1 ASSIGNMENT FOR EACH INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER THIS SEASON

WRITTEN + EDITED BY JORDYN BONTRAGER

We are a little late to the “school’s back in session” party, but that will not stop us from bumping the boys are back in (B)town while reminiscing on the good ole college days in the beautiful basketball beacon of Bloomington, Indiana………….. .…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Apologies for the random pause to open things up. But those Bloomington days/nights will have you in a daze once you start dozing off into a daydream bringing them back to light. IYKYK.

Anywho, we are now over a month into the official start of the Fall semester at Indiana University. For the incoming class of Hoosier froshmen that passing of time is good news for a pair of reasons:

1) Those same newbies, whom were once upon a time roaming aimlessly around campus as they embraced the reality shift from the comfort of home life with family to their first dosage of venturing out into the real world on their own, should by now have formed a much sturdier sense of confidence in themselves with a full calendar month of being independent under their belt.

2) They are less than a month out from experiencing their first Indiana University basketball season as official Indiana University students.

And just like the inbound/active Indiana University class of 2026, the inbound/active Indiana University men’s basketball players are each continuing to find their full footing within a new program, town, and overall atmosphere alike. Also similar to those aforementioned newbie Hoosier STUDENTS, each and every IUBB member shoulders the same collective responsibility of performing admirably on the BOOKS side of being a STUDENT-athlete. Each and every one of these fellas has a full workload of SCHOOL assignments coming their way each and every day.

Just like each and every one of them has their own respective individual assignment due each and every game day this season if the Hoosiers are going to formulate a genuine recipe for success.

TAYTON CONERWAY = LEAD THE PACK

Only time will reveal the outcome of the lingering curiosity surrounding which player will distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack and assert themselves as the alpha of the 2025-2026 season for the Hoosiers. With all due respect to the other extremely eligible candidates, all early signs should shoot in Conerway’s direction. He is the team’s undisputed tog dog on the defensive end and brings an impressive track record of premier playmaking ability from both dishing and scoring perspectives. He is also the unquestioned starting point guard for this team, and will hold the on-court keys to Darian’s DeVries’s off-court gameplan day in and day out.

LAMAR WILKERSON = GET BUCKETS

Wilkerson is the nation’s #6 returning scorer from last season (20.5 PPG) and also slots in at #5 on the list of returning triple swishers (109 3PM). Obviously, there is an expectation for Wilkerson to prove himself as a perimeter defender. But with defensive demon Conerway sharing the same starting backcourt, Wilkerson’s primary objective should be tallying as many points possible (preferably in the same efficient fashion from last SZN) on the opposition. Every. Single. Game.

NICK DORN = BECOME THE TOKEN 3&D GUY

The next time we see Nick Dorn suit up in the candy stripes will simultaneously serve as the first time, being that he was sidelined throughout the Puerto Rican tour as he continues rehabbing from offseason foot surgery. This operation was a follow-up procedure stemming from a fracture he suffered midseason at Elon last year, and his new skipper recently echoed optimism regarding Dorn’s return to action.

Dorn should/will be worth the wait. He should slot comfortably into the Mackenzie Mgbako-sized crater within the starting wing spots, and he never lacks confidence when it comes to letting them fly from distance (35.1% from deep on 8.4 3PA/game in ‘24-’25). IF he can effectively master his athletic gifts on the less glamorous end and spread his wings as a potential wing stopper, he will work wonders in amplifying his name on NBA draft boards.

TUCKER DEVRIES = STAY VERSATILE

Prior to season-ending shoulder surgery back in February 2025 (the same shoulder he had surgery on back in March 2024), Tucker DeVries’s ability to impact the game of basketball in a multitude of manners was on full blown exhibit. Homie’s overall shooting numbers took a minor dip (down to 41.2% FG from 44.5% FG the prior two campaigns) in the 8 games he played, but his shooting numbers from beyond the arc spiked drastically (up to 47.3% 3FG on 6.9 3PA/game compared to a previous career-high 37.3% on the exact same volume back in ‘22-’23). His contributions expanded far beyond the outer-worldly splashing: DeVries battled beside his big men on the boards (4.9 RPG), served as a secondary source of playmaking (2.8 APG vs. 1.9 TOPG) AND made his presence felt all over the defensive end (1.8 SPG x 1.5 BPG).

Expecting him to replicate that type of diverse dominance across an entire season may seem wild, but those type of numbers are by no means unattainable for DeVries this year given the type of scoring support surrounding him. Javon Small was the only other West Virginia Mountaineer to average double-digits scoring last SZN. Now, DeVries has Conerway (14.2 PPG), Dorn (15.2 PPG), and Reed Bailey (18.8 PPG, more to come on him shortly). Oh, and that other guy we mentioned previously who dropped over 20/night last year (AND donated 6-figures to his former school this offseason in a true showing of love x respect).

There is no denying that the Hoosiers will need all the offensive firepower it can (and will) get from Tucker DeVries this year, but with so much help in this category he will have enhanced freedom to find ways to get things done in other ways (the ways that win basketball games).

REED BAILEY = CONTROL THE GLASS

Welcome to shortly: this one is pretty simple. Bailey is the next in line of an ever-expanding list of big time starting big men at IU. You saw his eye-opening scoring figures from last year reflected above, and this dude has all the potential in the world to breakout as one of the Big Ten’s best big bodies in the season to come.

But if he is going to cement his name in those types of conversations, the Davidson transfer is going to have to improve in the game’s lowkey most critical component: rebounding. Bailey is by no means a slouch in the trenches (6.1 RPG in 33.8 RPG last year), but he has not mistaken anyone for a glass gobbler up to this point in his collegiate career. And he will assume a heavy heaping of responsibility to showcase an uptick in energy on the boards given the tough acts he will be following with regards to this topic: Oumar Ballo led the team with 9.1 RPG in 28.9 MPG last season, Kel’el Ware topped the charts at 9.9 RPG in 32.8 MPG the season prior, and Trayce Jackson-Davis held the title in ‘22-’23 (9.1 RPG in 32.5 MPG across 126 iconic contests).

The gang rebounding efforts should be real throughout each and every possession, but the team’s overall success in terms of (we repeat, the game’s most critical component) rebounding will start with how Bailey fares anchoring the starting unit.

CONOR ENRIGHT = WREAK HAVOC

In order for the Hoosiers to find the right recipe for success, the team does not need Conor Enright slicing and dicing his way to the 6.2 APG he put up at DePaul last SZN.

Would that type of production be nice? Most definitely.

But is that type of production required for this season to inevitably be labeled a success? Absolutely not.

With a primary table-setter of Conerway’s nature ahead of him on the team’s point guard pecking order, Enright should embrace an Alex Caruso style of role with his newly assembled squad. Caruso may never find himself enshrined within the walls of the Basketball Hall of Fame, but he may never be supplanted as the face of the Basketball Role Players Hall of Fame. Every team needs a gritty guy like Caruso who fills in the cracks on the quest for a championship, and Enright has the overall IQ, feel, and toughness to thrive as a Bald Mamba descendant.

Get this guy a headband and let’s make it official.

JASON DRAKE = HIT SHOTS

If you read through our initial set of individual player predictions for this season, then surely you can recall our notes regarding Aleksa Ristic chomping at Jason Drake’s bit for bench backcourt minutes this season. Those two seem destined to clash for consistent court time throughout the entire SZN’s duration, and whether or not Drake can prevail in the ongoing battle should/will simply boil down to whether or not he is hitting his J’s. IF he finds + sustains the steady shooting prowess he showcased a season ago (39.6% 3FG on 3.1 attempts/game), he will carve out a steady role as a smart, supplementary playmaking combo guard who avoids mistakes and competes defensively. Shoot, if successful in that pursuit, Drake could easily give Nick Dorn a run for his money in the race for the team’s 5th and final slot in the starting lineup.

JASAI MILES = HIT THE BOARDS HARD

Similar to his fellow incoming-lanky-swingman comprade Dorn, Miles did a heavy dosage of his damage as a high volume outside shooter last year (albeit on a slightly less efficient 33.5% 3FG on 7.3 attempts/game). And sticking to the trend of things in common, Miles shares a similar duty to his new team as Dorn in contributing within some of the dirtier areas of the sport. While Dorn has the upperhand in terms of overall frame (225 lbs. compared to Miles’ 210 lb. profile), his adversary is actually much more established within the beautiful art of rebounding. And it just so happens that rebounding happens to live among the chief potential concerns for the Hoosiers looking ahead to the SZN.

Do not let his slim physique fool you, Miles aint scared to get physical. He snagged 5.5 RPG in 25.1 MPG through his first two seasons at North Florida, a rate which beats Reed Bailey’s [4.9 RPG:28.2 MPG] career ratio up to this point by a landslide (huge Bailey fan here btw, just spitting numbers/facts). This team will need Miles’s versatility across the board, but on the boards is where he will make his greatest mark with this particular program.

TRENT SISLEY = LET THE GAME COME TO YOU

Sisley may not be on the same level as some of this program’s more heralded recruiting commitments (think Cody Zeller, Romeo Langford, etc), but the nation’s #62 ranked newbie stayed loyal to IU amidst an offseason in which every other committed member elected to take their talents elsewhere.

Oh, and he is a bonafide HOOPER btw.

Clear evidence of the above claim came via Sisley’s unforeseen dominance during his first live competitive action as a Hoosier in Puerto Rico. Seldom (if ever) do we see under-the-radar type freshmen come in and assert themselves as the clear cut #1 option IN THEIR FIRST GAME. Say what you want about the level of competition for that specific friendly, but the Montverde product dropping a team'-high 21 points on a scalding 9/12 FG x 3/3 3FG was a pleasant surprise.

Regardless of how impressive Sisley was on that tour (and how sorely this team projects to need a player of his exact profile), nobody should be anticipating any type of consistent output even remotely close to that ballpark throughout the early phases of his collegiate career. In the long run, this young buck has got the gifts to go down as one of the greats. But from a short-term lens, he will need to avoid forcing things and making those unnecessary mistakes we see so many talented freshman make. This cast around him can/will do the heavy statistical lifting throughout Trent Sisley’s first season with the Hoosiers, but he DEFINITELY has a path to steady playing time from season’s start to finish given he can master the art of letting things flow naturally.

SAM ALEXIS = PROTECT THE PAINT

Of all Hoosiers whom were active during the team’s trio of Caribbean clashes, Sam Alexis was arguably the most impressive. His overall efficiency from the field stands to (and will) improve given additional game time acclimation with his new table-setters, but the reigning national champion was EVERYWHERE on the glass (7.7 RPG x 21.7 MPG) and made his presence felt around the rim despite only registered a couple of official blocked shots on that trip.

THAT version of Sam Alexis the version of Sam Alexis that THIS team needs in order to make some serious noise coming dancing time.

ALEKSA RISTIC = MAKE THINGS HAPPEN

We already touched on Aleksa Ristic’s ongoing bout with Jason Drake for backcourt minutes, and believe it or not just like Drake the only person holding Ristic back from claiming + keeping this team’s final starting job is himself. The Serbian national’s commitment came largely as a surprise to the fanbase, with no major rumors circulating of Ristic’s potential cream and crimson courtship prior to the team announcing his addition back in early July.

¿Dare we pull the hidden gem card?

Fresh off of his 20th birthday two weeks ago (happy belated Big Rist!), Ristic also arrives at Assembly Hall fresh off a strong season competing at the highest level of Serbian hoops (KSL) as a member of KK Dynamic. His numbers speak for themselves, and there were glimpses of his basketball intelligence shining through down in PR. He does not have to make spectacular things happen or flashy plays to cement himself in this team’s rotation, he simply has to make things happen in a variety of ways as he has at his previous professional pit stops.

JOSH HARRIS = BE THE BENCH MOB’S INSTANT ENERGIZER

Listed all the way down at #160 on 247 Sport’s perennial transfer portal player rankings from this offseason, Josh Harris has the potential to prove himself as one of the steals of the summer. He was not far behind Sam Alexis in terms of the team’s top bright spots from Puerto Rico, replicating similar success grabbing boards off the glass and finishing plays in the paint. Unfortunately for Harris, he will likely find himself buried behind Bailey and Alexis on the big man depth chart. Fortunately for Harris, minutes are never given and always earned. Not only does he have every opportunity to earn minutes over the other fellas in the frontcourt, but should the team outperform opponents with Harris on the court there is no telling how quickly he can usurp either/both Bailey and Alexis for minutes at the 5.

ANDREJ ACIMOVIC = STAY READY

On the subject of minutes at the 5, there probably will not be many (if any) available for incoming Bosnian Center prospect Andrej Acimovic. However, injuries and foul trouble are a necessary contingency component to any great coach’s gameplanning strategies. With that being said, the international big fella should have the simple tasks of remaining ready for battle at any given moment. You never know what could happen to your companions in the warzone, and in the game of basketball there always has to be that ‘next man up’ mentality when it comes to building a championship culture. Acimovic has boatloads of talent and arrives ripe with pro playing experience like Ristic, but can he adjust to the differing style of play and pressure if thrown into the fire?

We believe that he can, and assuredly Acimovic should/will have opportunities to build a reputation for himself here in the States. Hajde da uzmemo ovaj hljeb, brate!

PS: Welcome to the fam, Chase Branham!