Indiana Basketball Will Have 2-Big Lineups Under Darian DeVries. This Time, It May Work

It not only gave Indiana the victory, but DeVries comfort in knowing Bailey and Alexis can play together at a high level and in high-leverage situations.

"I thought it was pretty good," DeVries said Aug. 11 of the lineup with Bailey and Alexis. "It's been hard for us to do that much this summer, just because we don't have enough guys to play both sides of the ball, so we haven't been able to get them both in at the same time a ton. We've worked on it.

"We got a lot more opportunity here, because you have just the five guys out there, and we could sub more. But I like what they did. I thought they brought some good length, obviously our rebounding. They were also figuring out how to play off each other on the offensive end."

Both Alexis and Bailey performed well in Puerto Rico.

Alexis, who transferred from Florida with a national championship in his back pocket, averaged 12.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while going 15-for-28 shooting from the field and 8 of 12 at the foul stripe during the exhibition slate.

He reached double figures in all three games, starting with a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double in Game 1 and finishing with a 15-point showing in Game 3.

Bailey, a transfer from Davidson, averaged eight points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He started all three games and shot 52.2% from the floor while nabbing 1.7 steals per contest.

The Harvard, Mass., native impressed with his athleticism and proved he can push the floor in transition after grabbing defensive rebounds.

Indiana will need Bailey and Alexis to continue growing offensively next to each other. During Big Ten play, the Hoosiers will run into teams with two big men in the starting lineup, and Bailey and Alexis figure to see extensive minutes together as a result.

But unlike with Woodson's teams, the Hoosiers' big men can, to an extent, space the floor. Last season, 6-foot-9 forward Malik Reneau went 3-for-24 shooting from distance, while 7-foot center Oumar Ballo didn't so much as attempt a 3-pointer across 163 college appearances.

Alexis went 0-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc in Puerto Rico, but he attempted at least one triple in all three games. He's a career 28.6% 3-point shooter.

Bailey, meanwhile, didn't fire from long range during the exhibition games, but he went 17-for-41 shooting from distance last season at Davidson and he's made at least two 3-pointers in eight games during his college career.

Alexis and Bailey don't have identical skill sets. They'll complement each other, but without sacrificing floor spacing. It's a solid blend between modern offensive philosophy and traditional Big Ten style — and it may prove the right balance for maximizing Indiana's potential in DeVries' first season at the helm.

"Sam's got a little bit more of that back-to-the-basket game, where Reed's got a little bit more of that face up and drive type deal," DeVries said. "So, we'll continue to work with that lineup, experiment with it as we get into the fall."