Darian DeVries expresses confidence in Indiana's rebuilt roster: 'The pieces will complement each other'

New Indiana basketball head coach Darian DeVries is confident the roster he and his staff have assembled for the 2025–26 season is built to compete.

Following the departure of every player from last season’s team, either through graduation or the transfer portal, DeVries was tasked with a complete rebuild.

He and his staff have brought in 10 transfer players and one high school recruit, forward Trent Sisley. The program is also awaiting word on whether Luke Goode and Anthony Leal will receive an additional year of eligibility.

MORE: How Trent Sisley measures up in Big Ten’s 2025 freshman class

Speaking on Wednesday night at Hoosiers Connect’s annual NIL event, DeVries shared his thoughts on the state of the roster as team workouts are set to begin.

“I like the way the roster came together,” DeVries said. “I think we have great depth at shooting the basketball, which is a priority for us. We have great positional size at a lot of the spots. At the center, we are a little small, but at the other spots we have great size.”

Indiana’s new-look roster, built primarily through the transfer portal, is defined by versatility and modern skill sets. Seven of the 11 scholarship players are 6-foot-6 or taller and are capable of playing multiple positions.

TRENDING: Versatility at the core of Darian DeVries’ rebuild at Indiana

According to DeVries, this group is not just talented — it’s well-matched.

“I think we have great depth, and the pieces will complement each other well,” he said. “We’ll know more in the next couple of weeks, but [I’m] excited to get them on campus.”

Among the most notable additions is DeVries’ son, Tucker DeVries, a 6-foot-7 transfer from West Virginia who averaged 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game last season before a shoulder injury ended his year. His size and shooting ability make him a candidate to play anywhere from shooting guard to small forward or even small-ball power forward this upcoming season.

Point guards Tayton Conerway (Troy), Jason Drake (Drexel) and Conor Enright (DePaul) bring elite passing numbers to the backcourt. Enright posted a 37.8 percent assist rate last season, ranking 16th nationally. By comparison, Indiana had only one player with an assist rate above 20 percent last season.

Five incoming players had assist rates higher than 21 percent, and eight shot 35 percent or better from 3-point range. In total, the group made 593 3-pointers while shooting 37.1 percent from beyond the arc last season.

The frontcourt also reflects DeVries’ preference for skill and flexibility. Reed Bailey, a 6-foot-10 transfer from Davidson, shot well from distance and recorded a 25.3 percent assist rate last season. He is expected to play either power forward or as a stretch five.

Josh Harris, a 6-foot-8 forward from North Florida, adds length and switchability, while 6-foot-9, 260-pound Florida transfer Sam Alexis provides physicality and lateral mobility on defense.

“There’ll be nights that they’ll be undersized on the defensive end,” DeVries said of his big men. “But there’s a lot of ways to offset that. Size doesn’t always determine how effective you can be as a defender or offensive player. The right mindset goes a long way, and I think our guys will bring that mindset.”

On the defensive side, the emphasis is on versatility and switchability.

“I don’t anticipate us having great rim protection,” DeVries said. “But rim protection isn’t always blocked shots. There’s a lot of ways to protect the rim.”

The Hoosiers’ roster features wings and guards who can guard multiple positions and use their length to disrupt passing lanes and close out on shooters.

Among the wings, 6-foot-6 Nick Dorn and Jasai Miles offer length and defensive versatility, while 6-foot-5 Lamar Wilkerson, who averaged 20.5 points per game and shot 44.5 percent from 3-point range last season at Sam Houston State, brings scoring and size.

DeVries emphasized that building a team identity was more important than just assembling talent.

“We want to make sure that everybody we’re bringing in is what we want not only for this year but for long term,” he said. “We tried to do it as quickly as we could but also being very smart and calculated about it.”

IUBB: IU basketball head coach Darian DeVries provides waiver updates on Luke Goode and Anthony Leal

While prior success was considered during the recruiting process, DeVries said it wasn’t a prerequisite.

“It’s certainly one of the factors, but it wasn’t something that they had to have,” DeVries said. “It’s always nice when you can collect as many guys that know how to win and care about winning.”

As workouts begin Monday, DeVries said he is eager to see how the group gels on the court.

“It’s been really fun to watch the staff come together, watch the team come together, and now getting closer to getting on the practice floor,” he said. “Now, let’s go get to work on the basketball portion of it.”

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