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54 ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 25, ISSUE 2 f INDIANA 17-15 OVERALL, 7-11 BIG TEN A s expected after an uprising under Tom Crean that was capped with a Sweet 16 appearance, the Hoosiers crashed last season while rebuilding again. Indiana managed only 17 victories, just seven in Big Ten play, and it could continue to be a struggle while the roster builds some experience. Big Ten Freshman-of-the- Year Noah Vonleh bolted for the NBA, and three other players transferred. Of Crean's 15 players, only four are upperclassmen. There are no seniors. But junior Yogi Ferrell has to suffice, because of his playing experience, his position and his talent. The point guard is the bright spot in the program, coming off a sophomore season in which he was an all-conference player after averaging 17.3 points and 3.9 assists. He'll be charged to get the younger talent producing, especially newcomers James Blackmon Jr. and Robert Johnson, both highly touted guards. MARYLAND 17-15 OVERALL, 9-9 ACC M ark Turgeon has to be happy the season is here. It was an off- season filled with tur- moil, as the Terrapins had four players trans- fer in a month and dis- missed another from the team. And, then, just a cou- ple weeks ago, forward Evan Smotrycz broke a bone in his foot, knock- ing him out as many as six weeks. The Mich- igan transfer started 28 games for Maryland last year, averaging career highs in points (11.0), rebounds (6.0), assists (1.7) and min- utes (27.9). That'll put even more pressure on a freshmen class that includes point guard Melo Trimble, a McDonald's All-American charged with leading a new-look motion offense. But he'll need a lot of help if Maryland wants to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010, the program's longest drought since 1989-1993. RUTGERS 12-21 OVERALL, 5-13 AAC E ddie Jordan knows expectations aren't high for his group. And not just because it lost its final game last season by 61 points. It'll take time to get used to a new league, and even though he likes the size and athleticism of his team, it may take some time to produce victories. "We'd like to get that season highlight or an upset or two or three," he said. "That's not going to define our season if we don't. For the most part, I want our kids to compete and understand what it takes to play in this league." At least Jordan has his team's top two returner scorers and rebounder back. Mack Myles averaged 14.9 points, and Kadeem Jack had 14.3 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game. j