Junior guard Yogi Ferrell will return to IU for his senior season, the IU men’s basketball program announced Sunday.
Reports early Sunday morning indicated Ferrell would return to school, but neither player nor program confirmed until Sunday evening.
He had been considering entering the NBA Draft. He was scheduled to announce his decision Saturday night at a ceremony in Indianapolis but canceled the event in light of the death of IU student Hannah Wilson.
He was not considered a top NBA Draft prospect in 2015, with most projections slotting him in as a second-round pick, if selected at all.
“Like several other student-athletes in the game of basketball, I have considered the option of leaving college early to join the professional ranks,” Ferrell said in ?the release.
“At the end of the day, I have decided that it is in my best interest to continue my education, to build on my involvement in the community, and to improve my skills as a basketball player as a member of the 2015-16 IU Men’s Basketball Team.”
Ferrell is already one of the most accomplished players in IU history, and his return almost certainly puts the Hoosiers in the top 15 or so of next year’s preseason rankings. The addition of forwards Thomas Bryant, Juwan Morgan and O.G. Anunoby should shore up IU’s glaring weakness in the frontcourt, and the already announced returns of sophomore forward Troy Williams, freshman guard James Blackmon Jr. and now Ferrell have created a more well-rounded roster, on paper, for next season.
Ferrell averaged 16.3 points, 4.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game last season, his second straight as IU’s leading scorer. He is one of 48 IU players with more than 1,000 career points, and his 1,379 points already rank No. 22 in program history. He’ll enter next season as the Big Ten’s active leader in points, assists and 3-point field goals.
He was named first team All-Big Ten last season, picking up NABC and USBQA All-District honors in the process. He was named to the All-Big Ten second team as a sophomore.
IU Coach Tom Crean said he would have supported Ferrell’s decision either way.
“We will always support Yogi in his career and life paths, and returning to Indiana affords him an opportunity to leave an indelible mark in the proud history of the Hoosier program,” Crean said. “His continued growth and development on the court will provide him longevity at the next level and a bright future.”
Alden Woods
