Mr. Basketball Candidate: Yogi Ferrell

Continuing in our series of Mr. Basketball candidates, today we take a look at Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell of Park Tudor. His is a name that has been widely known and discussed since he was in elementary school, but now he's a senior and playing as well as or better than any player in the state. His accolades are numerous and his potential is big-time, and he is one-fifth of the 2012 Hoosier "Movement" that will be storming into Bloomington in one short season. Let's see what Yogi's outlook might be for the most coveted award in Indiana basketball.

Player
Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell

Position
6'0 Point Guard

High School
Park Tudor Panthers

College Choice
Indiana University

Junior Stats
18.7 points - 6.6 assists

Past Seasons
Sophomore - 15-11, lost in 2A State Finals
Junior - 26-2, won 2A State Championship

National Rankings
Rivals.com - 5 star, 17th overall
Scout.com - 4 star, 32nd overall
ESPN.com - 4 star, 33rd overall
247sports.com - 4 star, 26th overall

Mr. Basketball Outlook
He and North Central's Ronnie Johnson will battle for the title of best point guard in the state, and in my opinion, Yogi gets the nod on that one. He may not just be the best point guard, he may very well be the best overall player in Indiana. As a sophomore with less help around him, Ferrell proved he could score it, averaging about 24 points per game and more or less singlehandedly carried his team within one game of winning it all. Last season, with players like Trevon Bluiett and Troy Spears flocking to coach Ed Schilling and Park Tudor, Yogi proved he could play the distributor as well, and they won it all in the 2A class. The championship, and the likelihood of winning yet another 2A crown, may be what sets Ferrell apart from the competition. Dissenters will argue that he plays in the second smallest class in the state, which is a valid point in most cases. However, the Panthers have a schedule that would rival most 4A teams, with games against Roncalli, North Central, Heritage Christian, Brebeuf, Lawrence North (and the rest of the Marion County Tournament), not to mention the season-opening tournament they dominated in Chicago. Also helping Ferrell is the fact that he is headed to play for home-state favorite IU. Gary Harris is likely Ferrell's main competition for the award, but if Harris' team goes home early in postseason play, and if Yogi is able to win a second 2A title in as many years, he'll likely take home the hardware for Mr. Basketball as well.