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2016 NBA Draft Radar: Will Indiana’s Yogi Ferrell Hear His Name Called in the 2016 NBA Draft?

By James Fitzgerald

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Indiana Hoosiers fans have watched the maturation process of Yogi Ferrell since his freshman season of 2012-13.

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Ferrell played solid as a freshman averaging 7.6 points and 4.1 assists setting the table for Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller before they moved on to the NBA.

The 5-foot-11 point guard has since had the keys to the car, being the main gun for the Hoosiers offensively.

He averaged 17.3 points and 3.9 assists as a sophomore shooting 41.3% from the field and 40% from three-point range.

Then last season Ferrell showed improvement in his game averaging 16.3 points and 4.9 assists per contest. His shooting percentage went up to 43.9% from the field and 41.6% from three-point range.

Though Yogi Ferrell has shown a penchant for scoring, there is no getting around the fact that on the NBA level he is going to be a point guard, period.

That means that the 2015-16 season for Yogi Ferrell is going to be about improving his skills as a table setter so he can catch the attention of NBA scouts.

He is already at a little bit of a disadvantage because of the fact that he is on the smallish side at 5-foot-11, 178 pounds.

Ferrell is going to have to make up for his lack of size with his quickness and game understanding.

He has plenty of speed to burn with the ball in his hands, and the game understanding at his position is coming along just fine.

Last season, Ferrell cut down on his turnovers from 2.6 per game in 2013-14 to 1.9 per game in 2014-15.

Ferrell’s shooting ability is without question as well as his foot quickness. He has no issue with pushing the tempo and is really good at breaking down his defender with his dribble in order to penetrate the lane and create for others.

The question for Ferrell is going to be “is he  physical enough to contend with the point guards on the professional level?”.

That is going to be the knock on Ferrell as he goes through his 2015-16 season and the overall draft process.

He is not a long rangy player, so that could make him a liability on the defensive end.

Jan 10, 2015; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Yogi Ferrell (11) shoots the ball during warmups before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Also, for all the shooting ability that he brings to the floor, and all the ability he has to get in the lane, Ferrell’s shooting arsenal is lacking that consistent one-hand runner that professional point guards have developed so they can shoot over centers contesting their shot in the lane.

That is easily a shot that he should be able to develop as the 2015-16 season progresses.

Yogi Ferrell is one of the top point guards in the nation coming into the 2015-16 season and is easily a potential Big Ten “Player of the Year” candidate.

When you look at mock drafts Yogi Ferrell’s name is not mentioned in the 60 picks at all. That is due to his size, not his skills.

The first player that comes to mind that was taken at his size as a lottery pick is T.J. Ford out of Texas back in 2003, and that selection by the Milwaukee Bucks did not work out too well due to injuries and the fact that he really was not big enough to handle the rigors of the pro game.

Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana Hoosiers /

Indiana Hoosiers

That situation may have served as a cautionary tail for the NBA when it comes to taking smallish point guards in the draft.

If anything, Ferrell will be on someone’s summer league roster to show off his skills. The point guard position is always deep, and there are going to be too many other options to be considered as draft picks ahead of Ferrell in the end.

But all of that speculation could be thrown out of the window if Yogi Ferrell turns in a monster 2015-16 season and shows the necessary improvement to grab the attention of pro scouts.

Yogi Ferrell has the skills to be a pro.  His size is simply going to be the hindrance. That is why chances are that Ferrell’s name will not be called next summer.

Next: The Extremely Odd 2015-16 College Basketball Top 10

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