Indiana Hoosiers
2013-2014 Overall Rank: #35
Conference Rank: #5 Big Ten
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For the casual Indiana viewer, this group of Hoosiers is relatively unrecognizable. Coach Tom Crean returns just two players who averaged over ten minutes per game during the 2012-2013 campaign. But, of course, this is Indiana and Coach Crean has plenty of talent to work with. The question is how long it will take for all of the pieces to come together. Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell will turn into the leader and he must get all of the new faces involved. Ferrell has proven to be a quality scorer, yet he had some help as a playmaker last year. That help is gone and now this is Ferrell’s team to run.
2012-13 Record: 29-7, 14-4
2012-13 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Tom Crean
Coach Record: 84-82 at Indiana, 274-178 overall
Who’s Out:
Ferrell is the only returning starter with the departure of Victor Oladipo, Jordan Hulls, Christian Watford and Cody Zeller. Oladipo did a lot of everything and ended up being drafted second overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. Hulls knocked down a slew of three-pointers and dished out three assists per game. Watford was often the overlooked starter, even though he averaged 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds and connected on 48.4 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. As a sophomore last season Zeller averaged 16.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. He parlayed that into being the fourth overall selection in the NBA Draft. As much as losing those four players really hurts, there is more. Remy Abell was usually the first guard off of the bench and he could spark the offense with his outside shooting. Maurice Creek could help out the team in multiple ways when he was healthy. Derek Elston saw his minutes decrease throughout his career, but there was a time when he was an important player for the Hoosiers.
Who’s In:
Transfers Evan Gordan and Jonny Marlin bring some experience to the backcourt. Marlin spent one season running the show at Fort Wayne and will add some depth, but Gordon will step right into a starting job beside Ferrell. The 6-0 senior averaged 10.1 points with Arizona State last season. Prior to that, Gordon spent two years dominating the Big South at Liberty. Incoming freshmen Stanford Robinson, Devin Davis, Troy Williams and Collin Hartman add options on the wing. Robinson is a great scorer and has the defensive skills to make a huge impact right away. In the frontcourt, Luke Fischer will not play too many minutes until he gains enough strength to compete in the Big Ten. However, Noah Vonleh is capable of stepping right into a starting role. He will have competition, but Vonleh is a talented power forward who has enough toughness to make space for himself in the Big Ten.
Who to Watch:
Senior Will Sheehey was a great sixth man last season, but now he will be asked to turn into a consistent starter. The 6-7 forward is a versatile scorer who averaged 9.5 points per game. He may not get as many open looks this time around. The frontcourt does have other returning talent who are capable of stepping up their games. Jeremy Hollowell averaged just 9.7 minutes per game as a freshman, but he showed flashes in every facet of the game, as did fellow sophomore Hanner Mosquera-Perea. If Mosquera-Perea can start playing tougher, he could have three very productive seasons left with the Hoosiers. Austin Etherington and Peter Jurkin, a couple more sophomores, can provide quality depth once they get healthy.
Final Projection:
Coach Crean will have to work his magic this season. Last year it was about how far Oladipo and Zeller could carry the talented Hoosiers. The answer was pretty far. But this season it is about developing talent and filling roles. Coach Crean has the players to do it very successfully. There will be some bumps along the road, especially in Big Ten play where the competition is always tough, but Indiana will be competing for an NCAA Tournament berth in March.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
Projected Starting Five:
Kevin Ferrell, Sophomore, Guard, 7.6 points per game
Evan Gordon, Senior, Guard, DNP last season at Indiana
Will Sheehey, Senior, Forward, 9.5 points per game
Jeremy Hollowell, Sophomore, Forward, 2.8 points per game
Noah Vonleh, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 78.6 (5th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 62.1 (57, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 48.2 (8, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 39.0 (23, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.1 (75, 5)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 40.3 (4, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.3 (31, 1)
Rebound Margin: 7.3 (11, 3)
Assists Per Game: 14.3 (71, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.0 (155, 10)
Madness 2014 NBA Draft Rankings:
#14 Noah Vonleh
#73 Will Sheehey
#77 Jeremy Hollowell
Madness 2013 Men’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#8 Noah Vonleh
#46 Troy Williams
#70 Stanford Robinson
#100 Luke Fischer
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