Hoosiers Roll to Senior Day Victory

Wednesday, March 4

Bloomington, Ind.

6:30 PM

Indiana University

18-12,9-10Big Ten

Minnesota

14-16,7-12Big Ten

Minnesota

Indiana

3/4/2026 8:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Emotional? Darn straight. A father-son relationship is special at any time, and when it comes as part of big-time college athletics, as it is with Indiana's Darian and Tucker DeVries, when it signifies the approaching end of something special, in this case the final home game of Tucker DeVries' career, it's easy to understand if tears flow, and they didn't with DeVries the father and coach during Wednesday night's 77-47 victory over Minnesota at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, it got close.

"With all these guys, when you get to Senior Night, you have a special connection with them.," Darian DeVries said. "When you get that with your son, it's a different feeling.

"I fought it all day. I'm not giving in now. But some special times are about to end."

And then there's this -- let it be known, Hoosier Nation, that basketball winning has returned. The four-game losing streak is over.

"It felt good -- senior night, last home game," senior forward Sam Alexis said. "It was great to see the fans and parents supporting us."

Freeze frame this moment:

As the clock ticked under a minute remaining, guard Lamar Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries were done for the night and cheers and hugs followed. Alexis joined them seconds later to his own hugs and cheers. Then came guards Conor Enright and Tayton Conerway, and forward Reed Bailey. All had played in the final home games of their careers.

All six were honored during a brief pre-game ceremony.

"I'm happy for the seniors to go out the way they did," Darian DeVries said.

Alexis was a one-man force of basketball nature in the first half with 17 points (on 8-for-9 shooting), three rebounds, and a block. He finished with a season-high 23 points on 90.9% shooting, nine rebounds, and two blocks in 27 minutes.

"When he plays like that," guard Nick Dorn said, "it does a lot for us. It opens up everything and leads to mismatches and gives us clean looks."

It was Alexis's fifth double-figure scoring performance in the last seven games.

"He's been playing at a high level for the last couple of weeks," Darian DeVries said.

Tucker DeVries totaled 13 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Wilkerson had 16 points. Enright had eight assists, five rebounds, and four points. Dorn added 11 points.

IU (18-12 overall, 9-10 in the Big Ten) was ruthlessly efficient in the first half, shooting 62 percent from the field (6-for-13 on 3-pointers) with 12 assists against just three turnovers. The second half was similar as the Hoosiers consistently worked the ball inside to gain a 40-22 advantage in points in the paint. Overall, they shot 57 percent from the field, made 10 3-pointers and had 17 assists against 10 turnovers.

Minnesota (14-16, 7-12), reduced to a six-man rotation because of injuries, lacked the size and depth to slow the Hoosiers down.

Triples from Wilkerson and Dorn, plus five Alexis points, boosted IU to an early 11-4 lead. A second Wilkerson 3-pointer, a spinning Alexis layup and then a dunk off a Wilkerson assist, plus a Dorn basket made it 20-6 eight minutes into the game.

Minnesota responded with six straight points and closed within 22-19.

Alexis and Dorn helped push the Hoosiers ahead 31-22. Triples from Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries, and then a Tucker DeVries dunk off a Bailey assist, helped give IU a 43-28 halftime lead.

The goal -- not let the Gophers get back in the game.

"We broke it down four minutes at a time," Dorn said. "After each media break, we assessed how much we won or lost that segment, then focus on the next four minutes and just put together 20 minutes."

IU made it 52-34 five minutes into the second half. Dorn's third 3-pointer made it 62-40 as the clock ticked under 10 minutes. It was part of a 14-0 Hoosier run.

The Gophers were finished.

IU ends its regular season with a Saturday trip to Ohio State with huge postseason implications.

"Just come into practice every day with the same mindset we've been having the last couple days," Alexis said. "Have great leadership with the team and high intensity in practice."