Indiana University Athletics
Bielfeldt Providing What Indiana Needed
1/26/2016 7:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By: Sam Beishuizen, IUHoosiers.com | Twitter
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Max Bielfeldt hasn't known Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell long. They've only been teammates for six months after competing against one another twice spanning three years while Bielfeldt was playing for Michigan.
But based on the way the now-senior teammates play off one another when microphones are around, it appears they've gotten used to each other's company.
There was the time after Minnesota two weeks ago when Bielfeldt played the role of reporter and asked Ferrell what it felt like being old when he was fielding questions about his Indiana legacy.
Then there was the press conference where Ferrell joked he had $20 waiting for Bielfeldt after the big man converted on an easy layup to give Ferrell his 546th career assist, setting a program record.
And then there was their most-recent back-and-forth when Bielfeldt, asked about Ferrell in a press conference, sarcastically deadpanned: "You know, he gets a pretty good amount of assists, I don't know if you guys have heard."
It may be safe to say Bielfeldt has fit in at Indiana just fine.
"It's definitely not hard to work with these guys," Bielfeldt said.
As Indiana enters the latter half of its season, Bielfeldt continues to inject Indiana with many of the qualities and attributes head coach Tom Crean hoped he would bring when he began pursuing him last summer.
He's provided a veteran presence in an otherwise inexperienced frontcourt, stepped into a leadership role within the locker room and has continued to expand his own game even midway through his fifth college season.
Bielfeldt's individual strides reflect potential Crean saw in him while watching film before the two even began discussing the possibility of Bielfeldt joining the Hoosiers. In Bielfeldt, Crean saw an upside that—if met—would fit in nicely alongside freshman center Thomas Bryant and the rest of Indiana's cast of big men and guards.
"He's really bought into what we needed to get better at," Crean said. "He's bought into what we felt he could get better at. His footwork is certainly improving. He's getting a lot of confidence, he's gaining in athleticism. We saw that in the summer. His vertical jump went up five inches. That's pretty extraordinary for anyone, let alone someone with 22, 23 years of age."
With added athleticism has come increased production for Bielfeldt, who averages 8.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in a little over 17 minutes per game. He's setting career-best marks in nearly every major statistical category for an Indiana team that's on a 12-game winning streak, including a 7-0 mark in the Big Ten for the first time since the 1992-93 season.
But perhaps more than what Bielfeldt is doing, it's how he's doing it.
Indiana's high-powered offense that relies so much on spacing has opened the floor for Bielfeldt to make 12 3-pointers this season, eclipsing his total from all three years at Michigan combined. He's shooting 46.2 percent beyond the arc, picking his spots to shoot from long distance but mostly doing his scoring by cleaning up misses on the glass.
"I think it's a combination of just the great ball movement and getting open looks," Bielfeldt said. "I really worked on my shot over the summer with the coaches, too, and I think it's a combination of that starting to pay off. I'm getting comfortable in the system and everyone's sharing the ball well and it's making it a lot easier."
It's easier, and it's apparently working. Because 20 games in, Bielfeldt has already fit in with his new team and left his mark.
And he insists he's not done yet.
"I knew there was a lot of talent and I knew I enjoyed being with the guys and the chemistry was going to translate on the court," Bielfeldt said. "My expectations were to be as good as we can be. With this little streak we've got going, I think it's starting to show that things are coming together."
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Max Bielfeldt hasn't known Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell long. They've only been teammates for six months after competing against one another twice spanning three years while Bielfeldt was playing for Michigan.
But based on the way the now-senior teammates play off one another when microphones are around, it appears they've gotten used to each other's company.
There was the time after Minnesota two weeks ago when Bielfeldt played the role of reporter and asked Ferrell what it felt like being old when he was fielding questions about his Indiana legacy.
Then there was the press conference where Ferrell joked he had $20 waiting for Bielfeldt after the big man converted on an easy layup to give Ferrell his 546th career assist, setting a program record.
And then there was their most-recent back-and-forth when Bielfeldt, asked about Ferrell in a press conference, sarcastically deadpanned: "You know, he gets a pretty good amount of assists, I don't know if you guys have heard."
It may be safe to say Bielfeldt has fit in at Indiana just fine.
"It's definitely not hard to work with these guys," Bielfeldt said.
As Indiana enters the latter half of its season, Bielfeldt continues to inject Indiana with many of the qualities and attributes head coach Tom Crean hoped he would bring when he began pursuing him last summer.
He's provided a veteran presence in an otherwise inexperienced frontcourt, stepped into a leadership role within the locker room and has continued to expand his own game even midway through his fifth college season.
Bielfeldt's individual strides reflect potential Crean saw in him while watching film before the two even began discussing the possibility of Bielfeldt joining the Hoosiers. In Bielfeldt, Crean saw an upside that—if met—would fit in nicely alongside freshman center Thomas Bryant and the rest of Indiana's cast of big men and guards.
"He's really bought into what we needed to get better at," Crean said. "He's bought into what we felt he could get better at. His footwork is certainly improving. He's getting a lot of confidence, he's gaining in athleticism. We saw that in the summer. His vertical jump went up five inches. That's pretty extraordinary for anyone, let alone someone with 22, 23 years of age."
With added athleticism has come increased production for Bielfeldt, who averages 8.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in a little over 17 minutes per game. He's setting career-best marks in nearly every major statistical category for an Indiana team that's on a 12-game winning streak, including a 7-0 mark in the Big Ten for the first time since the 1992-93 season.
But perhaps more than what Bielfeldt is doing, it's how he's doing it.
Indiana's high-powered offense that relies so much on spacing has opened the floor for Bielfeldt to make 12 3-pointers this season, eclipsing his total from all three years at Michigan combined. He's shooting 46.2 percent beyond the arc, picking his spots to shoot from long distance but mostly doing his scoring by cleaning up misses on the glass.
"I think it's a combination of just the great ball movement and getting open looks," Bielfeldt said. "I really worked on my shot over the summer with the coaches, too, and I think it's a combination of that starting to pay off. I'm getting comfortable in the system and everyone's sharing the ball well and it's making it a lot easier."
It's easier, and it's apparently working. Because 20 games in, Bielfeldt has already fit in with his new team and left his mark.
And he insists he's not done yet.
"I knew there was a lot of talent and I knew I enjoyed being with the guys and the chemistry was going to translate on the court," Bielfeldt said. "My expectations were to be as good as we can be. With this little streak we've got going, I think it's starting to show that things are coming together."
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