IU basketball seniors fuel return to win column with blowout against Minnesota

• Quinn Richards

• 3h ago

 

Indiana basketball’s Senior Night showcased the absurdity of the longstanding tradition in the modern era of college basketball. In a landscape defined by transfer portal additions, the ceremonious farewells that honor tenure don’t quite have the same impact. All six of the Hoosiers’ seniors first donned their Cream and Crimson uniforms just five months ago.

But to suggest the significance of the occasion has entirely dissipated would be foolish.

With less than two minutes remaining in their 77-47 blowout win against Minnesota on Senior Night, each of Indiana’s honorees exited the floor to standing ovations. Lamar Wilkerson was the first to leave the floor, followed by Tucker DeVries, with Sam Alexis, Conor Enright, Tayton Conerway and Reed Bailey rounding out the senior substitutions.

As each player made their way to the Hoosiers’ bench — a healthy applause serenading every step — they walked down the line and embraced every coach with a firm hug. But as they got to Darian DeVries, two of those embraces meant just a little bit more.

Enright and Tucker DeVries — two players who started their careers with him at Drake. Darian DeVries couldn’t help but have an emotional moment when asked about the closing moments with his scrappy point guard and his son.

“It’s been, obviously, really important for us to have two guys that understood the system when you got a whole new team and all that,” Darian DeVries said postgame, a slight grin forming on his face. “They started out together as roommates at Drake, so certainly a special moment there for them, for me as a dad, you know? So, yeah.”

Both former Bulldogs were impactful for Indiana in its blowout win against Minnesota, spearheaded by seniors. Enright led all players with eight assists, while Tucker DeVries paired 13 points with a team-high nine rebounds. Alexis added a season-best 23 points while Wilkerson posted — for his lofty standards — a modest 16 points.

On Senior Night, the Hoosiers’ seniors powered them to a crucial win.

There’s still plenty of work to be done — Indiana’s earlier loss to Minnesota and its recent collapse against Northwestern make its postseason path an uphill climb. But with just one road matchup against Ohio State left in the regular season, its win over the Golden Gophers sets the stage for a necessary sprint to the proverbial finish line.

The Hoosiers’ latest victory sits just above the Quad 3 line. In other words, it’s not enough to shift the needle in an increasingly tense NCAA tournament bubble picture. But the performance indicates that a late-season push for an at-large bid is still in the cards.

Darian DeVries said it was one of the more “complete performances” Indiana’s put forth this season. His claim is backed by a defensive effort that held Minnesota to a season-low 47 points and an offensive attack that shot a blisteringly efficient 57 percent from the field.

But potentially most important, it gave a group of seniors a much-needed taste of success heading into the final stretch of their college careers.

“When you lose four games in a row, it does put things in a little different perspective, the importance of this game, right?” Darian DeVries said. “They continued to stay focused, continued to put in the work like they have all year and their approach has been terrific. I think a lot of that is those seniors.”

It’s eerily similar to the Hoosiers’ circumstances under Mike Woodson last season. While Darian DeVries isn’t on his way out, a majority of Indiana’s rotation are. A team led by veteran talent sits firmly planted on the NCAA tournament bubble with ground to make up entering the Big Ten tournament. Rings a bell, doesn’t it?

The same “last dance” narrative that shrouded that Indiana roster has formed over this one — understandably so, given the numerous parallels.

“I feel like all the seniors was motivated today just off the fact it’s senior night,” Alexis said. “Last game in Assembly Hall, being in March Madness, the bubble and stuff. So everybody was pretty motivated to go play hard.”

Motivation shouldn’t be a scarce resource moving forward. With what’s at stake, each of the Hoosiers’ subsequent matchups feels like a must-win. Indiana will have to put tearful embraces aside now that Senior Night’s concluded. But before the madness of March fully sets in, the Hoosiers’ seniors made the most of their brief opportunity to reflect on their college careers.

“When they’re seniors, you have a special connection with them, as you know, this is their last time on the home floor,” Darian DeVries said. “When you get that opportunity with your son, it’s a different feeling. I’m one of those guys, I fought it all day and I’m not giving in now. There’s just a lot of emotion tied to it. Some special times are about to end.”

How much longer those special times will last now depends on what Indiana does next.

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