Indiana, which is coming off of its first quad one win of the season against Purdue last week, has ushered in a new era with first-year head coach Darian DeVries. Meanwhile, Matt Painter and the Boilermakers have weathered a recent three-game losing skid through January.
In Bloomington, the outlook is one of cautious optimism as DeVries and company currently sit in 10th place in the conference and hold a record of 15-8. In two of their last three contests, a 72-67 win over No. 12 Purdue and a double overtime victory against UCLA, Indiana has shown flashes of righting the ship at the midway point of their season. Most recently, they fell on the road to USC on Tuesday, 81-75.
Lamar Wilkerson, Tucker DeVries, and Tayton Conerway have buoyed the offense this season with their double-figure scoring.Wilkerson and DeVries have been threats from nearly every spot on the floor this season, and their play alongside the other Indiana guards has been a contrast from offenses in the past that have had an emphasis on playing through the paint.
Indiana, which shoots nearly 36 percent from three-point range, currently sits in the top 10 in the conference after spending the last two years in bottom of the Big Ten.
Wilkerson has become one of Indiana’s biggest shot creators, but they’ve also jelled into a team that has been able to score by committee. An example came during their recent wins as Reed Bailey and Nick Dorn combined for 27 points against Purdue and 50 points at UCLA.
Dorn went 14 games this season without scoring in double figures and has since averaged 20.2 points per game.
Following their double overtime win against UCLA, DeVries credited his junior guard’s play as of late.
“He’s been playing great. He’s really confident and fits well with what we try to do and the spacing on the floor. I thought the guys did a good job of finding him and put some stress on other areas because we were able to get to the rim more since the defense was out on Nick (Dorn),” DeVries says.
DeVries also notes what has changed in Bailey’s approach and how he gives them versatility on the defensive end.
“We’ve just kept encouraging him to be aggressive,” he says. “Go make plays, be yourself, and he’s doing a nice job of that. He’s found his way as the season has gone on and picked his moments. … His defense and ability to get out and play in space, switch on guards, and get back to a big is impressive on that side of the ball.”
As they come into the first week of February on the heels of two quad one wins, IU still has work to do after losing to USC on Tuesday in a game that outlined their lack of size when getting outrebounded by 15. Furthermore, their inability to generate offense when their shot isn’t falling from beyond the arc also remains an area of focus heading into their final month of regular season play.
On a court 116 miles north, Purdue sits at No. 12 in the nation, and while falling to fifth in the standings after three straight losses, it made a bounce-back effort Sunday with a 30-point win at Maryland.
One of the most notable points of late is the reemergence of guard Fletcher Loyer, who erupted for 29 points in their win.
Loyer, a guard who has made his name from beyond the arc, has shot nearly 40 percent from three throughout his career, but as of late had gone cold. Mustering just 27 percent in seven of eight contests, his ability to stretch defenses was sorely missed for an offense that thrives on surrounding its players in the paint with shooters. Against Maryland, Fletcher finished 7 for 10 from three.
“It was great to see him get going, and it really helped us from an offensive standpoint,” Painter says after their 93-63 win over Maryland. “You’ve got to give him attention, stay with him. He’s always had stretches in his career where he struggles, and when he looks like he’s the best shooter in the country. Hopefully, this is the start of that shooting stretch.”
Purdue began their season winning 17 of their first 18 games before a bump in the road of three consecutive conference losses derailed their chances of winning at least a share of the conference title. They came into the 2026 campaign retooling with the addition of center Oscar Cluff in the transfer portal. This pickup added depth to a front court that includes native Hoosier Trey Kaufman-Renn and upstart Daniel Jacobsen.
However, the key to their success rests in the hands of All-American guard Braden Smith, who has shot 50 percent from the field on 15 ppg and leads the team at point guard.
But with five of their next six games against teams likely to make the NCAA tournament, consistency is key for Painter and co.
“Consistent play, no matter what the scenario is, that’s all we want. We want to be consistent, stay consistent, and not lose anything when we sub,” Painter says. “It starts with concentration. The issue is, if we’re not shooting well, do we still do the other things? You have to be able to grind it out when the ball isn’t going in.”
And while Indiana and Purdue continue to navigate arguably the toughest conference in the nation, win or loss, the future is bright, and the optimism is overflowing for fans of hoops in the Hoosier state.
