A former Indiana basketball standout, is back in cream and crimson. Ferrell was introduced Thursday morning as the fourth member of IU’s alumni squad, Assembly Ball, in The Basketball Tournament, a $1 million winner-take-all competition.
Ferrell joins former Hoosiers Juwan Morgan, Troy Williams, Miller Kopp, and Devonte Green on the Assembly Ball roster. More players will be disclosed in the coming days and weeks, with former Indiana standout Christian Watford leading the roster construction.
Assembly Ball’s first-round TBT game is scheduled for Friday, July 19 at 8 p.m. EDT at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Ferrell, a four-year star at Indiana, rose to legendary status by the time he graduated following the 2015-16 season. He was first in career assists (633), first in lifetime games played (137), second in career 3-pointers (272), and sixth in career points (1,986), among numerous other honors. Ferrell, a former five-star prospect from Indianapolis’ Park Tudor High School, started every game at IU beginning with his freshman season.
Ferrell completed a successful college career with an All-American senior season in 2015-16, garnering Second-Team All-American honors from USA Today and Sporting News, unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten selection by both coaches and media, and IU Male Athlete of the Year.
Following his graduation from IU, Ferrell spent five years shifting between the NBA and G-League, playing for various teams including the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Clippers. He gained recognition by being named to the All-Rookie Second Team after an impressive 2017 season with the Mavericks.
In 2021, Ferrell took his talents overseas, currently competing for Budućnost in the Montenegrin Basketball League.
The upcoming Basketball Tournament will feature 64 teams divided into eight regions. Initial rounds will occur at regional venues, with the semifinals and finals held at a yet-to-be-disclosed location. The complete tournament bracket will be unveiled in June.
This summer, TBT revealed plans for 27 nationally televised games, including three on FOX, with the championship game also slated for broadcast on FOX.
Established in 2014, TBT is an annual competition that brings together former college players for a chance at a $1 million prize. Notable alumni teams from colleges such as Indiana, Purdue, Butler, Louisville, Auburn, and Texas are set to participate in 2024.
Since its inception, TBT has hosted nearly 600 games, partnered with ESPN for worldwide distribution, introduced the innovative Elam Ending to conclude games, awarded over $13 million in prizes, and crowned ten champions.
Past victors include Carmen’s Crew (Ohio State), Boeheim’s Army (Syracuse), Golden Eagles Alumni (Marquette), among others.
Introduced in 2018, the Elam Ending alters traditional end-of-game dynamics by eliminating the game clock in the fourth quarter and setting a Target Score. The first team to reach the Target Score wins, encouraging teams to focus on scoring rather than managing the clock.
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