‘No Short Cuts’ – DeVries Embraces Flipping-the-Roster Challenge Way
6/5/2025 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – How do you build a basketball championship roster from scratch, as new Indiana coach Darian DeVries aims to do this upcoming season?
Start with a lot of thought, work, and attention to detail, all while putting together a new coaching staff.
"I think the biggest thing is getting (the players) all together, getting them on the same page, and watching how that plays out in terms of roles and connectivity because you don't have anything else to go off of other than that," DeVries says.
IU brought in 10 highly regarded transfers and one four-star freshman prospect. Two walk-ons from last season -- guard Jordan Rayford and forward Ian Stephens -- will return.
Summer workouts began this week, and the goal is developing team chemistry critical for success.
"The biggest challenge," DeVries says, "is we want to make sure that everybody we're bringing in is what we want not only for this year but for long term in terms of establishing who we want to be, what we want that to look like, and making sure they can complement each other on the floor, off the floor. Then, you're also putting the staff together simultaneously. We're trying to balance both as you're going through it, but at the same time, not take any shortcuts. We want to make sure we're doing this right from Day One. If it takes a little longer, then it takes a little longer. We try to do it as quickly as we can but also be very smart and calculated about it."
IU's transfer group is ranked No. 10 nationally by 24/7Sports. It consists of 6-8 forward Sam Alexis from national champion Florida, Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Tayton Conerway from Troy, two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Tucker DeVries from West Virginia and Drake, two-time All-Conference USA guard Lamar Wilkerson from Sam Houston State, Atlantic 10 All-Conference forward Reed Bailey from Davidson, All-Atlantic Sun Conference guard Jasai Miles from North Florida, fellow North Florida standout Josh Harris, Coastal Athletic Association All-Rookie player Nick Dorn, guard Conor Enright from DePaul and Drake, and guard Jason Drake from Cleveland State.
The 6-7 DeVries, the head coach's son, has averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 112 career games. The 6-10 Bailey totaled 1,203 points, 476 rebounds, 194 assists, and 139 steals in three seasons. The 6-6 Wilkerson had 1,321 points, 339 rebounds, 125 assists, and 90 steals in three seasons.
Freshman Trent Sisley, a 6-8 forward from Heritage Hills High School in Indiana and Monteverde Academy in Florida, is a four-star prospect.
"It's been fun to watch the staff come together, watch the team come together, and now getting them on the practice floor," DeVries says. "That's what I've looked forward to."
Recruiting has dramatically changed in recent years with the transfer portal, NIL opportunities, and the upcoming NCAA settlement. Coaches once took years building relationships with high school prospects. They still do that, but in this win-now environment, the transfer portal is the fastest way to quick results. That relationship building is often compressed into weeks.
"You have to do as much of your work as you can and then it's using your contacts, your connections with your staff, with other people, to find out as much information you can about each individual that you're recruiting," DeVries says. "It can be a two-, three- or four-week process, which is very soon, very quick.
"For the most part, as you're going through it, you have a pretty good idea as you've been out recruiting, watching these kids come through the high school ranks, go through their college ranks, you have a pretty good idea already on most people. There's always somebody that you can touch that has a good feel for what the kids are about."
Was getting transfer players from winning programs a top priority?
"It's certainly one of the factors," DeVries says, "but it wasn't something that they had to have. Over the years, we've taken guys that came from a team that wasn't that successful, but it's always an added benefit if they were able to help their team win. That's a great quality to have."
DeVries adds he doesn't limit recruiting to just players from winning programs because, "sometimes there are situations where it wasn't their fault."
"But it's always nice when you can collect as many guys that know how to win and care about winning. Those qualities tend to shine through pretty quickly."
This is the third time DeVries has flipped a roster, doing it previously at Drake and West Virginia.
"One of the advantages is when everybody you're recruiting is bought into your vision in things and you're not having to convince somebody who was returning (from the previous season) of your vision," DeVries says. "There's some benefit there.
"The downside is every guy on the roster is new and the familiarity with the university, the town, and everything is starting from scratch.
"It's about figuring things out as we go. The players are figuring out one another, and their new coaches. The coaches are figuring out each other and the new players. It's a fun process. It's fun to see where it starts in June and where it ends up next March."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – How do you build a basketball championship roster from scratch, as new Indiana coach Darian DeVries aims to do this upcoming season?
Start with a lot of thought, work, and attention to detail, all while putting together a new coaching staff.
"I think the biggest thing is getting (the players) all together, getting them on the same page, and watching how that plays out in terms of roles and connectivity because you don't have anything else to go off of other than that," DeVries says.
IU brought in 10 highly regarded transfers and one four-star freshman prospect. Two walk-ons from last season -- guard Jordan Rayford and forward Ian Stephens -- will return.
Summer workouts began this week, and the goal is developing team chemistry critical for success.
"The biggest challenge," DeVries says, "is we want to make sure that everybody we're bringing in is what we want not only for this year but for long term in terms of establishing who we want to be, what we want that to look like, and making sure they can complement each other on the floor, off the floor. Then, you're also putting the staff together simultaneously. We're trying to balance both as you're going through it, but at the same time, not take any shortcuts. We want to make sure we're doing this right from Day One. If it takes a little longer, then it takes a little longer. We try to do it as quickly as we can but also be very smart and calculated about it."
IU's transfer group is ranked No. 10 nationally by 24/7Sports. It consists of 6-8 forward Sam Alexis from national champion Florida, Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Tayton Conerway from Troy, two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Tucker DeVries from West Virginia and Drake, two-time All-Conference USA guard Lamar Wilkerson from Sam Houston State, Atlantic 10 All-Conference forward Reed Bailey from Davidson, All-Atlantic Sun Conference guard Jasai Miles from North Florida, fellow North Florida standout Josh Harris, Coastal Athletic Association All-Rookie player Nick Dorn, guard Conor Enright from DePaul and Drake, and guard Jason Drake from Cleveland State.
The 6-7 DeVries, the head coach's son, has averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 112 career games. The 6-10 Bailey totaled 1,203 points, 476 rebounds, 194 assists, and 139 steals in three seasons. The 6-6 Wilkerson had 1,321 points, 339 rebounds, 125 assists, and 90 steals in three seasons.
Freshman Trent Sisley, a 6-8 forward from Heritage Hills High School in Indiana and Monteverde Academy in Florida, is a four-star prospect.
"It's been fun to watch the staff come together, watch the team come together, and now getting them on the practice floor," DeVries says. "That's what I've looked forward to."
Recruiting has dramatically changed in recent years with the transfer portal, NIL opportunities, and the upcoming NCAA settlement. Coaches once took years building relationships with high school prospects. They still do that, but in this win-now environment, the transfer portal is the fastest way to quick results. That relationship building is often compressed into weeks.
"You have to do as much of your work as you can and then it's using your contacts, your connections with your staff, with other people, to find out as much information you can about each individual that you're recruiting," DeVries says. "It can be a two-, three- or four-week process, which is very soon, very quick.
"For the most part, as you're going through it, you have a pretty good idea as you've been out recruiting, watching these kids come through the high school ranks, go through their college ranks, you have a pretty good idea already on most people. There's always somebody that you can touch that has a good feel for what the kids are about."
Was getting transfer players from winning programs a top priority?
"It's certainly one of the factors," DeVries says, "but it wasn't something that they had to have. Over the years, we've taken guys that came from a team that wasn't that successful, but it's always an added benefit if they were able to help their team win. That's a great quality to have."
DeVries adds he doesn't limit recruiting to just players from winning programs because, "sometimes there are situations where it wasn't their fault."
"But it's always nice when you can collect as many guys that know how to win and care about winning. Those qualities tend to shine through pretty quickly."
This is the third time DeVries has flipped a roster, doing it previously at Drake and West Virginia.
"One of the advantages is when everybody you're recruiting is bought into your vision in things and you're not having to convince somebody who was returning (from the previous season) of your vision," DeVries says. "There's some benefit there.
"The downside is every guy on the roster is new and the familiarity with the university, the town, and everything is starting from scratch.
"It's about figuring things out as we go. The players are figuring out one another, and their new coaches. The coaches are figuring out each other and the new players. It's a fun process. It's fun to see where it starts in June and where it ends up next March."
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's BasketballFB: Elijah Sarratt Media Availability (9/9/25)
Tuesday, September 09
FB: Roman Hemby Media Availability (9/9/25)
Tuesday, September 09
FB: Under the Hood with Indiana Football - Week 2 (Kennesaw State)
Thursday, September 04
FB: D'Angelo Ponds Media Availability (9/2/25)
Tuesday, September 02