Darian DeVries Using Indiana Football Success To Teach Basketball Team Winning Traits

Darian DeVries won't have Fernando Mendoza dishing out passes or Aiden Fisher as a defensive stalwart in his first season coaching the Indiana men's basketball team. They're busy leading the Indiana football program to a No. 3 national ranking after Saturday's win at Oregon.

But DeVries has kept a close eye on the football team, and he's learned a few things from the way coach Curt Cignetti's team plays. They're a well-rounded group, ranked top 10 nationally in scoring and points allowed and No. 1 in ESPN's strength of record metric.

DeVries acknowledged the X's and O's of basketball and football are vastly different, but he believes certain traits are transferable across sports. He's not in the locker room or at practices to learn from Cignetti, but simply watching the football team has reinforced what's important when it comes to winning.

"When you listen to their team and how they talk, you can tell they're very engaged in prioritizing what they know is important," DeVries said. "They don't turn the ball over. They prioritize that. They're very tough, they're very physical, they're very disciplined. I think it's all the things that translate to really in every sport, they're elite at. That's something we talk to our guys about."

There are a few similarities between what Cignetti and DeVries were tasked with heading into their first seasons. Both revamped the roster by using the transfer portal, with DeVries bringing in 13 new scholarship players and overhauling the coaching staff.

Cignetti felt the need to wake up the Indiana football fan base with bold statements in public appearances. And while DeVries hasn't been nearly as outspoken, he's made an effort to engage with the fanbase and restore trust in the basketball program after two straight seasons without and NCAA Tournament appearance and zero Sweet 16 trips since 2016.

Fans will get an opportunity to see DeVries' Hoosiers for the first time at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET against Marian University in an exhibition game. And if all goes well, it could look a bit like what the football team has accomplished.

"We've used football as a reference of this is why they're good," DeVries said. "Part of the reason is here's what we see –– and we're not football coaches –– but this is why you win games in football and this is why you win games in basketball, and we gotta be just as good in those areas no matter what the sport is."

"We want to be elite at not turning the ball over. We want to be elite in our discipline. We want to be elite in our toughness. And if we can do those things, then we're gonna have a chance to win on most nights."