Insider: Yogi Ferrell likely a second-rounder if he leaves IU
BLOOMINGTON --
If Yogi Ferrell ends his Indiana basketball career on Saturday night and announces his intention to enter this summer's NBA draft, he will face an uncertain immediate professional future.
That's according to draft experts and league sources alike, both of whom say Ferrell is likely to be a second-round pick, possibly in the middle of the round, if he puts his name into consideration. Ferrell plans to announce his decision Saturday night at Ruth's Chris Steak House on Indianapolis' Northeastside.
"I think he's got a lot of things going for him and one big downside, that he really can't control, and that's his size," said Jonathan Givony, a draft expert with the website DraftExpress.com. "There's not a ton of sub-6-foot guards in the league right now. But he has a couple of things that give him a chance."
A league source told The Indianapolis Star there's been "no talk of the first round" for Ferrell.
DraftExpress has Ferrell projected as the No. 40 overall pick, 10th in the second round, going to the Miami Heat. ESPN's Chad Ford lists Ferrell at No. 78 in his top 100, and ranks him the 16th-best point guard in the draft class.
That last ranking spells out another danger for Ferrell, whose position is more crowded this year than most.
Emmanuel Mudiay, D'Angelo Russell, Jerian Grant, Tyus Jones, Cameron Payne and Delon Wright — all seen as point guards — are first-rounders, according to DraftExpress.
"Those guys are all pretty solidly in the first round, and so, how many more point guards get drafted after that? That's the question mark," Givony said.
Givony sees both strength and improvement in Ferrell, whom he described as too "wild" at times as a sophomore.
"This past year, I thought he did a good job of looking to create more for teammates, finding a better balance between being a facilitator and a scorer," Givony said, citing Ferrell's shooting ability as a plus. The junior from Park Tudor High School hit 41.6 percent of his 3-pointers last season, and nearly 44 percent of all his field goals.
There's also an argument that returning to Indiana could bolster Ferrell's draft stock.
With the addition of McDonald's All American big man Thomas Bryant, Indiana has, on paper at least, a well-rounded and promising squad next season. As one league source put it, "that's a full team that you can run as a point guard."
Excel next winter acting as traffic cop for that roster — and lead Indiana on a deep tournament run — and Ferrell could find his draft profile and prospects raised.
"You really, really would showcase what you're really about," a source with several years of experience in the draft said. "I think he can easily flirt with the tail end of the first round, because he has all the skills to be a point guard. Now, he doesn't have the size, but he makes up for it because he plays hard and he's tough."
Givony cited Jones, who led Duke to a national title this month, and former Michigan guard Trey Burke as examples. Burke would have been a second-round prospect had he declared after his freshman season, Givony said. Returning for another year, and leading the Wolverines to the Final Four, boosted him into the lottery.
"I don't know if Yogi's ever going to be a top-10 pick ... but at least he's entering the NBA in better standing," Givony said. "I'm not telling him what to do, but if he came back and had a great year and went on a deep (NCAA tournament) run, I think he would probably be in better shape."
IU coach Tom Crean declined to be specific earlier this week when asked about Ferrell's decision-making process. Crean has always kept such conversations private, but he expressed confidence in Indiana's ability to connect its players with knowledgeable people who will inform them honestly and objectively.
"The one thing you do is, you keep making sure that you stay away from opinion," Crean said. "Everybody's gonna have an opinion. We're all entitled to one. ... What do the decision makers say?"
Yogi Ferrell
Height/weight: 6-0, 180 pounds.
Statistics: 16.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.9 apg.
Skinny: Selected first-team All-Big Ten both before and after his junior season. ... ranks 22nd on IU's career scoring list with 1,379 points. ... Led IU in assists in all three of his seasons. ... owns an active 65-game streak with at least one made 3-pointer, the longest in the nation and the longest in IU history.
Follow Star reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.