Darian DeVries draws on IU football’s comeback mindset as Indiana men’s basketball looks to stay composed

Indiana’s men’s basketball program is borrowing a lesson from an autumn Saturday mindset. According to Yahoo Sports, Indiana coach Darian DeVries has pointed to Indiana football’s fourth-quarter comeback at Nebraska as a model for how to respond when momentum swings late, and he intends to reinforce the same theme with his team.

The connection is not about transferring play style between sports so much as transferring decision-making. In DeVries’s framing, the most important work happens when pressure rises, possessions become more consequential, and routines are tested. The idea, as described in the report, is that understanding how to keep collective focus through difficult minutes can become a shared advantage across a program.

The reference point matters because the football game at Nebraska provided a clear example of the teaching moment DeVries wants. The report characterizes the comeback as pivotal, and it positions the outcome as something he can point to directly, not abstractly, when explaining what “finishing strong” looks like in real competition.

For a college basketball coach, late-game readiness is a weekly need rather than a seasonal luxury. Basketball often compresses its key sequences into short stretches, where a team’s offensive execution, defensive communication, and shot-selection discipline get tested. A coaching emphasis on composure during tight stretches can influence everything from how players handle transitions to how they respond after a turnover or a miss.

DeVries is known for a methodical approach, but the report suggests this specific emphasis is meant to be lived, not preached. By using a football example his players can “see firsthand,” he is trying to make the lesson concrete and memorable, tied to an instance of adversity and reversal rather than generic encouragement.

The bigger context is that Indiana’s basketball identity has often been built around fundamentals and steadiness, particularly in how teams conduct themselves when games do not follow a comfortable script. A mentality rooted in responding to late momentum is especially relevant early in a season, when non-conference matchups and unfamiliar environments can force teams to reset quickly.

What to watch next is whether Indiana basketball can show that composure in the moments that most clearly separate teams in conference play: crunch-time possessions, late-game defensive stops, and the ability to maintain offensive structure when the pace slows or when opponents disrupt rhythm. The football-to-basketball translation will be measured on the court, when games tighten and the coaching point is put to the test.