3 things that stood out from Indiana basketball's runaway win vs Eastern Illinois

Story by

Story by
3 things that stood out from Indiana basketball's runaway win vs Eastern Illinois

Zach Osterman, Indianapolis Star · Indianapolis Star

Tue, November 3, 2026 at 1:56 AM UTC ·

2 min read

Markus Burton big for this team

That's with the ball in his hands, directing things, and he did so to the tune of five assists.

But it's also as a leader and voice. More than once, it was Markus Burton going back and forth with DeVries during stoppages and timeouts giving his coach feedback, making suggestions, etc.

This is an experienced group, but one obviously still finding its way together at Indiana. DeVries will need leaders as much as he'll need leading scorers. To already be getting that kind of veteran contribution from a player as experienced as Burton is a good sign that offseason team building is translating onto the floor when it counts.

The Notre Dame transfer finished with 19 points and those five dimes, and exited the evening to noticeable applause from his new home crowd.

Transition offense a work in progress

It's clearly a point of emphasis for DeVries this season, and it's easy to see why. A combination of Indiana's length, guard play and rebounding ability should make it relatively straightforward for the Hoosiers to get out in transition this season.

Turning that into points came with some hiccups on night one. The Hoosiers finished with 20 fastbreak points, and even some of the looks that didn't go down were well-worked. But there were still enough disjointed transition possessions to remind the arena that this team isn't going to be deep on chemistry just yet, even with the extended offseason.

Nothing wrong with looking rough around the edges on opening night.

Defense on that list too

There were stretches when it was stifling, like a nearly eight-minute run close to the end of the first half during which Eastern Illinois (0-1) did not score a point.

There were also stretches when it clearly frustrated DeVries, who even called a timeout at one point in the second half to address his team's shortcomings at that end of the floor.

Like anything at this time of year, it was no one thing, just a general lack of sharpness that's again understandable at this stage. Some players struggled to stay with individual covers. Other baskets were the product of misaligned defense or poor communication.

Predictable stuff, for the most part, but still worth noting given the competition.

Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar's Hoosiers newsletter . Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers .