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There was some question about whether Indiana Hoosiers point guard Yogi Ferrell would return for his senior season in 2015-16, but he chose to come back for one more year. It was a decision that will end up being a big step for his career, and will help vault him into college basketball stardom as he looks to make the leap into the NBA Draft in 2016.
Ferrell still has quite a few doubters to prove wrong as far as his NBA potential is concerned, and that is exactly what he will do this coming season.
During his junior season with the Hoosiers, Ferrell ended up averaging 16.3 points, 4.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. He shot 43.9 percent from the floor overall and 41.6 percent from behind the three-point arc. His three-point shot was deadly, and was a big part of the Hoosiers’ offense late in games and a very big key to his future draft stock.
At 6-foot-0 and 178 pounds, Ferrell is a bit undersized for the point guard position. He can make it work in college with his speed and ability to create shots for himself, but that aspect of his game will get much more difficult at the next level. Despite those concerns, there are ways that he can improve his game heading into his senior year that would cancel out the size issue. Making the jump from college basketball to the NBA isn’t a small leap. Every single aspect of the game gets much more difficult, and there is more talent at every position for teams to choose from. Ferrell is going to have to prove himself to be unique and different from other point guards in order to make it to the next level.
One way that he could make himself an attractive piece for an NBA team is to continue improving his perimeter shooting. There are always places for three-point shooters in the NBA, and it would be a way for him to make an impact on the game. He is known for being a pure scorer as well, which will look good on his NBA resume.
Another way for him to make the type of improvement that teams are looking to see from him is to become a better playmaker for his teammates. He hasn’t been a true point guard, and that could concern some NBA teams. Due to his size, they would be more concerned that he could not be a playmaker even if his scoring doesn’t translate to the next level.
That being said, Ferrell is on the right track and has the attitude and work ethic to make the necessary improvements.
Tom Crean is back for another season as the Hoosiers’ head coach, and has been under a lot of fire lately. Despite the criticism that he has been receiving, he has put together a very solid roster for the 2015-16 season. He has quite a bit of young talent together, with Ferrell being the unquestioned veteran leader of the squad.
If he is able to be the No. 1 guy for the Hoosiers and helps lead them to the NCAA tournament again, he will leap into stardom immediately. His talent is undeniable, but he has to prove it to every single doubter that he has enough in order to make the next step into the NBA. Expect to see his numbers rise and for him to make the necessary improvements to catch the attention of NBA scouts.
Ferrell has the talent to be a legitimate NBA point guard, but he has to figure out how to put his game together. Indiana has a very bright outlook for the 2015-16 season, and it will be interesting to see whether they live up to the hype.
Evan Massey is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com, and contributes across the NFL, MLB, NCAA and NBA portions of the site. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.
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