Toughness Rules – Harris Embraces Physicality of New Basketball Era
10/2/2025 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – For now, Josh Harris watches and waits from a red Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall sideline chair, a gray boot covering his foot. This will change, of course. The 6-foot-8, 225-pound sophomore forward will return to good health, practice, and impact. He will work, as his Indiana basketball teammates do, to build something special in coach Darian DeVries' highly anticipated Hoosier debut season.
Tuesday afternoon's energetic practice winds down with much to look forward to. Hoosier Hoops on Kirkwood is Thursday night, followed by Friday night's Cream & Crimson Scrimmage at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, then exhibitions against Marian University and Baylor, and the return of Haunted Hall of Hoops before the Nov. 5 season opener against Alabama A&M.
For now, though, there's halfcourt defense to work though. A drive comes, the paint is penetrated, a basket is scored, and a teaching moment arrives.
DeVries takes advantage.
"Get in the ball," he shouts. "Make things challenging."
The Hoosiers do. The defense tightens, a shot-clock violation comes, and cheers erupt.
Harris watches, waits.
Full-court work begins. Senior guard Tayton Conerway beats the shot clock with a 3-pointer. Freshman forward Trent Sisley caps a fastbreak with a dunk. More cheers.
Harris watches, waits, and this much we know -- his time is coming, just as it did in a pair of August games in Puerto Rico, when he averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.
"Josh brings some very good physicality," DeVries says. "He works incredibly hard. He's another one of those guys that unfortunately is out, so we'll see what that means for him in the short term.
"We really liked his approach every day. He's one of those guys that's in the gym working, and he's trying to develop his game."
Underestimate Harris at your own risk. He's convinced last season's dominance as a North Florida freshman, when he averaged 13.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in 22.5 minutes, will translate well to the Big Ten.
"You can always play with anyone if you have the confidence and put in the work," he says. "I'm not a small dude. I'm not worried about that."
Neither are his teammates.
"He's super physical," forward Tucker DeVries says. "He is maybe undersized for his position, but he makes up for it with how hard he plays and how physical he is. He's a really good low-post scorer. He brings a lot of energy."
Adds forward Sam Alexis: "He's physical. He can score down low. When he goes to his right hand, you can't stop him."
Harris thrived against major college competition last season, highlighted by 22 points and seven rebounds at Georgia Tech; 12 points, six rebounds, and two steals at Georgia; and eight points and four rebounds at Nebraska.
What will Harris bring to the Hoosiers?
"Rebounding and scoring in the paint," he says. "Being able to find my teammates, find the cutters, the open guys, and bringing a lot of toughness.
"Toughness can be everything. One person's toughness can influence the team, and if everyone is tough, that's how you win."
That makes him a perfect fit for DeVries, whose teams thrive on out-toughing the other guy.
"I love it," Harris says. "I love playing for a coach who wants his guys to be dogs, who wants his guys to be tough. I love that (DeVries is) very defensive minded. He wants us to play defense as hard as we play offense. When we do that, we look great."
For those concerned IU could be undersized despite having 6-9 Alexis, 6-foot-10 Reed Bailey, and 6-foot-10 Andrej Acimovic, Harris has a message for you.
"There are things you can do to compensate for a lack of size," he says. "What we're going to do is play tough, have a lot of heart, and be the most physical guys on the court. Height can't beat physicality. Height can't beat toughness or heart."
Practice ends and DeVries reflects on the team he's building.
"What I think we're best at right now is just their coachability. From the first week in June until now, they've continued to want to learn, want to get better.
"I love how coachable they are, and how unselfish they play. Our communication, our connectivity shines through not only on the offensive end, but the defensive end.
"I like the progress we've made. We have multiple guys who can score, we have a lot of different ways we can score, a lot of different guys who can shoot.
"Defensively, I like how they bring great enthusiasm and energy. We have to really good on the defensive side because we're not going to be overly big and long and athletic. We've got to be very sound in what we do from a discipline standpoint and be very aggressive in the way we approach it."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – For now, Josh Harris watches and waits from a red Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall sideline chair, a gray boot covering his foot. This will change, of course. The 6-foot-8, 225-pound sophomore forward will return to good health, practice, and impact. He will work, as his Indiana basketball teammates do, to build something special in coach Darian DeVries' highly anticipated Hoosier debut season.
Tuesday afternoon's energetic practice winds down with much to look forward to. Hoosier Hoops on Kirkwood is Thursday night, followed by Friday night's Cream & Crimson Scrimmage at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, then exhibitions against Marian University and Baylor, and the return of Haunted Hall of Hoops before the Nov. 5 season opener against Alabama A&M.
For now, though, there's halfcourt defense to work though. A drive comes, the paint is penetrated, a basket is scored, and a teaching moment arrives.
DeVries takes advantage.
"Get in the ball," he shouts. "Make things challenging."
The Hoosiers do. The defense tightens, a shot-clock violation comes, and cheers erupt.
Harris watches, waits.
Full-court work begins. Senior guard Tayton Conerway beats the shot clock with a 3-pointer. Freshman forward Trent Sisley caps a fastbreak with a dunk. More cheers.
Harris watches, waits, and this much we know -- his time is coming, just as it did in a pair of August games in Puerto Rico, when he averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.
"Josh brings some very good physicality," DeVries says. "He works incredibly hard. He's another one of those guys that unfortunately is out, so we'll see what that means for him in the short term.
"We really liked his approach every day. He's one of those guys that's in the gym working, and he's trying to develop his game."
Underestimate Harris at your own risk. He's convinced last season's dominance as a North Florida freshman, when he averaged 13.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in 22.5 minutes, will translate well to the Big Ten.
"You can always play with anyone if you have the confidence and put in the work," he says. "I'm not a small dude. I'm not worried about that."
Neither are his teammates.
"He's super physical," forward Tucker DeVries says. "He is maybe undersized for his position, but he makes up for it with how hard he plays and how physical he is. He's a really good low-post scorer. He brings a lot of energy."
Adds forward Sam Alexis: "He's physical. He can score down low. When he goes to his right hand, you can't stop him."
Harris thrived against major college competition last season, highlighted by 22 points and seven rebounds at Georgia Tech; 12 points, six rebounds, and two steals at Georgia; and eight points and four rebounds at Nebraska.
What will Harris bring to the Hoosiers?
"Rebounding and scoring in the paint," he says. "Being able to find my teammates, find the cutters, the open guys, and bringing a lot of toughness.
"Toughness can be everything. One person's toughness can influence the team, and if everyone is tough, that's how you win."
That makes him a perfect fit for DeVries, whose teams thrive on out-toughing the other guy.
"I love it," Harris says. "I love playing for a coach who wants his guys to be dogs, who wants his guys to be tough. I love that (DeVries is) very defensive minded. He wants us to play defense as hard as we play offense. When we do that, we look great."
For those concerned IU could be undersized despite having 6-9 Alexis, 6-foot-10 Reed Bailey, and 6-foot-10 Andrej Acimovic, Harris has a message for you.
"There are things you can do to compensate for a lack of size," he says. "What we're going to do is play tough, have a lot of heart, and be the most physical guys on the court. Height can't beat physicality. Height can't beat toughness or heart."
Practice ends and DeVries reflects on the team he's building.
"What I think we're best at right now is just their coachability. From the first week in June until now, they've continued to want to learn, want to get better.
"I love how coachable they are, and how unselfish they play. Our communication, our connectivity shines through not only on the offensive end, but the defensive end.
"I like the progress we've made. We have multiple guys who can score, we have a lot of different ways we can score, a lot of different guys who can shoot.
"Defensively, I like how they bring great enthusiasm and energy. We have to really good on the defensive side because we're not going to be overly big and long and athletic. We've got to be very sound in what we do from a discipline standpoint and be very aggressive in the way we approach it."
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