchup against Purdue on Friday night in West Lafayette.

Jasai Miles and Josh Harris were this week’s player guests.

Here’s a recap of what DeVries had to say on Monday night:

• DeVries said he thought Indiana played “incredibly hard” in their win against Purdue on Jan. 27. He noted that it came at an important time before the team’s West Coast trip.

• DeVries highlighted the Hoosiers’ resiliency in their double overtime win against UCLA on Jan. 31. “UCLA had been very good at home. So it was a huge road win for us, a quad one win that we badly needed.”

• DeVries joked about his team pushing through a widespread sickness during its West Coast trip. “It took us a little while to get that all worked out of our systems, but we’re in good shape now.”

• DeVries on Indiana’s loss to USC: “We just didn’t seem to have as much pop that night. I thought we gave a good fight, there late, to try and give ourselves a chance… Unfortunately, came up a little bit short on that one.”

• DeVries said the Hoosiers’ win against Wisconsin was another resilient showing. He discussed the importance of another win that’s hovering around the Quad 1 line.

• DeVries on Indiana’s blowout win against Oregon: “I thought the Oregon game was one of our more complete games that we’ve had, especially on the offensive end.”

• DeVries said Lamar Wilkerson is “so fun to watch.” He added that the Hoosiers do a good job getting Wilkerson the ball when he has the hot hand.

• DeVries said Kylan Boswell’s return to the floor was a big factor in Indiana’s loss to Illinois. He specified that the Illini guard did a good job guarding Wilkerson.

• DeVries on Indiana’s rebounding against Illinois: “We ended up giving up 15 offensive rebounds for the game. That’s just too many. Especially if you combine it with not shooting at a high level like we needed to.”

• DeVries highlighted the depth of both Illinois and Michigan’s rosters when asked why those two teams are at the top of the Big Ten.

• DeVries on what Nick Dorn’s given the Hoosiers’ offense since joining the starting lineup: “I think what Nick’s really given us is floor spacing… It just opens up the floor a lot more for us. Now we get more driving lanes with Nick standing in the corner.”

• DeVries talked about Indiana’s mentality after a loss: “Wins or losses, learn from them, move on, get ready for that next one… They’re disappointed after losses but I think they keep it in the right frame of mind.”

• DeVries was asked if Conor Enright should be shooting more: “He can shoot it. He’s got the green light to shoot whenever he wants. He’s just very selective about when he wants to shoot. He had a huge shot there with a minute to go in the Purdue game.”

• DeVries on Sam Alexis’ recent success in the post: “Sam’s been great. He’s really given us some inside presence there… I really like how he’s kind of emerged these last three games.”

• DeVries on Dorn’s recent slump: “He’s had a couple games here where he’s cooled off. Sometimes you go through those little stretches. But he’s been really good for our offense. It’s not just what he’s doing, it’s the opportunities he frees up.”

• DeVries discussed the togetherness in the locker room. He mentioned how they don’t point fingers after losses and celebrate together after wins. “They’re unselfish guys, they work hard and that’s what makes them so enjoyable to be around every single day.”

• DeVries said that recruiting overseas has greatly changed since the introduction of NIL. He said that it’s now a huge part of college basketball and that “it’s something we’re deeply involved with.”

• DeVries on the Big Ten: “The depth of this league is incredible… There’s a lot of teams that can go make some deep runs in March.”

• DeVries said that Purdue is “playing incredibly well.” He said that the Boilermakers have hit a good stride and add to the relentlessness of a Big Ten schedule.

• Harris and Miles said they attended the same high school (Miami Country Day) for two years before committing to the University of North Florida.

• Miles said that he and Harris “didn’t really like each other” when they first met in high school. He said they became friends in college and continued to grow closer when transferring to Indiana.

• Harris said that his current injury is the first time he’s been seriously hurt. He said that he’s learned a lot from watching Alexis and Reed Bailey while being sidelined.

• Miles said that he’s studying sports management while Harris is majoring in sports marketing.

• Miles said that one of his main goals is to play in the NCAA tournament. Harris seconded that and added that he wants to get healthy so he can return to the floor.

• Harris said that one of his favorite pastimes is cooking.

• Miles said that Harris, Wilkerson and Alexis are the funniest guys on the team. Harris added that Andrej Acimovic is a goofball and always makes him laugh.

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