Nearly 80 minutes before Indiana men’s basketball’s Cream and Crimson intrasquad scrimmage tipped off, first-year head coach Darian DeVries wasn’t near the court. 

Instead, DeVries was in the west stands, shaking hands and taking photos with fans. 

Despite being originally planned for 40 minutes, Friday’s intrasquad scrimmage inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington lasted just under 19. Junior guard Jasai Miles went down with 3:11 to play in the fourth quarter, prompting a premature end to the event. 

After the contest, both DeVries and several Hoosiers continued what the former did nearly two hours before: engaging with fans. 

Sophomore forward Josh Harris, freshman guard Aleksa Ristic and junior guards Jason Drake and Nick Dorn did not play due to their respective injuries. No official stats were kept for the scrimmage. However, the Indiana Daily Student recorded unofficial stats. Here’s four takeaways from Friday’s scrimmage: 

Indiana largely struggled to shoot the ball behind the arc over the last two seasons. If Friday’s scrimmage is any indication of the season ahead, it appears the Hoosiers will be a much more improved team from beyond the arc. 

Fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson drained four 3-pointers. Sixth-year guard Tayton Conerway, fifth-year guard Tucker DeVries and freshman forward Trent Sisley each added two long balls. 

During their three-game exhibition tour to Puerto Rico in August, the Hoosiers went 26 for 87 from 3-point range, shooting 29 long balls per game. Despite just the 29.8% clip, the Cream and Crimson showed they’ll shoot from beyond the arc far more than they have in recent seasons. 

Wilkerson, Devries and Conerway appear likely to lead the charge from downtown as they did Friday.  

In just the third quarter, the Cream and Crimson attempted four lobs combined. All four involved senior forward Sam Alexis. After throwing an unsuccessful lob to Conerway early, the Florida transfer decided to take his place as the finisher. He slammed three home over the rest of the four-minute period. 

But the Hoosiers weren’t just throwing lobs. 

All throughout the scrimmage, Indiana was looking for the extra man. From swing passes to set up open 3-pointers to a Sisley backdoor bounce pass to set up Conerway at the free throw line, selflessness was commonplace for the Hoosiers. 

With the team lacking a traditional center, Alexis establishing a paint presence would go a long way for the new look Hoosiers this season. 

Throughout the scrimmage, the Hoosiers showed a willingness to play aggressive defense. Conerway and redshirt senior guard Conor Enright served as the primary on ball defenders at the top of the key, and they made every effort to fight through screens. 

Rather than switching defenders, DeVries seems to trust his guys to play through contact and stay in front of their man. Their hustle paid off, as Conerway and Enright recorded a steal each, with Conerway adding two blocks in the first quarter. 

DeVries, players connecting with fans 

Since DeVries was hired in March, he’s taken an initiative to connect with the Hoosier faithful. 

It started with Hoosier Hoops on Kirkwood on Thursday and continued with hosting Friday’s scrimmage. DeVries also revived Haunted Hall of Hoops — which is slated for the end of October — to cater to local children and families in a Halloween celebration. 

During the Hoosiers’ informal media day Tuesday, DeVries explained that with Indiana basketball being important to many people, he wants it to be more accessible. 

“People love this game,” DeVries said. “They love this game here at Indiana, and we do, too, and we want everyone to feel a part of that.”