Ferrell’s shooting effort ignites win against PSU

The only real difference was the end of the court.

Sparking both IU’s 7-0 spree to start the first half and the 11-5 run to begin the second period of its 72-49 home win against Penn State, freshman guard Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell grew up beneath the lights of Assembly Hall on Wednesday night.

“It was all in his head at first, but he’s finally realizing that he can shoot the ball,” junior guard Victor Oladipo said. “A lot of the players were just coming off, and they were just leaving him. I’m not just going to not kick to him and he knows that. He gets ready to shoot, and it’s very hard for him to miss when he gets going, and the confidence gets going, and it all pours in after that.”

With 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, IU’s lone freshman starter set a new career high, besting the 14 he scored against Georgetown in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Nov. 20 and jumpstarting IU leads in both periods that allowed the Hoosiers to ride out later sloppy play and subpar shooting.

Ferrell’s effort against Georgetown is perhaps best remembered for his late game heroics, but on Wednesday, he made his mark early in the halves.

His teammate junior forward Will Sheehey said afterward, “if you don’t shoot open shots, you’re hurting the team,” and Ferrell embodied that in opening moments of both halves.

With a 2-0 IU edge already, Ferrell set up to the left side of the court, just a step beyond the 3-point line. Such a spot would become a regular hangout for him in the evening.

The ball moved along the perimeter, and when it reached him, he almost automatically launched it toward the basket, not a second of hesitation. The shot was good.

Thirty-six seconds later, the score still 5-0 for IU, Ferrell was again in his spot on the left side, but only for a second as he darted inward, ball in his possession, taking flight and shooting a floating jump shot. It dropped through, padding the IU lead to seven and helping to ensure the Hoosiers would never trail throughout the night.

Eight seconds into the second half, there he was again. Out near the corner this time, at the other basket but still on the left, Ferrell drained another 3-pointer as soon as the ball swung out his way on a pass from Oladipo.

The scene repeated itself, 107 seconds later. Another Oladipo pass. Another left side jumper. Another three points for IU, the Hoosier lead now back greater than  20.

“I was just taking what the defense was really giving me,” Ferrell said. “(Oladipo) found me and (senior forward) Christian (Watford) in the second half a lot, and I was open so I was going to shoot the ball.”

Granted, Ferrell is still a freshman, and at times, it showed. Bookended by his early second half 3-pointers was a misplayed pass that was ultimately credited as a Jordan Hulls turnover.

A few minutes later, it appeared the growing pains might be more literal, as Ferrell tweaked his ankle. He was back within seconds, though, and appeared unhindered, even if his scoring contributions were limited in both halves after the quick starts.

Ferrell left his familiar abode on the left side of the court to provide one final exclamation point on the win, a successful contested jumper that gave him an and-one opportunity. Even though he missed the ensuing free throw — a persistent issue for the Hoosiers during the night — IU’s 67-46 lead with two minutes to go made the victory just a matter of time, thanks to Ferrell’s performance that IU Coach Tom Crean simply summarized.

“Yogi did an excellent job tonight shooting the ball,” Crean said. “He really shot it good.”