‘My message to Indiana fans is get revved up’: John Fanta shared his thought on new Indiana Basketball coach Darian DeVries

Fox Sports analyst John Fanta appeared on In Touch with Indiana Sports with John Alden to discuss new Indiana Basketball coach Darian DeVries.

Fanta was not shy to hide his excitement for DeVries and the era the program is heading into.

“I love this hire. I think it makes a lot of sense for IU,” Fanta said.

DeVries, who spent last season with West Virginia after leading Drake for six years, has seen a quick rise to one of the top jobs in college basketball after working as an assistant at Creighton from 2001 to 2018.

There he worked under Dana Altman and Greg McDermott, both of whom have had a tremendous amount of success in college basketball.

Fanta emphasized that connection sharing that now Oregon coach Dana Altman praised DeVries.

“He’s a great basketball coach. He’s really energetic and an elite basketball mind,” Fanta shared.

DeVries quickly ascended from leading one of the top mid-majors in the country before joining West Virginia in the Big 12 where many thought he’d be long-term.

Fanta emphasized that DeVries leaving for Indiana Basketball only emphasized what the program is in college basketball.

“This is one of the defining brands and programs in college basketball. This isn’t West Virginia and Mountaineers’ fans might be upset with that, but this is Indiana,” Fanta said. “Indiana’s on a different pedestal, a different level, different money, different NIL.”\

While West Virginia has a strong history in the sport, the resources and historic brand of Indiana basketball still separate it from other programs even with a 20-plus year Final Four drought.

While the resources are going to be completely different from what DeVries has previously worked with, Fanta was adamant that DeVries’ work ethic is not going to change.

“In college basketball today, I want a guy who’s going to work just as hard with or without the money he has. Darian’s work ethic isn’t gonna change because it’s Indiana and he’s got more resources than Drake or West Virginia. That’s why this is a money hire,” Fanta said.

Fanta praised Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson for the hire and his ability to keep a tight lid on it as the hiring process remained extremely quiet throughout the season.

While DeVries has had a tremendous amount of success already boasting a 169-68 record in seven years as a head coach, Fanta believes his best is still yet to come.

“You’re getting a guy on the rise. You’re getting a guy who’s ascending, who hasn’t had his best coaching yet,” Fanta said. “I think he’s got even better coaching in front of him and he could be at Indiana for the next 2o years.”

DeVries is only 49 years old and has a lot of years of coaching left in front of him.

He also appears committed to playing a modern style of basketball, something that Dolson and the athletic department wanted when hiring the next Indiana basketball coach.

“Get ready for a new style. A style that says we’ve got a top 30 to 35 defense in the sport because they guard,” Fanta said. “They can shut teams down offensively with the way they defend. Darian’s teams have done that, they’ve shut offenses down. They can turn the water off quickly.”

According to KenPom, West Virginia had the 14th-best defense in the nation under DeVries in year one. In four years under Mike Woodson, Indiana basketball had just one finish inside the top 30 defensively.

Not only are there gonna be changes defensively, offensively the Hoosiers are going to have a more modern approach.

“They’re gonna guard, they’re gonna take the right shots. Look at the shot charts when he starts coaching them. You’re gonna see less mid-range, you’re gonna see interior twos and threes. I’m excited,” Fanta said.

The shot selection and offensive play style have been some of the main concerns with Indiana basketball over the last four years as Woodson emphasized an interior-centered offense during his time as head coach.

With rosters that boasted Trayce Jackson-Davis, Kel’el Ware, Malik Reneau, and Oumar Ballo the style had some success, but spacing was always an issue for his teams.

That and the inability to capitalize on the talent they paid for ultimately led to the change in leadership.

“[Woodson’s tenure] ended the way it did because [the coaching staff] didn’t get the most out of the players they paid for,” Fanta said.

Despite a massive offseason where Indiana basketball added several potential impact transfers, the team was never able to figure it out on the floor.

While the resources at his disposal, DeVries should have no problem building a roster, but Fanta emphasized that fans should remain cautiously optimistic heading into the season.

“You’re going to get excited by your offseason additions. Don’t proclaim anything until you see the team step on the floor,” he said. “I don’t get too high or too low on how an offseason goes.”

Last season was a perfect example as many fans and media members believed that the roster had elite potential with some calling it the best roster in the Big Ten. Yet Indiana basketball missed out on the tournament and fell way short of expectations.

Despite urging some caution, Fanta emphasized how excited he is for the hire. He clearly believes in DeVries and what he can do with Indiana basketball.

“My message to Indiana fans is get revved up. Get revved up because Darian DeVries is gonna bring a winner to Indiana. He’s gonna work for it. This is not a guy who’s gonna be overwhelmed by the job or the brand because he’s gonna grind. He’s worked his entire life for this.”

SEE ALSO: ‘You cannot survive without a good locker room’: As Darian DeVries attacks the transfer portal, ‘fit’ is critical and there will be no compromises with it. So, how will he put together his Indiana basketball roster?

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