Indiana University Athletics
Hoosier Hysteria Will Display Evolving Roles
10/22/2015 9:21:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Sam Beishuizen, IUHoosiers.com | Twitter
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana head coach Tom Crean doesn't like the word positions. He prefers roles.
Senior Yogi Ferrell isn't a point guard. He's sometimes a distributor. Other times, he's a scorer.
Sophomore James Blackmon Jr. isn't a shooting guard. He's a catch-and-shoot threat. Sometimes he's a slasher.
There are examples up and down the IU roster. Over time, sometimes even throughout the course of a game, these roles change. It reflects a certain versatility Crean prefers in his players that has helped Indiana turn into one of the most dynamic offenses in the country.
"Coach has been saying that anybody can play any position at any time," junior forward Troy Williams said Saturday. "We don't have positions now. It's called spots. When you're on the court, you should know the play from that spot."
Some "spots" tailor to certain players' skillsets better, but it doesn't mean they'll always be in them.
Take for example redshirt junior Collin Hartman, who had 6-foot-7 became Indiana's de facto center for a good portion of last year's season while the Hoosiers' more typical big men battled through injury.
Despite his size, or lack thereof, he managed to provide Indiana with a spark. He flipped what appeared to be a disadvantage into an advantage, showing the potential in Crean's decision to let players float around.
"Hustle plays are what kept me on the court," Hartman said in the offseason. "That's what I really think gave me the confidence knowing that if I (played center), it would help."
One of the more significant changes looming could be a change at the conventional point guard position. Ferrell, regarded as one of the better point guards in the Big Ten and the country, has been the initiator for the Indiana offense for nearly the entirety of his career and will no doubt continue to take a lion's share of the minutes.
But with teammates like Blackmon, sophomore Rob Johnson and even Williams eager to work more on point guard responsibilities, Ferrell may see his workload as primary ball handler lesson this season. His teammates' own skillsets may allow him to play as a truer combo guard and take more advantage of his ability to connect form long distance.
"I definitely see myself being able to do more things this year," Ferrell said at Big Ten media day. "I don't think I'm really limited by a position or one role. I sort of pride myself in being able to do many things."
Fans will get a chance to see Indiana's versatility and flexibility first hand Saturday at Hoosier Hysteria. Still more than two weeks away from Indiana's season-opening exhibition game against Bellarmine, nothing is set in stone.
But a split squad scrimmage should give IU's players a chance to showcase their adaptability on the fly in the public eye for the first time. That flexibility could go a long way in creating depth up and down the roster in giving Crean lineup options to take advantage of situations as he sees fit, just as Hartman did at center in 2014-15.
"We're two deep at every position," Crean said. "We want two deep not where the coaches see it two deep, but one where the players know it is. And based on the fact that they've got to bring their very best in and it's very competitive."
Hoosier Hysteria presented by Smithville Fiber will take place in Assembly Hall this Saturday, with doors opening at 5:00 p.m. and the program starting around 6:30 p.m. The event is free to all fans, but fans are encouraged to bring a canned good to be donated to the Hoosier Hills Food Bank in Bloomington. For those fans that can't make it to the event in person, the event will be streamed live on BTN Plus (subscription fee applies).
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana head coach Tom Crean doesn't like the word positions. He prefers roles.
Senior Yogi Ferrell isn't a point guard. He's sometimes a distributor. Other times, he's a scorer.
Sophomore James Blackmon Jr. isn't a shooting guard. He's a catch-and-shoot threat. Sometimes he's a slasher.
There are examples up and down the IU roster. Over time, sometimes even throughout the course of a game, these roles change. It reflects a certain versatility Crean prefers in his players that has helped Indiana turn into one of the most dynamic offenses in the country.
"Coach has been saying that anybody can play any position at any time," junior forward Troy Williams said Saturday. "We don't have positions now. It's called spots. When you're on the court, you should know the play from that spot."
Some "spots" tailor to certain players' skillsets better, but it doesn't mean they'll always be in them.
Take for example redshirt junior Collin Hartman, who had 6-foot-7 became Indiana's de facto center for a good portion of last year's season while the Hoosiers' more typical big men battled through injury.
Despite his size, or lack thereof, he managed to provide Indiana with a spark. He flipped what appeared to be a disadvantage into an advantage, showing the potential in Crean's decision to let players float around.
"Hustle plays are what kept me on the court," Hartman said in the offseason. "That's what I really think gave me the confidence knowing that if I (played center), it would help."
One of the more significant changes looming could be a change at the conventional point guard position. Ferrell, regarded as one of the better point guards in the Big Ten and the country, has been the initiator for the Indiana offense for nearly the entirety of his career and will no doubt continue to take a lion's share of the minutes.
But with teammates like Blackmon, sophomore Rob Johnson and even Williams eager to work more on point guard responsibilities, Ferrell may see his workload as primary ball handler lesson this season. His teammates' own skillsets may allow him to play as a truer combo guard and take more advantage of his ability to connect form long distance.
"I definitely see myself being able to do more things this year," Ferrell said at Big Ten media day. "I don't think I'm really limited by a position or one role. I sort of pride myself in being able to do many things."
Fans will get a chance to see Indiana's versatility and flexibility first hand Saturday at Hoosier Hysteria. Still more than two weeks away from Indiana's season-opening exhibition game against Bellarmine, nothing is set in stone.
But a split squad scrimmage should give IU's players a chance to showcase their adaptability on the fly in the public eye for the first time. That flexibility could go a long way in creating depth up and down the roster in giving Crean lineup options to take advantage of situations as he sees fit, just as Hartman did at center in 2014-15.
"We're two deep at every position," Crean said. "We want two deep not where the coaches see it two deep, but one where the players know it is. And based on the fact that they've got to bring their very best in and it's very competitive."
Hoosier Hysteria presented by Smithville Fiber will take place in Assembly Hall this Saturday, with doors opening at 5:00 p.m. and the program starting around 6:30 p.m. The event is free to all fans, but fans are encouraged to bring a canned good to be donated to the Hoosier Hills Food Bank in Bloomington. For those fans that can't make it to the event in person, the event will be streamed live on BTN Plus (subscription fee applies).
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