IU basketball coach Darian DeVries meets students, fans, community
So much has changed for college sports, even when coaches have time to interact with their communities. First-year IU basketball coach Darian DeVries isn’t wasting his chances.
Lamar Wilkerson is an Indiana basketball player now, but he hasn’t forgotten where he came from.
The sharpshooting guard expected to provide the Hoosiers some 3-point punch this season played the previous three years at Sam Houston State, averaging 20.5 points and making 44.5% of his 3-pointers in 2024-25. He scored 18 points in an Bearkats loss to IU early last season.
He has given “six figures” of his name, image and likeness money to the Sam Houston State program, according to Jeff Goodman on a Field of 68 preseason stop Thursday in Bloomington.
“I did it out of love,” Wilkerson said. “I was there for three years, so it was home for me. I built a family with a lot of people and a lot of donors. I gave back because I want to see that program strive, keep seeing them get better. I was willing to help.”
Wilkerson started for two of his three seasons there, scoring 1,321 points and making 202 3-pointers with the Bearkats.
The 6-foot-4 Arkansas native took a circuitous route to Bloomington. He said on Field of 68 that he was set to attend a Division II program out of high school, but a late coaching change left him out of options for a time. He learned of a junior college opening shortly before the next school year and took it. He went to Sam Houston State after that.
With a coaching change and complete roster turnover at Indiana, Wilkerson accepted coach Darian DeVries‘ offer to join the Hoosiers.
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