Entering the contest, the Hoosiers shot 26.9% from 3-point range in their previous two games. While Indiana was able to handle its second power conference opponent of the season in a 86-69 victory, the Cream and Crimson’s shooting struggles persisted. The Hoosiers connected on only 30.3% of their attempts from beyond the arc.
Against Bethune-Cookman University, it was a different story. Indiana returned to its early season offensive form in a dominating 100-56 win on Saturday. Much like how they opened the season, the Hoosiers poured in 12 triples and shot 54.5% from the field.
Across former head coach Mike Woodson’s four seasons at the helm, Indiana scored 100 points or more on three occasions — including against Bethune-Cookman in 2022. In Darian DeVries’ first seven games as head coach, the Hoosiers have already matched that total.
The brightest star from the Hoosiers’ 44-point rout of Bethune-Cookman was Tucker DeVries. The redshirt senior forward posted a game-high 20 points on 50% shooting from the field. He also knocked down five 3-pointers and dished out five assists. DeVries’ 26 makes from long distance in the team’s first seven games leads all Big Ten players. Only four Hoosiers made more 3-pointers across the entire 2024-25 season.
Four other Hoosiers scored in double figures. Fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson had 18, while senior forward Sam Alexis, junior guard Nick Dorn and freshman forward Trent Sisley each scored 14 points.
Redshirt senior guard Conor Enright led the Hoosiers with seven assists, and the Cream and Crimson’s 2.15 assist to turnover ratio ranks second in the country.
Coming off a refreshing offensive performance, Indiana is set to begin conference play Wednesday on the road against Minnesota.
Indiana has won each of its last nine meetings against Minnesota. But this isn’t the same old Golden Gopher squad. Minnesota dismissed head coach Ben Johnson after going 15-17 in his fourth season and hired Niko Medved to lead the next era of Golden Gopher basketball.
Minnesota is Medved’s fourth head coaching job, following stops at Furman University, Drake University and Colorado State University. Upon Medved’s departure from Drake for Colorado State in 2018, the Bulldogs hired then-Creighton assistant coach Darian DeVries to his first head coaching position.
Over seven seasons at Colorado State, Medved went 143-85. In that time, the Rams reached the NCAA Tournament three times, including in 2024-25, when their season came to an end against Maryland in the Round of 32 on a buzzer-beater from eventual NBA lottery pick Derik Queen.
Medved constructed a new Minnesota roster, picking up nine transfers in the offseason. The Golden Gophers’ transfer class was led by former University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill wing Cade Tyson.
After coming off the bench all season at UNC, the senior has stepped into the leading role at Minnesota. Through eight games, Tyson is averaging 22.4 points per game, the ninth most in the country. He’s also shooting 53.2% from the field and averaging 10 free throw attempts per game.
Junior forward Jaylen Crocker-Johnson is the only other Golden Gopher averaging double figures, adding 12.4 points and a team-high 9.1 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Isaac Asuma and junior forward Bobby Durkin have each knocked down 12 3-pointers so far this season to go along with Tyson’s 14.
Minnesota is 4-4 on the season, with all four victories coming at home. The Golden Gophers are winless in their two matchups against power conference opponents, losing to the University of Missouri and Stanford University.
Despite being 7-0 and ranked No. 22 in the latest AP Poll, Darian DeVries emphasized the importance of taking things one step at a time as the Hoosiers enter Big Ten play.
“For us, it’s just how do we keep getting better. That’s all we’re really consumed with,” DeVries said postgame Saturday. “The games are going to continue to get harder and harder. When you start league play, it gets amped up even more.”
Indiana will look to snap Minnesota’s unbeaten home record and extend its series winning streak to double digits at 7 p.m. Wednesday inside Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Coverage of the game will be available on the Big Ten Network.
