Ben McCollum >>> Darian DeVries

Jayb01

Junior
Jul 3, 2025
178
345
63

They have a very strong brand to maintain. Win or lose they're still going to have a huge budget to maintain that program. And I'm sure revenue will show a solid return.

Now if they spent that on NIL to buy players for little return, then that would be a different hilarious story.
 

IowaLaw

Senior
Nov 28, 2023
95
495
53
This is just plain dumb. Judging a long-term coaching hire by how their team did in season 1? I guess 1-10 Kirk Ferentz was a much worse hire than the hundreds of coaches at other programs who have come and gone since him and started with better records.

Indiana will be fine. They had FOUR different scholarship guys out for the season with injuries. Josh Harris is a 4 star guy who averaged 13 points and 7 rebounds last year and didn't play a game this year. They brought in a point guard transfer who averaged 11 pts last year who also never played at all. Even the crown jewel of their portal class, Tucker DeVries, was a shell of himself averaging just 13 pts and 5 rbs after off season shoulder surgery. He was a 47% shooter from 3 last year at West Virginia and was expected to be a star this year. Things happen.

McCullum was fortunate enough to bring over an in-state all-American senior point guard who single handedly carried the rest of the portal transfers, a group of mediocre role players. Had he been injured this year, I'm not sure Iowa would have been a .500 program. That would have been ZERO reflection on the coaching hire. And even with Stirtz, Iowa is a #9 seed and Indiana was one of the first 4 out. That's a very small gap.

I hope for Iowa's sake they can rebuild next year after the loss of Stirtz. But it's not easy to catch that kind of lightening in a bottle twice. If Combs is running the offense next year, we're in trouble. Meanwhile, Indiana is already reloading. They've got commits from three Top 100 high school kids and we'll see what they do in the portal. Ben has struggled to get commits thus far, but it's too soon to tell how he is as a recruiter.
 
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Hawktech

Senior
Dec 18, 2022
494
642
93
With IU bball fans unreal expectations (on par with husker football) in 4-5 years devries will be looking for a new job.
4-5 years!? If he has as poor of a season as this year, he might not get to year 3... He had some players, with their large NIL. And Tucker who is no slouch. They had the chance to put the pieces together, and DeVries fell flat on his face. Ouch. Almost feel sorry for him.
 
Feb 25, 2008
30,541
28,427
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This is just plain dumb. Judging a long-term coaching hire by how their team did in season 1? I guess 1-10 Kirk Ferentz was a much worse hire than the hundreds of coaches at other programs who have come and gone since him and started with better records.

Indiana will be fine. They had FOUR different scholarship guys out for the season with injuries. Josh Harris is a 4 star guy who averaged 13 points and 7 rebounds last year and didn't play a game this year. They brought in a point guard transfer who averaged 11 pts last year who also never played at all. Even the crown jewel of their portal class, Tucker DeVries, was a shell of himself averaging just 13 pts and 5 rbs after off season shoulder surgery. He was a 47% shooter from 3 last year at West Virginia and was expected to be a star this year. Things happen.

McCullum was fortunate enough to bring over senior all-American senior point guard who single handedly carried the rest of the portal transfers, a group of mediocre role players. Had he been injured this year, I'm not sure Iowa would have been a .500 program. That would have been ZERO reflection on the coaching hire. And even with Stirtz, Iowa is a #9 seed and Indiana was one of the first 4 out. That's a very small gap.

I hope for Iowa's sake they can rebuild next year after the loss of Stirtz. But it's not easy to catch that kind of lightening in a bottle twice. If Combs is running the offense next year, we're in trouble.
Iowa > Indiana

Deal with it, Hoosier fan.
 

trfhawk

Junior
Jul 10, 2020
157
331
63
This is just plain dumb. Judging a long-term coaching hire by how their team did in season 1? I guess 1-10 Kirk Ferentz was a much worse hire than the hundreds of coaches at other programs who have come and gone since him and started with better records.

Indiana will be fine. They had FOUR different scholarship guys out for the season with injuries. Josh Harris is a 4 star guy who averaged 13 points and 7 rebounds last year and didn't play a game this year. They brought in a point guard transfer who averaged 11 pts last year who also never played at all. Even the crown jewel of their portal class, Tucker DeVries, was a shell of himself averaging just 13 pts and 5 rbs after off season shoulder surgery. He was a 47% shooter from 3 last year at West Virginia and was expected to be a star this year. Things happen.

McCullum was fortunate enough to bring over senior all-American senior point guard who single handedly carried the rest of the portal transfers, a group of mediocre role players. Had he been injured this year, I'm not sure Iowa would have been a .500 program. That would have been ZERO reflection on the coaching hire. And even with Stirtz, Iowa is a #9 seed and Indiana was one of the first 4 out. That's a very small gap.

I hope for Iowa's sake they can rebuild next year after the loss of Stirtz. But it's not easy to catch that kind of lightening in a bottle twice. If Combs is running the offense next year, we're in trouble.
Devries' son was a two-time, Mo Valley player of the year. Faked an injury at West Virginia to have eligibility at Indiana for his Daddy. Indiana had all conference players from 4 different D-1 conferences and a contributing player from 2025 National champion, Florida. It is more than fair to compare the two in their first year and Ben blew Devries away.
 

Palmerhawk

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
1,614
3,101
113
DD will have several years to prove his coaching chops but IU had a high player payroll this season and it has to be a failure not making the postseason.
The decision to pass on any postseason tourny speaks volumes to
1. total disappointment in hoosier-land ( karma for fb?)
2. The pay to play vet laden team DD put together to make a splash immediately...to make the dance....failing that, no there,there.

DD has a top 15 class coming in so they will be back.
 

TruthSerium

All-Conference
Mar 9, 2026
619
1,162
87
DeVries's son was a well know partier at West Virgina. He got a lot of NIL money and was know to like cocaine as well. He got hurt and was not himself this season and part of that is because of his off the court antics. Tells you something if the coach can't even control his own son.

Something tells me the family is all about money first.
 

TailgateTom

All-Conference
Oct 6, 2003
3,713
1,746
113
This is just plain dumb. Judging a long-term coaching hire by how their team did in season 1? I guess 1-10 Kirk Ferentz was a much worse hire than the hundreds of coaches at other programs who have come and gone since him and started with better records.

Indiana will be fine. They had FOUR different scholarship guys out for the season with injuries. Josh Harris is a 4 star guy who averaged 13 points and 7 rebounds last year and didn't play a game this year. They brought in a point guard transfer who averaged 11 pts last year who also never played at all. Even the crown jewel of their portal class, Tucker DeVries, was a shell of himself averaging just 13 pts and 5 rbs after off season shoulder surgery. He was a 47% shooter from 3 last year at West Virginia and was expected to be a star this year. Things happen.

McCullum was fortunate enough to bring over senior all-American senior point guard who single handedly carried the rest of the portal transfers, a group of mediocre role players. Had he been injured this year, I'm not sure Iowa would have been a .500 program. That would have been ZERO reflection on the coaching hire. And even with Stirtz, Iowa is a #9 seed and Indiana was one of the first 4 out. That's a very small gap.

I hope for Iowa's sake they can rebuild next year after the loss of Stirtz. But it's not easy to catch that kind of lightening in a bottle twice. If Combs is running the offense next year, we're in trouble.
Give McCollum Indiana's resources and brand recognition and the Hoosiers' season ends much, much differently. No contest who the better coach is.
 

Palmerhawk

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
1,614
3,101
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DeVries's son was a well know partier at West Virgina. He got a lot of NIL money and was know to like cocaine as well. He got hurt and was not himself this season and part of that is because of his off the court antics. Tells you something if the coach can't even control his own son.

Something tells me the family is all about money first.
Tucker did not look like he did 2 years ago at drake,this season.
Looked doughy, and shot poorly.
Wilkerson was the star that tucker got payed to be.
Tucker destined for Europe unless he shapes up before draft.
 

Hawk48

All-Conference
Jun 10, 2005
1,020
1,552
113
DeVries's son was a well know partier at West Virgina. He got a lot of NIL money and was know to like cocaine as well. He got hurt and was not himself this season and part of that is because of his off the court antics. Tells you something if the coach can't even control his own son.

Something tells me the family is all about money first.
DeVries son looked out of shape and slow this season IMO.
 

iahawkeyes17

All-Conference
Apr 22, 2014
595
1,560
83
Tucker did not look like he did 2 years ago at drake,this season.
Looked doughy, and shot poorly.
Wilkerson was the star that tucker got payed to be.
Tucker destined for Europe unless he shapes up before draft.
I thought same thing about Tucker. Even with the “injury” at WV shouldn’t have affected him this year but seems like he got a case of the Owen Freeman this year. And to think when his dad left for WV question was does he follow or enter the draft and he was considered top 5 portal guy.
 

Franisdaman

Heisman
Nov 3, 2012
13,999
20,300
113
4-5 years!? If he has as poor of a season as this year, he might not get to year 3... He had some players, with their large NIL. And Tucker who is no slouch. They had the chance to put the pieces together, and DeVries fell flat on his face. Ouch. Almost feel sorry for him.

Tucker got over $1 million at West Virginia; imagine what IU paid him. And imagine what they paid their other top players. All for a 10th place finish in the B1G and no NCAA Tournament invite.


TeamCONFGBOVR
Michigan19-1-31-3
Nebraska15-5426-6
Michigan State15-5425-7
Illinois15-5424-8
Wisconsin14-6524-10
Purdue13-7627-8
UCLA13-7623-11
Ohio State12-8721-12
IOWA10-10921-12
Indiana9-111018-14
Minnesota8-121115-17
USC7-131218-14
Washington7-131216-17
Rutgers6-141314-19
Northwestern5-151415-19
Oregon5-151412-20
Maryland4-161512-21
Penn State3-171612-20
 
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ComradeKirk

Senior
Jan 12, 2026
245
446
63
Tucker got over $1 million at West Virginia; imagine what IU paid him. And imagine what they paid their other top players. All for a 10 place finish in the B1G and no NCAA Tournament invite.
Hot Fuzz Shame GIF
 

The Big Z

All-Conference
Jan 5, 2023
1,578
2,889
113
DeVries's son was a well know partier at West Virgina. He got a lot of NIL money and was know to like cocaine as well. He got hurt and was not himself this season and part of that is because of his off the court antics. Tells you something if the coach can't even control his own son.

Something tells me the family is all about money first.
Man get out of here with that kind of ******** and innuendo.
 

The Big Z

All-Conference
Jan 5, 2023
1,578
2,889
113
So I've watched Tucker since he was a Freshman at Drake. And I'm a huge fan of his dad as well. Tucker got hurt his last year at Drake ( shoulder) and honestly hasn't been close to the same player since. And I know he's been hurt a few other times as well. He's not a great athlete but I really do think the injuries have affected his game. I'm not going to wish ill on an Iowa kid or his dad. Both did great things for the Drake program.
 

r_desihawk

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
2,202
3,222
112
Give McCollum Indiana's resources and brand recognition and the Hoosiers' season ends much, much differently. No contest who the better coach is.
have to agree. dude navigated the b1g with a midmajor roster to the tune of 21 wins. of course the real verdict has to wait until he signs a reasonably talented squad that takes rest of the b1g to the cleaners