Indiana moved to 5-0 with a 73-53 victory over Lindenwood, but the sluggish, stagnant performance felt uncomfortably similar to some early-season struggles from years past until Tucker DeVries went nuclear in the second half.

The Hoosiers gave up 48 rebounds including 17 offensive boards and couldn't maintain offensive flow without specific play calls from DeVries, raising questions about whether this team can sustain focus against inferior competition before Tuesday's test against Kansas State.

Jerod, Andy, and Coach break down a game that revealed some concerning tendencies while also showing signs of maturity in how Indiana responded to adversity within the game.

• Tucker DeVries's second-half takeover where he scored 17 points in 16 minutes, including 13 points on five possessions, showcasing shot-making ability Indiana hasn't had in years
• Sam Alexis's tone-setting performance with 10 rebounds and four blocks, bringing the physicality and energy that helped turn around a disastrous defensive rebounding effort
• The critical timeout at 16:43 in the second half that sparked an immediate 16-3 run and showed this team's ability to refocus when things were getting uncomfortable
• Lamar Wilkerson's defensive effort on a 4-16 shooting night, proving his offense didn't affect his defense and giving a glimpse of what kind of player he'll be when shots aren't falling
• Conor Enright's value as a non-shooter in Indiana's offense, with discussion about how to maximize a player who doesn't want to shoot but brings so much else to the table
• The offensive stagnation that plagued Indiana for long stretches, with too much standing around and one-on-one play until DeVries called specific sets to get players cutting and moving
• The lingering question about Reed Bailey versus Sam Alexis and whether we'll see a change in the starting lineup or minutes distribution as competition increases

All that and more on this edition of The Assembly Call.

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