IU

Yogi Ferrell: 'I can't miss out on an opportunity here at IU'

Zach Osterman
zach.osterman@indystar.com
Indiana Hoosiers Troy Williams (5), Yogi Ferrell (11),  Robert Johnson (4) and James Blackmon Jr. (1),right,  in the second half of their game Saturday, March 7, 2015, afternoon at Assembly Hall in Bloomington IN. The Spartans defeated the Hoosiers 74-72.

BLOOMINGTON -- Deliberating over whether to forgo his senior year at Indiana and enter the NBA draft, Yogi Ferrell refused to be over-informed. He sought out "every little bit of information," balancing the pros and cons of departure with those of a final college season.

Balancing them against one another, the Park Tudor grad — a son of Indianapolis who has repeatedly talked about leaving a lasting legacy at IU — decided he couldn't pass up a final college season, with a team expected to be one of the best in the Big Ten.

If not the country.

"The (NBA) is always going to be one of my dreams," Ferrell said Monday. "I'm still going to pursue that dream, and I feel like that dream will still be there at the end of the day. ... I can't really miss out on an opportunity here at Indiana."

Ferrell's decision to return for a final campaign in Bloomington, announced April 26, confirmed Indiana as a frontrunner in what should be a deep Big Ten next season. Troy Williams and James Blackmon Jr. each made the same decision, and the addition of McDonald's All American big man Thomas Bryant means the Hoosiers addressed their most pressing need (an impact post player) without meaningful player attrition.

Early forecasts slot IU into the top 15 in several preseason polls. High expectations are taking root in Bloomington, provided the Hoosiers can improve on a defense that finished last in the Big Ten. And there's no doubt any longer whose job it is to sew all of their talented pieces together.

"Yogi's got to start holding people more accountable," IU associate head coach Tim Buckley said, speaking specifically to improving team defense, perhaps the most basic concern of this offseason. "I think he will."

Such responsibility was nearly someone else's concern.

Ferrell gave serious consideration to turning pro, gathering feedback on his professional outlook through the spring. About half of the teams Ferrell talked to saw him as a second-round pick "at best," he said.

He declined to talk in-depth about specific feedback he received, but having heard from the NBA and from IU's own coaching staff, Ferrell plans to tailor his offseason focus accordingly.

"I know what I need to do to get better for my senior year," he said.

The key for Indiana will be how he dovetails that improvement with his role as Indiana's point guard.

There is a belief at the NBA level that Ferrell's senior season could be his ultimate showcase, as a talented scorer who can also direct traffic for a team both balanced and versatile — the kind of team IU hasn't had since it was ranked preseason No. 1 nationally, in Ferrell's freshman season.

Ferrell was a deferential piece on that team, willing to sacrifice his own offense to create for more experienced teammates.

Now, having led Indiana in scoring and assists in each of the last two seasons, he'll need to be the Hoosiers' talisman. For Ferrell, that means an offseason spent pulling together all those talented pieces — Williams, Blackmon, Bryant and company — into a team capable of competing for a Big Ten title, and perhaps more.

"We know expectations are high. The buzz is already out," Ferrell said. "We've got to click from the very beginning."

Follow Star reporter Zach Osterman: @ZachOsterman.