Welcome to Darian DeVries' Brand of Indiana Basketball, A 3-Point Shooting Galore

Nearly 75 minutes before the start of his first game at the helm of one of college basketball's most prestigious programs, Darian DeVries sat courtside and soaked in his surroundings.

DeVries glanced to his left and watched Indiana men's basketball's post players flush down dunks. He straightened his head and locked his eyes on the Hoosiers' guards stretching at midcourt. He turned to his right, if only for a second, and saw Marian University's warmups. Then, his head and his eyes kept wandering. His mind surely did the same.

Seemingly, DeVries' eyes covered every inch of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall's newly refinished Branch McCracken Court.

Over the next three hours, he watched — largely from an arms-crossed stance at the head of Indiana's bench — as his vision for Hoosier basketball came to life.

Indiana ran, shot and passed its way to a 107-46 victory over Marian in an exhibition game Friday night at Assembly Hall, turning DeVries' philosophical ideas into an on-court product that's grown foreign in Bloomington.

"I was really happy tonight," DeVries said postgame. "It's the way we've been practicing. You just never know when you get on game night whether that will continue, that unselfishness, the ball movement. I thought the guys did a great job really all night moving the ball, sharing the ball, take what the defense gave us."

The Hoosiers went 15-for-30 shooting from beyond the arc, and six different Hoosiers made 3-pointers. Indiana hasn't made 15 triples in a regular season game since December of 2016. Teams led by DeVries' two coaching predecessors, Archie Miller and Mike Woodson, never accomplished the feat.

Senior forward Tucker DeVries went 5-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc, while freshman forward Trent Sisley made each of his four triples. Senior guards Lamar Wilkerson and Conor Enright knocked down two 3-pointers apiece, while senior guard Tayton Conerway added another from distance.

Even senior forward Reed Bailey, tied for the tallest Hoosier at 6-foot-10, made his lone 3-point attempt — after a behind-the-back pass from Wilkerson on the baseline. Among the 12 Hoosiers who saw the court Friday night, 10 attempted a 3-pointer, and six attempted two or more.

Indiana had moments of physically overwhelming Marian, but the Hoosiers stuck to their guns more often than not. Darian DeVries stressed pace, even in moments where his players' initial instincts were to slow down.

Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries each attempted 3-pointers from several feet beyond the arc. There was no situation, no distance, no spot on the court where Indiana didn't at least think about shooting.

The Hoosiers promise such a night isn't a one-off or a byproduct of playing an inferior opponent. This, senior forward Sam Alexis said postgame, is a glimpse at the new normal.

"I feel like we shoot it pretty well in practice, even better than we did tonight," Alexis said. "So, you're all going to keep seeing us keep making shots."

Darian DeVries noted the Hoosiers have "a lot of guys that can shoot it," but Indiana's 3-point success Friday night didn't merely come down to shot-making prowess.

The Hoosiers routinely made extra passes and found open teammates, leading to advantageous looks. Indiana capitalized.

"I think we work in practice a lot to get — we shoot a lot of 3s, but I think we get good 3s," Sisley said postgame. "That just comes off paint touches, coach's offense, a lot of motion, stuff like that. We shoot them well in practice, so that translates in games."

Indiana recorded 27 assists on 39 made shots, and the Hoosiers logged 14 assists across their 15 made triples. Indiana's only 3-pointer that wasn't accompanied by an assist came on Tucker DeVries' transition pull-up with 11:12 remaining in the first half.

Darian DeVries said Thursday he wanted to see selflessness and ball movement. The Hoosiers executed his plan.

"I thought we had great distribution of 3s," DeVries said. "So, offensively, I was excited. The assists, I think it was 19 at the half to 24 made field goals, something like that. That's a team that's sharing the ball."

That, like Indiana's 3-point success, wasn't a new occurrence. In a practice leading up to their exhibition opener, the Hoosiers had 31 assists to just three turnovers in a five-on-five session.

"I've never had that as a coach," DeVries said.

DeVries knows bigger challenges will come. When Indiana faces bigger, longer, more athletic teams, it'll have to make adjustments.

But the Hoosiers won't stray from the same principles that drove DeVries' first win in Assembly Hall: Shooting, ball movement and tempo.

"These guys really understand how to play," DeVries said. "We talk about playing off two feet, making sure you can still be aggressive, but let's make the right plays at the end of the night. I like how these guys have really adapted to the way we want them to play offense."

If the three-digit number on the scoreboard or gaudy shooting numbers weren't enough proof of Indiana's offensive evolution, take Marian coach Pat Knight's word.

Indiana beat Marian 106-64 in an exhibition game last season, but the Hoosiers shot only 6 of 25 from beyond the arc. Knight admitted he didn't do any pre-scouting on Indiana's roster, which has 13 new scholarship players and an entirely overhauled coaching staff, but he knew DeVries' offense centered around versatility and shooting.

The Hoosiers impressed Knight, who said DeVries has done a "great job" adding shooters to the roster, turning a weakness into an overwhelming strength.

Knight, a Hoosier guard from 1991-95 and the son of Indiana great Bob Knight, has seen the peaks and valleys of Indiana basketball. He's seen different brands and different styles from different viewpoints, be it as a player, coach or NBA scout.

And when he looks at Indiana, Knight sees a team with an attribute it's lacked in years past: Being fun to watch.

"I love the style of play," Knight said. "That's hard to guard. Got shooting, they're unselfish, you don't have guys playing hero ball. They move the ball."

Welcome to the DeVries era, where 3-pointers will fly, players will run and ball movement will be prioritized.

"I think the fans are really going to enjoy the ride (DeVries) gives them from here on out," Knight said.