First-year IU basketball coach Darian DeVries understands what it means to connect with a fanbase.
It’s why he brought his team to Bloomington’s social epicenter for the first annual Hoosier Hoops on Kirkwood Thursday night. It’s why he concluded the event with a declaration to the Upstairs Pub patrons seated on the balcony that “this next round’s on me.”
It’s why — minutes after the festivities — he stayed behind to shake hands and take pictures with any Hoosier fan determined enough to fight through the crowd for a spot beside the metal-gated, makeshift court.
Less than seven months since his hiring in March, he’s hard at work solving a problem that’s been festering for years.