Indiana’s new basketball coach, Darian DeVries, has discovered a significant advantage in Bloomington that many programs lack. The established booster infrastructure has allowed him to focus on building his roster instead of scrambling for NIL funding.
DeVries assembled one of the nation’s top transfer classes, ranked seventh nationally by ESPN. His ability to concentrate on basketball operations rather than fundraising marathons proved crucial in securing ten high-level transfers, including Sun Belt Player of the Year Tayton Conerway.
Darian DeVries Praises Indiana’s Donor Organization
DeVries praised Indiana’s existing financial structure during a recent podcast appearance, noting its advantage over programs starting from scratch. The coach emphasized how this differs from typical coaching transitions, where building donor relationships consumes time.
“I think the thing here is that they had a lot of things in place already, very well organized, as you talk about kind of the alliance in the administration and how supportive everyone is and the fan base and donors and things,” DeVries said. “They have it in a really good place.”
The coach emphasized how this foundation differs from typical coaching transitions, where building donor relationships consumes valuable time. This advantage becomes particularly important in modern college basketball, where roster turnover happens annually rather than over four-year periods.
Basketball Focus Over Fundraising Duties
The established booster network has created a luxury that many coaches cannot afford in today’s college basketball landscape. DeVries acknowledged the time-saving benefits while noting his continued community involvement and relationship building with the existing donor base.
“We still are out in the community trying to do those things and raise money,” DeVries said. “We want to do that. We want to be a big part of that. But you are right, it does free up some of the time that you have to spend with your team, spend with your roster, as you’re developing a lot of new guys, that this is all new to them.”
“So that’s a huge advantage for us as we get to spend that time in the gym, and I don’t have to miss as many workouts.”
The infrastructure has proven essential as DeVries completely overhauled Indiana’s roster with ten transfers. Three ranked in ESPN’s top 50 available players – Tucker DeVries No.21, who shot 47.3% from three at West Virginia, Lamar Wilkerson No. 40, and Reed Bailey No.44.
Other key additions include Sun Belt Player of the Year Tayton Connerway, sharpshooter Jason Drake, point guard Conor Enright, wing Jasai Miles, forward Josh Harris, wing Nick Dorn, and forward Sam Alexis.
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DeVries’s success at previous stops demonstrates his ability to maximize resources when available. At Drake, he compiled a 150-55 record with three NCAA Tournament appearances, while at West Virginia, he transformed a 9-23 team into a 19-13 squad, including three top-10 victories.
The Hoosiers appear positioned for sustained success with Indiana’s booster network providing the financial foundation and DeVries bringing proven turnaround expertise. The established infrastructure allows DeVries to elevate Indiana basketball to new heights over the coming seasons.
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