What Darian DeVries and Tucker DeVries Said After Indiana’s Loss at Kentucky
After Indiana’s 72–60 defeat to Kentucky on Saturday night at Rupp Arena, head coach Darian DeVries and senior forward Tucker DeVries spoke with the media about what went wrong for the Hoosiers.
Coach DeVries said Indiana’s offense functioned fairly well early, but things unraveled in the second half when Kentucky increased its defensive pressure. He pointed to live-ball turnovers and offensive rebounds as the turning points, explaining that mistakes against Kentucky quickly turned into transition opportunities. As the crowd energy rose, DeVries felt his team failed to stay disciplined, struggled to execute offensively, and didn’t respond physically enough on the glass.
He added that handling ball pressure has to improve, emphasizing the need for stronger movement, more forceful screens, and better overall execution. When Indiana did regain movement, DeVries noted they were able to generate cleaner looks, but consistency remains an issue.
Tucker DeVries, who finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, said missed shots weren’t the main problem despite Indiana’s struggles from three-point range. He felt the game could have been different if the team had executed better in other areas, particularly in the second half. Tucker took responsibility for his four turnovers and echoed his coach’s concerns about ball security and rebounding, saying the team must be sharper when opponents apply pressure.
The absence of Lamar due to foul trouble was also a factor. Coach DeVries said Lamar’s limited minutes disrupted the offense, as he is a key piece of their system, and his time off the floor coincided with increased turnovers and stalled possessions.
Overall, DeVries credited Kentucky’s physicality and aggressiveness—especially defensively and on the offensive boards—for swinging the game. While foul trouble affected rotations, he stressed that Indiana expects every player to be ready when called upon. Both DeVries said the upcoming break provides an opportunity to clean up execution issues before the next game.
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