Yogi Ferrell Must Take Next Step In 2014 For Hoosiers

Tom Crean and the Indiana Hoosiers need Yogi Ferrell to step up and take the next step in 2014.

The Indiana Hoosiers are 2-0 on the young college basketball season and will have a major test coming up tomorrow night against the #22 SMU Mustangs at home. Yogi Ferrell is in his junior season, and is viewed as the leader of the Hoosiers’ basketball team. Tom Crean needs his point guard to step up in a big way this season to have a chance at competing in an improving Big Ten conference.

Last season with the Hoosiers, Ferrell ended up averaging 17.3 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game. So far in two games this year, he has averaged 17.5 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game.

One thing that he has needed to step up this year is his passing and assist numbers, and he has done just that this year so far. The Hoosiers need Ferrell to continue staying aggressive on the offensive end of the court, but the passing was a major issue on last year’s team. Ferrell has the keys to the offense once again, but he has a much more athletic and talented team surrounding him.

As a junior, he will need to step up as a leader as well. He did a much better job last season as a sophomore than he was as a freshman obviously, but this year he’ll need to be a coach on the floor. The Hoosiers may be more talented overall and more athletic, but they will not have the experience that Ferrell has had and will need their leader to step up.

It’s going to be a very intriguing season to keep an eye on Tom Crean’s Hoosiers, but they have the potential to make a run in the Big Ten and compete with the better teams in the nation. They will have to improve throughout the course of the year, but Ferrell has already looked like a better player than he was last season.

Fans are going to get a good look at exactly what type of team Indiana is tomorrow night against SMU. It’s going to be a tough game, and the Hoosiers will have a chance to open some eyes with a big win over a ranked team.