Indiana University Athletics
Monday, December 22
Bloomington, Ind.
6:00 PM
Indiana University
vs
Siena
‘Physicality Contest’ -- Merry Hoosier Christmas Needs a Victory
12/22/2025 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Reed Bailey sees signs of the rebounding team Indiana can become, must become, by coaching demand and season necessity.
"We always want to be able to get on the offensive glass and the same for defense," the senior forward says. "We're always just trying to take another step in the right direction every game because that's something we really preach, just trying to be strong on the defensive and offensive glass."
Bailey did his part during Saturday's 78-58 win over Chicago State with a season-high eight rebounds and with 17 points, all off the bench. That helped the Hoosiers win the rebounding battle (44-33), including a 13-11 edge on offensive rebounds.
It wasn't enough for coach Darian DeVries, whose team faces Monday night's non-conference finale against Siena (9-3) and then a return to Big Ten battles, starting with Washington, on Jan. 4.
"For us, it's not there," Darian DeVries says. We're not there yet and that's something as we get ready for our last non-conference game, then then come home from Christmas break and get ready for the last stretch run of Big Ten games, that has to become a priority for all of us.
"That hasn't quite registered yet with our group of how do we become a good defensive rebounding team? Because we can. That we have to do it is certain for us to be successful. It's not going to be a run-and-jump contest for us. It's got to be a physicality, toughness contest. A want to. That's where we've got to get to."
The quick turnaround for the Siena game, followed by a long layoff, has Darian DeVries and his staff maximizing the time.
Sunday was a film session on Siena, and then a walk-through and light practice.
"You don't get a lot of live reps, guarding them, them guarding us so you have to rely a lot on your principles and shoot around on Monday before we play the game," he says.
After Monday night, Darian DeVries added, the players are off until Saturday, when they return to campus.
"They'll get a nice little break here in college basketball world at least, to go see some friends and family for a few days. I know they're excited about that.
"It's like I told them, the main thing is we have to make sure before we do that that we have a good game (against Siena) and make sure that we leave for a good Christmas. That's our No. 1 goal -- to make sure we come out ready to play on Monday."
IU spent the days in the aftermath of the Kentucky loss working on playing physical and relentless without fouling. The Hoosiers were successful, committing only 10 fouls against Chicago State. Bailey didn't commit a foul at all after getting three against Kentucky.
"People can see it's those reach-in fouls," Bailey says. "That goes for me, too. I got those two early ones (against Kentucky). It's something we emphasize, but we also still want to play physical, play with aggression so you don't want to take that away."
Playing physical and aggressive without fouling, adds Darian DeVries, is challenging. Foul trouble was a big problem at Kentucky. IU had 24 fouls, which gave the Wildcats 38 free throw attempts.
"A lot of those fouls were verticality issues," Darian DeVries says. "Some of them were in transition off of turnovers, which is harder because as the guys are driving, trying to keep your hands back and still give them a challenge at the rim.
"We're going to be a heavy hands team, trying to rake at balls, getting steals, getting deflections, heavy at making entries difficult, and that wasn't really where we were picking up a lot of our fouls.
"A lot of our fouls were the cheap reaches, not ones where we're going to have a high rate of success. We broke down some of those fouls and where they came from and showed them the difference between, 'Hey, here's an aggressive foul that we're willing to accept every now and then and here's the ones we've got to stop.' Maybe it's reaching in from behind when you don't need to.
"That's something that, A, we can't do and put them at the free-throw line and, B, we don't need you sitting on the bench. That's something we put our priority on."
The key, DeVries adds, is doing that while maintaining aggressive defensive intensity.
"I don't want us losing our edge from a defensive standpoint. Our two-point field goal percentage defense is one of the better ones in the country and we don't have shot blocking, so there's a reason for that, too. We got to make sure there's a nice balance of we don't want to foul, but we also maintain our physicality."
Against Chicago State, IU was 14-for-26 on 3-pointers in the first half, and 1-for-20 in the second. Those long-range misses, Bailey says, often resulted in long rebounds, and the chance to get offensive rebounds.
"Just being able to attack the glass strong and then either getting a kick-out for another three because usually defense collapses or you just get a little putback.
"Even if the shots aren't falling, we have to trust in what we do in our offense. We're always going to take those open threes. So it's not going to change anything."
Siena is coming off an 83-69 loss at Vermont. The Saints are coached by Gerry McNamara, who was an assistant coach on the Syracuse team that upset No. 1 Indiana in the 2013 Sweet Sixteen. He played on Syracuse's 2003 national title team.
Three Saints average in double figures: guard Gavin Doty (14.8 points 6.3 rebounds), guard Justice Shoats (12.7, team-leading 63 assists and 21 steals) and forward Brendan Coyle (10.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, team-leading 25 3-point baskets). Forward Tasman Goodrick averages 9.7 points and 7.3 rebounds.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Reed Bailey sees signs of the rebounding team Indiana can become, must become, by coaching demand and season necessity.
"We always want to be able to get on the offensive glass and the same for defense," the senior forward says. "We're always just trying to take another step in the right direction every game because that's something we really preach, just trying to be strong on the defensive and offensive glass."
Bailey did his part during Saturday's 78-58 win over Chicago State with a season-high eight rebounds and with 17 points, all off the bench. That helped the Hoosiers win the rebounding battle (44-33), including a 13-11 edge on offensive rebounds.
It wasn't enough for coach Darian DeVries, whose team faces Monday night's non-conference finale against Siena (9-3) and then a return to Big Ten battles, starting with Washington, on Jan. 4.
"For us, it's not there," Darian DeVries says. We're not there yet and that's something as we get ready for our last non-conference game, then then come home from Christmas break and get ready for the last stretch run of Big Ten games, that has to become a priority for all of us.
"That hasn't quite registered yet with our group of how do we become a good defensive rebounding team? Because we can. That we have to do it is certain for us to be successful. It's not going to be a run-and-jump contest for us. It's got to be a physicality, toughness contest. A want to. That's where we've got to get to."
The quick turnaround for the Siena game, followed by a long layoff, has Darian DeVries and his staff maximizing the time.
Sunday was a film session on Siena, and then a walk-through and light practice.
"You don't get a lot of live reps, guarding them, them guarding us so you have to rely a lot on your principles and shoot around on Monday before we play the game," he says.
After Monday night, Darian DeVries added, the players are off until Saturday, when they return to campus.
"They'll get a nice little break here in college basketball world at least, to go see some friends and family for a few days. I know they're excited about that.
"It's like I told them, the main thing is we have to make sure before we do that that we have a good game (against Siena) and make sure that we leave for a good Christmas. That's our No. 1 goal -- to make sure we come out ready to play on Monday."
IU spent the days in the aftermath of the Kentucky loss working on playing physical and relentless without fouling. The Hoosiers were successful, committing only 10 fouls against Chicago State. Bailey didn't commit a foul at all after getting three against Kentucky.
"People can see it's those reach-in fouls," Bailey says. "That goes for me, too. I got those two early ones (against Kentucky). It's something we emphasize, but we also still want to play physical, play with aggression so you don't want to take that away."
Playing physical and aggressive without fouling, adds Darian DeVries, is challenging. Foul trouble was a big problem at Kentucky. IU had 24 fouls, which gave the Wildcats 38 free throw attempts.
"A lot of those fouls were verticality issues," Darian DeVries says. "Some of them were in transition off of turnovers, which is harder because as the guys are driving, trying to keep your hands back and still give them a challenge at the rim.
"We're going to be a heavy hands team, trying to rake at balls, getting steals, getting deflections, heavy at making entries difficult, and that wasn't really where we were picking up a lot of our fouls.
"A lot of our fouls were the cheap reaches, not ones where we're going to have a high rate of success. We broke down some of those fouls and where they came from and showed them the difference between, 'Hey, here's an aggressive foul that we're willing to accept every now and then and here's the ones we've got to stop.' Maybe it's reaching in from behind when you don't need to.
"That's something that, A, we can't do and put them at the free-throw line and, B, we don't need you sitting on the bench. That's something we put our priority on."
The key, DeVries adds, is doing that while maintaining aggressive defensive intensity.
"I don't want us losing our edge from a defensive standpoint. Our two-point field goal percentage defense is one of the better ones in the country and we don't have shot blocking, so there's a reason for that, too. We got to make sure there's a nice balance of we don't want to foul, but we also maintain our physicality."
Against Chicago State, IU was 14-for-26 on 3-pointers in the first half, and 1-for-20 in the second. Those long-range misses, Bailey says, often resulted in long rebounds, and the chance to get offensive rebounds.
"Just being able to attack the glass strong and then either getting a kick-out for another three because usually defense collapses or you just get a little putback.
"Even if the shots aren't falling, we have to trust in what we do in our offense. We're always going to take those open threes. So it's not going to change anything."
Siena is coming off an 83-69 loss at Vermont. The Saints are coached by Gerry McNamara, who was an assistant coach on the Syracuse team that upset No. 1 Indiana in the 2013 Sweet Sixteen. He played on Syracuse's 2003 national title team.
Three Saints average in double figures: guard Gavin Doty (14.8 points 6.3 rebounds), guard Justice Shoats (12.7, team-leading 63 assists and 21 steals) and forward Brendan Coyle (10.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, team-leading 25 3-point baskets). Forward Tasman Goodrick averages 9.7 points and 7.3 rebounds.
Players Mentioned
Forward
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