When the calendar shifted from December 2025 to January 2026, it didn’t just signal a new year; it meant that Indiana’s basketball season was back on.
Big Ten play resumed just a few days later on Jan. 4, and the Hoosiers began what is expected to be a gauntlet of a conference slate. Up first: Washington at home — a game you absolutely have to have if you want to start stacking wins in conference play.
And Indiana stepped up. It began the ballgame with a barrage of 3-pointers, but even when shots weren’t falling, it weathered the storm and managed to escape with a 90-80 victory.
No disrespect to Danny Sprinkle’s Huskies, but with Maryland on the road, followed by No. 13 Nebraska, No. 9 Michigan State on the road, No. 25 Iowa at home and No. 2 Michigan on the road, Indiana’s matchup with Washington was easily the most winnable game during the beginning of January.
A loss could’ve started a spiral in the wrong direction. The Hoosiers were able to combat a 1-of-9 start from the field in the second half and pulled away as the clock neared zero. It wasn’t easy, but Indiana got the victory, and every victory in the Big Ten is earned, not given.
“Every night, it’s a rock fight. We know that,” head coach Darian DeVries said following the win over Washington.
Coach Q&A: Darian DeVries reacts to Indian’s win over Washington
Indiana wasn’t able to execute its usual game plan for most of the ballgame, but it didn’t matter. Lamar Wilkerson may have been held to four points in the first half, and Tucker DeVries may have had only six points for the entire contest, but the Hoosiers were able to find success elsewhere.
Tayton Conerway, Conor Enright and Trent Sisley were all major contributors, with the Huskies overcompensating on Wilkerson and DeVries for large stretches of the contest.
“We’re a deep team,” Enright told reporters postgame.
“I think it was great for our confidence to show we got other guys that can step up. If they want to play like that, we’re going to have other guys step up every night.”
Jan 4, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Conor Enright (5) celebrates after a play against the Washington Huskies during the first half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
That’s what great teams do, and while IU isn’t completely in the “great” category, a win over the Huskies is a step in the right direction.
With three losses entering the new year, the NCAA Tournament isn’t a given, and IU needed to begin its Big Ten schedule the right way in order to create some momentum when the going gets tougher.
Indiana has a lot to improve on, mostly in the realm of physicality on both sides of the ball, but Washington was a good test for DeVries’ team, and it passed.
MORE: Freshman Trent Sisley changes the game in Indiana’s win over Washington
The Huskies love to get the ball inside and use physicality to fill it up from the paint. It was a problem for Indiana early in the game, but the Hoosiers visibly improved as both teams settled in.
IU will never have a size or physicality advantage in a Big Ten matchup, meaning the Hoosiers will have to get used to winning games in similar fashion to how they beat Washington.
Getting hot from behind the arc, out-rebounding a team that’s bigger than you, and finding multiple ways to score were all ways Indiana found success throughout the game, and that’s the blueprint for sustained success in arguably the best league in the country.
Washington hung around for a while, but Indiana was clinical in controlling the tempo despite a poor performance from deep in the second half. Wilkerson took over and didn’t make mistakes, while the rest of the supporting cast filled out their roles to a tee.
“I thought the guys did a really good job of managing the game down the stretch there,” DeVries explained.
“I don’t think we had any turnovers in those last three or four minutes.”
Indiana had just four turnovers all game long, while also holding advantages in rebounding, field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage and assists.
It wasn’t perfect, but even after a 13-day hiatus from competition, Indiana was able to pick up a conference win against a talented team. The Hoosiers know all too well about losing conference games against teams they’re projected to beat, both under this current coaching staff and previous ones.
A win against Washington is impressive, but it’s just a stepping stone. In order for the Hoosiers to reach the tournament for the first time since 2023, they’ll need to start stacking wins in a very tough Big Ten Conference.
“We have to be ready for that,” DeVries said about the conference slate.
“I think our guys understand that. The nonconference season, I think, has gotten us ready. The few conference games we’ve had have gotten us ready. Now it’s about going out and doing it.”
The matchup with the Huskies caused a few problems, namely a lack of scoring from Tucker DeVries and a slow start from Wilkerson, coupled with shooting woes to begin the second half. But Indiana got through it and started the new year on the right foot.
The Hoosiers hope that this victory translates to more down the stretch, but at the very least, they picked up a gritty, hard-fought conference win.
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