Indiana Basketball: Projecting the Hoosiers’ Top Scorers

The 2014-2015 Indiana Hoosiers will be short on big men, but not on shooters as the backcourt will feature one of the conference’s best returning guards in addition to two highly touted freshman and a sophomore that gained increasing minutes throughout the season last year. It is not stretch to predict junior Yogi Ferrell, freshmen James Blackmon Jr. and Robert Johnson, and sophomore Stanford Robinson will all have important offensive roles this season as they will be splitting the majority of the minutes for guard play.

So, with all this talent, who is going to lead the Hoosiers in scoring? Here’s who the top three will be in order of points per game:

3. Troy Williams

Troy Williams was plagued last season by poor ball-handling skills and sub-par shooting, but he spent the off-season working tirelessly on both skills. Williams is due for a much improved season, although, it would be unfair to compare him to the type of transformation former guard Victor Oladipo made in his time at Indiana, despite the fact Williams is often compared to Oladipo for his exceptional athleticism.

Although Williams may not be “built” like other forwards in the conference, his athleticism and any progress he has made in the shooting and ball-handling departments will better serve him to create match-up problems, although, the Hoosiers’ smaller line-up will already lend itself to match-up issues on both ends of the floor. In Canada, Williams averaged 18.4 ppg and scored 27 points in the Hoosiers’ loss to Ottawa, shooting 12-of-16 from the field, but I don’t see him getting quite that much per game this season.

Prediction: 12.5 PPG

2. Yogi Ferrell

Ferrell is a given in this discussion. He led the team a season ago in scoring at 17.2 ppg and was named Second Team All-Big Ten by both the media and the coaches. Last season Ferrell shot 40% from beyond he arc, netting 88 three-pointers, which is second only to Steve Alford in number of three pointers made in a single season. The largest difference for Ferrell this season will be the amount of aid he will receive scoring-wise and at the point guard position—both Blackmon Jr. and Johnson displayed an ability to share some of Ferrell’s point guard responsibility in Canada.

Mar 2, 2014; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Yogi Ferrell (11) drives to the basket during the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

Ferrell will continue to have the green light shooting the ball, but he won’t have to nearly as much and can dish the ball to teammates with better looks at the basket. My guess is Ferrell’s scoring numbers this year will hover around where they were last year or possibly dip a bit as the sense of urgency for Ferrell to score has decreased with the addition of other viable scoring options.

Prediction: 17.2 PPG

More from Indiana Basketball

• Indiana Basketball: Which teams have the Hoosiers never beaten?
• Indiana Basketball: Examining the All-Time Bob Knight Team
• 10 biggest Indiana basketball NBA Draft busts of all time
• Kent State vs. Indiana prediction and odds for NCAA Tournament First Round
• FanDuel and DraftKings Promos Expire Sunday: Bet $25, Get $400 TODAY

1. James Blackmon Jr. 

Blackmon Jr. is unanimously regarded as a top-50 recruit entering the program, and many scouts feel he is one of the best, if not the best, natural shooter in his class.  Blackmon Jr., not Ferrell, led the team in scoring in Canada (18.8ppg), and he comes to Indiana as the 28^th IU recruit to play in the McDonald’s All-American basketball game.

Prediction: 18.4 PPG

Final Analysis

This team will be over matched in the post, but these three can take IU where it wants to go. Perhaps if the Hoosiers can overcome their turnover woes and manage a quick-transition offense and a passable zone defense, the lack of height will be a non-issue. Thus far, the Hoosiers have not been faring very well in the preseason rankings for the Big Ten—most writers are predicting the Hoosiers to finish somewhere in the 7-9 range.  IU is underrated. Also, writers can predict all that they want but the bottom line is no one really knows anything in the preseason.  Remember that time the Mississippi State Bulldogs weren’t ranked in the preseason and then they became the number-one ranked team in the country?  Case in point.

I think this team is aware of its strengths as well as its weaknesses and has a lot of raw athleticism and talent—Ferrell, Blackmon Jr., and Williams are proof of that. You won’t find three players with a better combination of skill and/or athleticism anywhere in the conference, and it will pay off once games start being played.