Ferrell Impressive As IU Cruises In Opening NCAA Tournament Game
By DOUG GRIFFITHS
ISL Assistant Editor
The Indiana-James Madison game was over shortly after it started.
It was supposed to be a mismatch and it was thanks to the play of freshman point guard Yogi Ferrell, who was unconscious to start the game.
The Indianapolis product scored 14 of IU’s first 16 points, including the first nine, in the game’s first six minutes as the top-seeded Hoosiers cruised to a 83-62 victory Saturday in their opening round NCAA Tournament game before a partisan crowd in Dayton, Ohio.
The victory improved IU’s record to 28-6 and continued the streak of no No. 1 seeds never losing to 16 seeds (115-0).
The Hoosiers’ superiority was evident from the outset, especially in the team speed department keyed by Ferrell’s ability to beat his man off the dribble and get to the hole at will.
JMU guard Devon Moore was certainly impressed.
“The speed they play with is unbelievable,” he said. “We haven’t seen anything like that.”
Big Ten teams got somewhat acclimated to IU’s frantic pace, but for those seeing it for the first time, it’s quite a shock to say the least.
This is a Hoosier team that entered the tournament with a chip on its shoulder, having lost three of its last six games and being bounced from the Big Ten Tournament semifinals by Wisconsin.
Once the ball went up against the Dukes, IU played as though it didn’t have a very good taste in its mouth from the last time it was on the hardwood. The Hoosiers were a very focused team, playing with a sense of purpose and were not about to take JMU lightly.
“We know that anything can pretty much happen in this tournament,” Ferrell said. “We’ve already seen some crazy things happen.”
Ferrell and the rest of his teammates were just glad to face someone other than a Big Ten team.
“I’ve been waiting for this all week,” Ferrell said. “A lot of us are jacked up to get out here, play against some different competition.”
Thanks to Ferrell’s offensive explosion to start the game, IU was never threatened. The Hoosiers led 43-22 at the break and the lead grew to 33 over the final 20 minutes.
IU coach Tom Crean was thrilled with what he saw from his team.
“We played excellent,” the Hoosier boss said.
Five of Crean’s player scored in double figures led by Ferrell’s game-high effort. Will Sheehey came off the bench to chip in 15, while Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo added 11 each and Jordan Hulls had 10.
James Madison was completely overmatched trying to defend Zeller inside.
The game’s first possession was indicative of how the day would go for the Dukes.
IU got the tip, missed a shot, grabbed the rebound, missed another shot, grabbed another rebound and Ferrell scored driving to the basket.
JMU just couldn’t match the Hoosiers’ size, speed, athleticism you name it.
With the kind of play it got from Ferrell, who also pulled down eight rebounds and handed out six assists, the Hoosiers’ ceiling is unlimited in the Big Dance. Perhaps IU is destined for what would be a classic matchup with No. 2-seed Miami (Fla.) in the East Region finals with a date against Louisville in the national championship game soon to follow.
One thing is certain, JMU’s coach believes it will take a heck of an effort to bounce the Hoosiers from this tournament.
“We clearly lost to a better team,” Matt Brady said. “Watching them on tape and trying to prepare your team for Indiana is one thing, and then being on the court with them and having to play against the speed and power with which they play was really impressive.”
First things first, however, all IU is currently focused on is its date with Temple on Sunday. A win over the Owls will give IU its second straight trip to the Sweet 16.
With the way Crean’s club played against JMU, a ticket to Washington D.C. seems almost a certainty.
