Darian DeVries leans forward at the mic, eyes alight with genuine excitement as he begins to unpack just how dynamic Tayton Conerway will be for Indiana University basketball this coming season. “Tayton’s arrival,” DeVries asserts, “is like flipping a light switch on both ends of the floor.” Within that charged moment, the hall seems to buzz with possibility — the kind that only an elite scorer-turned-complete player can bring.
On the offensive end, Conerway—fresh off a sensational 2024–25 campaign as the Sun Belt Player of the Year at Troy—instantly transforms IU’s backcourt. His mid-range mastery and lethal pull-up jumper add a dimension Mal Smith and Caleb Fountaine couldn’t. Picture him gliding into the lane, shoulder-deep in paint traffic, only to stop on a dime and launch his jumper over outstretched hands — the net whispering its approval as the room erupts. Darian emphasizes that it’s not just his scoring that stands out—his court vision dazzles. Time and again, he’ll freeze opponents with a shimmy, then thread a no-look pass to an open wing or cutter at exactly the right moment, cracking defenses that haven’t seen him before. “He doesn’t just knock down shots,” DeVries says. “He creates shots—for him and his teammates.”
But it’s on defense where Conerway’s impact feels seismic. Troy fans knew him as a relentless on-ball pest: arms like tentacles, footwork like a panther, anticipating passing lanes. In IU’s high-intensity, pressure-defense system, those skills magnify. Imagine Tayton sprinting the full length of the floor, harassing the opposing guard, then sprinting again to intercept a breakaway pass — pivoting mid-air into a reverse layup. Off-ball, his instincts trigger switches that confuse even veteran lineups. “He’s bringing that defensive IQ — he knows how to read opponents before they act,” DeVries emphasizes, pacing as if he himself is tracking Conerway’s every move.
Perhaps the most vivid scene DeVries paints is that of Conerway stepping onto Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on a sold-out night. The drums hit; the crowd’s wave surges as Tayton takes point. He bobs and weaves, surveying a sea of scarlet and cream. In that instant, everything changes: IU fans feel—not just hope—but belief. Because here stands a guard seasoned by battle, crowned a mid-major king, ready to clash in the Big Ten.
DeVries doesn’t gloss over challenges. Transitioning from Sun Belt to Big Ten isn’t a guarantee. Opponents are bigger, stronger, and hungrier. But he reminds his listeners that Tayton’s growth over the last year—refining his three-point release, improving his physicality, honing both hands on layups—has prepared him intensely. “That’s why I’m confident,” DeVries states, voice steady. “He’s battled, he’s adapted, now it’s time to dominate.”
As he concludes, Darian gestures toward the future: “This isn’t hype. It’s a forecast—Tayton Conerway will be the crux of our season on both ends. He’ll carry us offensively while disrupting others defensively.” The statement hangs in the hall like a promise, bold and unbreakable. In that charged silence, IU basketball and its faithful fans are left with a single, electrifying thought: brace yourselves — Conerway is here, and everything is about to change.
