Indiana hires a 'grinder'

Good morning! Nothing like a full-court pass for a buzzer-beater to open the NCAA Tournament, is there?

But first, let’s dive into a significant coaching move.

1. Indiana turns to a proven winner

Indiana’s been waiting for its next great coach since it cut ties with Bob Knight. It had one in Kelvin Sampson, but arcane NCAA rules got in the way. it thought it had one in Tom Crean, but that didn’t last.

And now, they have a proven, reliable winner in Darian DeVries, who was announced as the school’s newest coach on Monday.

"This is unquestionably one of the top jobs in America. As someone who grew up in the Midwest loving the game of basketball, I've always admired the IU Basketball program for its championship-level success, tradition, and fan support," DeVries said. "There's a passion to succeed at the very highest levels both within the Big Ten and in the NCAA Tournament, and that's a desire that as a coach I share.”

There were reports that the Hoosiers were focused on either DeVries or Drake coach Ben McCollum. But there’s no arguing with the guy they chose.

DeVries spent last season at West Virginia, where he finished 19-13 and 10-10 in the Big 12 despite an injury to his best player (his son, Tucker) and a roster that most thought would struggle in the league. The Mountaineers merely won at Kansas, beat Gonzaga, Arizona and Iowa State, and narrowly missed the NCAA tourney.

Previously, DeVries spent five seasons at Drake, going 150-55, including four seasons in which he won 25+ games, and earned NCAA Tournament bids in 2021, 2023, and 2024.

His former boss, Creighton coach Greg McDermott, gave a glowing review: "Drock is a grinder. His tireless work ethic and passion for bringing out the best in his players is unmatched. He is an outside of the box thinker on both ends of the floor. Indiana hit a home run," McDermott said.

Former NPOY Doug McDermott, who played at Creighton while DeVries was there, joined John Fanta and Jeff Goodman for some insights on DeVries — who initiated the recruiting process for McDermott to Creighton.

This isn’t a flashy hire like Chris Beard or Will Wade, but there’s no arguing with DeVries’ success, or his playing style; West Virginia didn’t hesitate to shoot 3s.

Plus, according to reports, Tucker DeVries will join Indiana as well. The two-time MVC POY played just eight games this year for WVU as a nagging back injury kept him out for the year. If he’s healthy, he’s an all-Big Ten caliber player.

Sure, DeVries will need to rebuild Indiana’s roster — Malik Reneau and Gabe Cupps both say they’ll enter the portal — but given the Hoosiers’ NIL resources, that shouldn’t be a problem.

2. Alabama St. kicks off the Madness + UNC rolls

We needed roughly two hours for the NCAA Tournament to deliver a classic finish.

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