IndyStar.com: Indiana All-Stars team selection is difficult
Harris, a 6-4 Michigan State-bound guard, is joined on the All-Star team by 5-11 Park Tudor guard Yogi Ferrell (Indiana recruit) and 6-5 Pendleton Heights guard Kellen Dunham (Butler), who finished Nos. 2 and 3 in the Mr. Basketball vote, respectively. Ferrell led Park Tudor to back-to-back Class 2A championships as a junior and senior and Dunham led the state with a 29.5-point scoring average.
Yogi Ferrell had a rough shooting night last Wednesday in the McDonald’s All-American Game, as he finished just 1-of-8 from the field. But the Park Tudor product chipped in with seven assists for the West squad, which emerged victorious.
Here are his highlights:
Around the Hall is recommended reading from the Inside the Hall staff:
+ DraftExpress has a detailed scouting report on Yogi Ferrell from the McDonald’s All-American game and offers perspective on how his speed and ball handling will impact next year’s Indiana team.
+ Terry Hutchens of The Indianapolis Star tabs an early stab at a top ten for next season.
+ IU assistant Steve McClain is in the mix for the coaching vacancy at SMU, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com.
+ Pete DiPrimio of the Ft. Wayne News-Sentinel recaps Ron Patterson’s performance at the IBCA Top-60 senior workout.
+ Indiana is among the 16 schools still in the mix for 2013 DeMatha big man BeeJay Anya.
+ Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger has a decision to make after the Buckeyes’ loss to Kansas in the national semifinals on Saturday.
+ Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com chimes in on the hiring of Bruce Weber by Kansas State.
+ The announcement of John Groce as head coach was met with favorable feedback from several of Illinois’ recruits.
Indiana’s point guard of the future — Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell — showed off his ability to distribute in Wednesday’s McDonald’s All-American game at the United Center in Chicago.
Ferrell, one of the front runners to win the Mr. Basketball award, dished out a team-high eight assists in the West’s 106-102 over the East.
He added three points (1-of-8 shooting, 1-of-3 from the foul line), one rebound, one block and a steal in a total of 22 minutes.
Here’s what Scout.com national analyst Brian Snow had to say about the performance:
Ferrell showed off his trademark quickness and even hit a corner jumper. However he missed what is usually the strength of his game, mid-range jumpers. Ferrell however did do a pretty good job of finding players in transition and dropped several assists, leading the game in that category.
Kyle Neddenriep of The Indianapolis Star also caught up with Ferrell after the win to get his thoughts:
“The game was great. It was really hard shooting in here, I noticed that. Only made one shot, but I did have a few assists here and there. It was a lot of fun.”
Ferrell, who was originally expected to play in Sunday’s All-American Championships in New Orleans, is no longer listed on the North roster for that event. The game will feature Hanner Mosquera-Perea and Jeremy Hollowell and will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com at 4:30 PM ET with a replay at approximately 10:30 PM ET on ESPNU.
Here’s a link to our Q & A with Ferrell from Tuesday’s McDonald’s All-American media day.
(Photo courtesy of the McDonald’s All-American game.)
CHICAGO — The East and West McDonald’s All-American squads met with the media for a luncheon Tuesday afternoon at the United Center.
Here’s an interview with Indiana signee Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell, who will play for the West squad in Wednesday’s game:
Talk about the state tournament, the final game against Bowman Academy. Can you just talk about the performance and almost recording a triple-double?
“Our team, we played great. We were making jump shots, we broke their press pretty easy. I felt Paul Bayt opened up the game for us early, knocking down five triples in the first half. That’s exactly how I wanted to go out. I almost had a triple-double, but couldn’t get one more rebound. That’s how I wanted to leave my high school career.”
As far as Mr. Basketball is concerned, how are you feeling about that? What’s your take on it?
“I feel better. It would be a great honor to get it, but it’s not in my hands. I can’t really control that. So I’m just going to wait and see what people think.”
Obviously you’ve played in all-star games before, but the talent level here is tops. Has there been any difference in the practices just with the talent level you’ve been playing with compared to other games or at Park Tudor?
“It’s definitely a lot different than Park Tudor. These guys are the best guys across the country. Everyone’s playing harder now that the NBA scouts are watching. The level of competition is at its highest right now.”
Heading into the summer, how do you see yourself working on your game when you get down to Bloomington? Is there some specific stuff you’re going to be keying on?
“Just trying to maximize everything that is a part of my game and trying to learn new things because you can always learn new stuff. I just can’t wait to get down to IU.”
