Yogi Ferrell’s path from Hoosiers Hero to Mavericks breakout star
By Tyler Brooke
Dallas Mavericks rookie Yogi Ferrell dazzled on Friday night against the Portland Trail Blazers,. Playing for a roster spot on a 10-day contract, Ferrell dropped 32 points while lighting it up to the tune of 9-of-11 from 3-point range.
Less than 24 hours later, Ferrell signed a two-year deal, and Hoosiers across the nation couldn’t be more proud.
Yogi may have been waiting for a moment like Friday night’s game for his entire life. Like so many other kids growing up playing basketball in Indiana, Ferrell likely held onto the dream that he was going to play in the NBA, even if not everyone believed him. Going undrafted was a rare hurdle for a player who has achieved nothing but success throughout his basketball career. From being named the top player in his class at 11 years old to winning a high school state championship at Park Tudor, Yogi isn’t used to being overlooked.
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Ferrell’s success continued into college playing for the Indiana Hoosiers. A four-year starter, Yogi finished his career in Indiana sixth all-time in scoring (1,986 points), first in games started (137) and first all-time in assists (633). Wearing No. 11 in at Indiana, Yogi was able to live up to another Hoosiers legend that wore the same number in Isiah Thomas.
Now, Ferrell is trying to follow in the footsteps of a different Isaiah Thomas. Like the Boston Celtics star point guard, Ferrell was probably overlooked in the NBA draft because of his size, generous listed at 6-foot.
While Thomas was at least able to get drafted, Yogi wound up not hearing his name called in the 2016 NBA draft before eventually joining on with the Brooklyn Nets for the NBA Summer League.
Ferrell then spent the better part of this season going back and forth from Brooklyn’s active roster to the D-league affiliate Long Island nets. While Yogi showed flashes during his time with Brooklyn, he struggled mightily from deep, shooting just 29.6 percent from behind the arc in 10 games.
Just when it looked like Yogi might fade away into NBA obscurity, the guard-deprived Mavericks signed the young point guard to a 10-day contract on Jan. 28. It felt only fitting that a team owned by a fellow Hoosier in IU alum Mark Cuban would give Yogi another chance, and the rookie didn’t waste any time trying to prove himself.
Knowing that his professional future was on the line, Ferrell came alive in the past four games, averaging 17.8 points and 5.0 assists per game while shooting an absurd 52 percent from behind the arc. In Friday night’s breakout performance Yogi’s nine three-pointers, which included the clutch dagger below, were tied for the most by a rookie in NBA history.
For the first time in Yogi’s NBA career, his future now looks certain. The Mavericks and Ferrell have agreed to a two-year deal that will give him a chance to make a real name for himself in Dallas. His jumper no longer looks broken, and he’s putting moves inside on defenders like Iman Shumpert in the process.
Is Yogi’s level of play sustainable? There are plenty out there who don’t think so, but confidence has never really been an issue for Ferrell. He’s seeing shots go in and he’s playing with a serious chip on his shoulder. Ferrell’s minutes are bound to be reduced once players like Deron Williams, and J.J. Barea return. However, given his recent level of play, the Mavericks should continue to make sure that they can get Yogi on the court.
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After a roller coaster of a start to his NBA career, Yogi has finally found a home, and he’s ready to try and be the next Is(a)iah Thomas.