Darian DeVries' first season in Bloomington has had a little bit of everything. The Hoosiers posted a solid non-conference record of 9-2 and looked like a surefire NCAA Tournament team with an overall record of 17-8 and wins in five of six games in mid-February. However, things have gone south ever since.
Latest Bracketology update has Indiana basketball fans sweating heading into Big Ten Tournament
Indiana closed the regular season with losses in five of its final six games down the stretch. In that span they lost to No. 8 Illinois by 20, No. 7 Purdue by 29, and No. 13 Michigan State13. In addition, they suffered a devastating loss at home to Northwestern and fell to another bubble team in Ohio State in the regular season finale. Those late-season struggles have IU entering this week's Big Ten Tournament with a lot of work to do in order to boost its NCAA Tournament resume.
On his weekly radio show, DeVries addressed Indiana's struggles in the Big Ten this season and what he has learned about building a roster in his first year in Bloomington.
Darian DeVries addresses IU's Big Ten struggles and has a plan for next season
The Big Ten has always been a conference that features great front court play at the 4 and 5 positions. That appears to be something that took DeVries by surprise this season.
"The biggest thing we took this year is the bigs at the 4 and 5 spot. The size and the physicality is a lot different ... that's the No. 1 thing where we need to build up depth."Darian DeVries
Darian DeVries on what he has learned about building a roster in his first year at IU: "The bigs at the four and five spot is just a lot different (In the Big Ten)."
— Kyler Staley (@kylerstaley) March 9, 2026
Darian DeVries said that building the front court is the No. 1 priority for Indiana this offseason. #iubb
DeVries' comments state the painfully obvious for fans of Indiana basketball, as strong play at the 4 and 5 spots is nothing new to see. That's just life in the Big Ten. It may be nice to hear DeVries actually address it and say it out loud, but IU fans wish he would've realized it a bit earlier when constructing the 2025-26 roster.
Efficiency, depth, and reliability at the 4 and 5 positions have been hard to come by for the cream and crimson this season. Guard Lamar Wilkerson was the star of the back court and forward Tucker DeVries put together a solid regular season, but the role players behind them haven't been able to step up and provide reliable depth. That leaves too much weight on Wilkerson's shoulders, and while he's carried the Hoosiers at times, he's simply asked to do too much.
However, DeVries made sure to mention that addressing the front court is priority No. 1 for the Hoosiers during the offseason. That is certainly refreshing to hear, as DeVries understanding his faults and setting a plan in motion to correct them is a solid start to the offseason.
But before Hoosier fans start thinking too much about next season, DeVries and company still have a chance to sneak into the NCAA Tournament with a solid showing at the Big Ten Tournament. The Hoosiers are the No. 10 seed, and will play either No. 18 Penn State or No. 15 Northwestern on Wednesday. Winning that first game, as well as a win over No. 7 Purdue in the third round would do wonders for IU's March Madness dreams.