Add: Had I waited one day before writing this, my concern would have been answered. The INDY STAR and Facebook, both, published details of IU recruiting activity. WMG
Since the end of the 2024-‘25 Indiana University men’s basketball season, other than the hiring of a new coach, the IU athletic department has had very little news to report. In fact the reports on IU basketball coming out of Bloomington have been infrequent and underwhelming.
Indiana University men’s basketball has for decades been one of the subjects I thought about, read about, and wrote about all the time. During the months of October to March, I was mentally consumed by the activities going on in Simon-Skojdt Assembly Hall and the arenas nationwide that hosted the IU Hoosiers basketball team. I awaited every game with enthusiasm and optimism, and watched each game with the hope that the ‘good” Hoosier team would show up and win.
When Mike Woodson was hired to replace the failed experiment that was Archie Miller, I was very skeptical of the choice because he had coached NBA teams, yes, but his teams had never won any championship. And had it not been for Trayce Jackson-Davis staying at IU for 4 years, Woodson’s record at IU would be a lot worse. While other coaches were turning teams around in a year or two, Woodson and IU were remaining the same or getting worse. Any enthusiasm I had after Miller was fired was completely lost. I even swore a couple of times I was “done with this team!” I vowed to never watch IU again! Well, I broke that vow a few times when they played well, but I was frequently disappointed when they lost after letting a big lead evaporate late in the game.
Because he was under fire from IU fans, Woodson rightly decided to retire at the end of the season. That was good! The program was going nowhere. The Hoosiers needed to start anew with a new coach, someone with name recognition and the potential to turn things around in Bloomington. A proven winner. But in my mind, that didnt happen. Yes, Darian DeVries has good experience and a winning record as a head coach, but he was still unknown nationally.
Then, to make matters worse, every single player on the roster either finished his eligibility or entered the transfer portal. Suddenly, IU had a new coach few fans knew much about and an empty roster. Holy Cow! That’s a bad combination. We have a coach, but no players.
My enthusiasm for IU Bball sank to subterranean levels. So little information was coming out of Bloomington that there was nothing to be enthusiastic about. A new coach was hired, but the attention given to the hire was low key at best. He’s not a household name, but he was an assistant coach at Creighton for 18 years. His resume’ shows he was head coach at Drake from 2018 to 2024, and at West Virginia this past season. His won-loss record since 2018 is 169-68 (one season at WV record 19-13). I had to Google him to get that information.
Also, I can’t tell you who, other than the coach’s son, will be playing in Assembly Hall during the 2025-2026 season. The coach hired a coaching staff, but more importantly, he has had to recruit an entire roster of players. I have read little or nothing about blue chip players, or any players, for that matter, who want to come to IU. Indiana is trying to survive on a reputation established nearly 50 years ago, and the laurels IU has rested upon for so long are running seriously thin. A player like Cooper Flagg might, at one time, have wanted to come to IU, but not any longer. This late in the school year, very few blue chip players remain uncommitted
I don’t think IU fans have much to look forward to in the coming men’s basketball season. As of April 22nd, Coach DeVries had 8 players committed to play for IU. Those players come from such powerhouses as Elon, Drexel, Davidson, Sam Houston, Troy, North Florida, DePaul, and Montverde Academy high school in Florida. None of them were names I recognized from seeing them play on TV. I’m doubtful we’ll see and McDonald’s All Americans in Bloomington any time soon.
I know it’s early and other players may be available later, but IU’s reputation and desirability may be at its lowest point ever. It may be worse than Tom Crean’s first season when Verdell Jones was his only decent player. These days there just aren’t dozens of players clamoring to wear the candy-striped pants and play for the Hoosiers. Players who are 18-20 years old last saw IU as a basketball power in 2013, so they’re less aware of IU’s legacy. Brad Underwood, at Illinois, has had to build his last two teams from scratch and has done fairly well at it. But he was not new to Illinois—people knew who he was. DeVries is brand new to Indiana. I had not heard of him before he was hired by IU.
All we can do is hope he’s the second coming of Bob Knight or Mike Krzyzewski, is a coach and recruiter extraordinaire, and has yet-untapped coaching talent. But I’m not holding my breath for any of that.
Dr. G
PLAYERS RECRUITED TO IU AS OF APRIL 22, 2025:
Jason Drake—Drexel PG,SG
Tucker DeVries—West Virginia SF,PF
Conor Enright—DePaul PG,SG
Reed Bailey—Davidson C, PF
Lamar Wilkerson—Sam Houston SG,SF
Jasai Miles—North Florida SC
Tayton Conerway—Troy PG
Trent Sisley—Montverde Academy HS SF,PF
Have you heard of any of these guys? Neither have I.
