BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Darian DeVries era couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. In his first game as Indiana’s coach, Indiana whalloped Alabama A&M Wednesday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, 98-51.

Alabama A&M scored the first points of the game on a 3-point play by Koron Davis. From then on, it was all Hoosiers. Indiana immediately went on a 29-6 run to seize control of the game. The Bulldogs never stood a chance against an Indiana team that sent a message.

The Hoosiers played exceptional defense throughout the night. They pressured ball-handlers and rarely let Alabama A&M get good shots. Alabama A&M shot 34% from the field against the Hoosiers’ tenacious defense.

"The first half, I thought defensively we were great," DeVries said after the game. "I thought we had them uncomfortable. I thought we had them pushed out, got them in areas that they weren't able to take advantage of some of their scoring opportunities."

Indiana plans to play an aggressive style of defense under DeVries. Against the Bulldogs, that aggression led to poor offensive possession where the offense couldn’t figure out where the ball should be. If the Hoosiers continue to defend at a high level, it’ll be a solid baseline for a team whose players are still learning how to work together.

Five Hoosiers had at least 10 points. Reed Bailey (21), Lamar Wilkerson (19 points), Tucker DeVries (18), Sam Alexis (17), and Tayton Conerway (14) led the balanced scoring attack that featured both long 3-pointers and easy dunks.

As this team sorts out individual roles, expect a lot of balanced scoring nights. Indiana had 23 assists, as it moved the ball incredibly well en route to the victory. DeVries has preached ball movement within his motion offense, and the Hoosiers swung the rock effectively in this one.

Indiana won the 3-point battle in this game convincingly. DeVries recruited a team that’s meant to take and make a lot of deep shots, and the Hoosiers did that in their season opener. The Hoosiers went 10-of-24 on 3s while Alabama A&M was 5-of-15. 

Indiana has only been above the national average in 3-point percentage once in the past eight seasons, and it typically shoots fewer than the national average as well. If this team can consistently shoot more 3s than its opponent at a higher percentage, it’ll be well equipped to win games.

In the past, games like this haven’t gone smoothly for the Hoosiers. Indiana beat Eastern Michigan by just six in Mike Woodson’s first game in 2021, and it lost by 21 in Archie Miller's debut in 2017.

Dominating inferior opponents was never a guarantee over the past four years. While Indiana never dropped any games against mid-major opponents in Woodson’s tenure, it would eke out wins in several of these games, which harmed the team’s resume come March.

"We're all new here, and we just wanted to come out and be able to show what we can do," Bailey said. "Then also for Coach DeVries, it feels good to get him that first one because I feel like it's only just a start for him and what he's going to do here."

Indiana gets its first real test at 1 p.m. ET Sunday when it meets Marquette in the United Center in Chicago. Marquette is 2-0 after it defeated Albany on Monday and Southern on Wednesday.