Lamar Wilkerson has clearly saved the best for last. The former Sam Houston standout transferred to Indiana to play his final season of college basketball. While he could certainly get a bucket for the Bearkats, he has taken his game to an even higher level playing for the Indiana Hoosiers. By averaging 21.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, Darian DeVries wants everyone to take notice.
DeVries opined on Wilkerson after Monday night's blowout home victory over the Oregon Ducks.
“Look at the numbers. Look at what he’s doing … And he’s a focal point for defenses. ... Do you know how hard it is to get 41 points? He’s done it twice. He’s doing it with percentages. He’s an incredible teammate.”
To be quite frank, DeVries has argued that Wilkerson should be up for every notable award this year.
Darian DeVries on Lamar Wilkerson: “Look at the numbers. Look at what he’s doing … And he’s a focal point for defenses. ... Do you know how hard it is to get 41 points? He’s done it twice. He’s doing it with percentages. He’s an incredible teammate.” #iubb https://t.co/qdEuK3X6Sx
— Jeff Rabjohns (@JeffRabjohns) February 10, 2026
Indiana has improved to a No. 9 seed in the latest waves of Bracketology after a slow start to the year.
Darian DeVries knows Lamar Wilkerson is the driving force for Indiana
At 17-8 on the year and 8-6 in Big Ten play, Indiana is approaching lock territory when it comes to making the NCAA Tournament. While their two most recent wins over Wisconsin and Oregon were largely expected, good teams take advantage of the bad ones appearing on their conference schedule. With Indiana having six more games left before the tournament, Wilkerson has to shine.
Indiana has four more games against Quad 1 opponents, but two more vs. Quad 3 teams. If they beat Northwestern and Minnesota at home, that may be enough to punch Indiana's ticket into the dance, without them getting another Quad 1 victory. Should they beat the Wildcats and Golden Gophers, as well as pick up a Quad 1 win over either Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State, or Ohio State, they shall be in.
Overall, whenever you have a player who can carry the weight of the world on his shoulders offensively during league play, he will get the recognition of his peers and coaches in the conference. Had Wilkerson been at Indiana for more than just this season, his star power would be even higher. Then again, he is using this big stage to his advantage to elevate both his brand and the program's.
Ultimately, Wilkerson will need to have a signature game against two of the four Quad 1 opponents Indiana has left. Should he play up to this standard, or even beyond that vs. two of the four between Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State, or Ohio State, that could get him into serious Big Ten Player of the Year conversations. He may need a boost in the Big Ten Tournament, but Wilkerson's stock is rising.
For now, Indiana is one of the most dangerous teams in the Big Ten, as nobody wants to play them...