C.L. Brown, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Looking ahead: Indiana Hoosiers

It's never too early to start looking ahead to next season. Over the coming weeks, we will examine what comes next for each team in the Power 5 conferences and also those outside the Power 5 who could make noise on the national stage. Today: the Indiana Hoosiers.

The speculation, for now, is at least over. Indiana finished its season with many rumblings about who was coming and who was going. That included more than just players turning pro and recruiting battles as the murmur over coach Tom Crean's future also was discussed over many a water cooler in the heartland.

One by one, the major players all announced they were coming back: James Blackmon Jr., the Hoosiers' second leading scorer; Troy Williams, the team's leading rebounder; and finally Yogi Ferrell, who makes it all work after leading the team in scoring and assists. And Crean isn't going anywhere either, despite an increasing percentage of the fan base that has grown impatient with his tenure.

The Hoosiers have a roster that could be successful on the court — only if first they can prove to stay out of trouble off it. Crean suspended Devin Davis on Tuesday after the sophomore was cited for marijuana possession. Davis missed the entire season after an alcohol-related accident left him with a brain injury when he jumped in front of a car driven by teammate Emmitt Holt. Davis was viewed as an inspiration as he went from recovering in the hospital to dressing for games with the team late in the season. His impact in the coming year probably would have been symbolic, but now even that is in question.

Hanner Mosquera-Perea was reportedly present, but not cited by police. This comes on the heels of disciplinary problems in the program over the past year that have included Ferrell, Williams and Mosquera-Perea. IU played with one of the youngest teams in the nation in 2014-15 and if its immaturity problems continue, a promising 2015-16 season could be sabotaged before it really gets started.

What the immediate future holds:

Ferrell is one of the best scoring point guards in the nation -- he shot 42 percent from 3-point range and led the team in made 3s. He's arguably Indiana's most important player. Ferrell started every game for the Hoosiers last season and didn't come off the floor much while averaging a team-high 34.9 minutes per game. With the ball primarily in his hands, the Hoosiers ranked ninth in adjusted offense last season.

Indiana should again be explosive offensively. All the top shooters return: Blackmon, Robert Johnson and reserve Nick Zeisloft, who led the team shooting 45 percent from 3-point range. The Hoosiers shot so well from deep last season they became overly reliant upon 3-point shooting. They scored 36.3 percent of their points from behind the arc, according to Ken Pomeroy. That ranked 22nd nationally and tops in the Big Ten.

Thomas Bryant should help change all that. The 6-foot-10 center from Rochester, New York, who was ranked 20th in the class of 2015 by Recruiting Nation, will help bring balance to their offense. He'll be the inside threat for IU that opponents simply did not respect last season. Bryant's decision to branch out and leave the hometown team in Syracuse behind is proof that all is not gloom and doom in Bloomington.

The Hooisers hope Bryant's presence as a rim protector can also help them shore up their defense. Simply put, they were awful last season, ranking last in the Big Ten in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense. At times it appeared Indiana just conceded it would have to outscore opponents instead of trying to stop them. The addition of wings Juwan Morgan and O.G. Anunoby bring much needed length and depth that should allow the Hoosiers to extend their pressure.

Indiana is banking that all the time its freshmen spent learning the ways of the college game will pay off this season. Blackmon and Johnson, provided they avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, added to Ferrell, Williams and Bryant give IU a potential starting five that could rival Big Ten favorite Maryland.

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