Indiana Hoosiers
2014-15 record: 20-14, 9-9 in the Big Ten
Head coach: Tom Crean
Tenure at Indiana: 8th season
Overall coaching record: 311-207
Starters: G Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell, G James Blackmon Jr., F Troy Williams, G Robert Johnson, F Collin Hartman
Bench: C Thomas Bryant, G Nick Zeisloft
Overview: Despite a quick exit in last year’s NCAA tournament thanks to seventh-seeded Wichita State, Indiana returns plenty of talent across the floor and came in ranked at No. 15 in the preseason AP poll. The Hoosiers lose just one starter from last year’s team, forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea, who led the team with a 59.4 percent shooting mark. Collin Hartman is expected to step in and fill the void at forward, and although the 6-foot-7 junior gives up two inches and 15 pounds to Mosquera-Perea, he has proven himself to be an adequate rebounder and should be able to stretch opposing defenses thanks to his 47.5 percent clip from beyond the arc last season.
The strength of this Indiana team is in the backcourt, where starting guards James Blackmon Jr. and Yogi Ferrell will look to lead a potent offense that averaged 77.5 points per game last season. The backcourt duo finished as the top two scorers on the team, combining to average better than 30 points per game with impressive shooting figures to boot. Throw in junior forward Troy Williams—who scored 13.0 points per game and led the team with 7.4 rebounds per contest—on the wing, and it is easy to see why the Hoosiers are striking fear into Big Ten defenses.
One thing that needs to go right: Blackmon Jr. was a tremendous weapon as a freshman last year, and making sure he improves his perimeter shooting and avoids the sophomore slump is crucial for Indiana.
One thing that could go wrong: For all their offensive weapons, the Hoosiers were sloppy turning the ball over and on defense last year—flaws that could sink a promising season if they persist.
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