With eight Indiana University Hoosiers on the roster, No. 2 Assembly Ball plans to take care of business at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Last summer, Assembly Ball entered The Basketball Tournament for the first time. After dominating The Cru (Valparaiso alumni) in the round of 64 and Men of the Mackey (Purdue alumni) in the round of 32, the Hoosiers fell to Eberlain Drive 79-82.

Even though the team is new, Assembly Ball has numerous recent additions and talent that could carry them through multiple rounds.

Current Roster:

• Aljami Durham (Indiana & Providence)
• James Blackmon (Indiana)
• Jarron Cumberland (Cincinnati)
• Jordan Hulls (Indiana)
• Jordan King (Richmond)
• Julian Gamble (University of Miami)
• Juwan Morgan (Indiana)
• Luke Fischer (Marquette)
• Miller Kopp (Northwestern and Indiana)
• QJ Peterson (VMI)
• Race Thompson (Indiana)
• Troy Williams (Indiana)
• Yogi Ferrell (Indiana)

Coaching staff:

• Christian Watford (Head Coach)

Region: Indianapolis

All-time record: 2-1

First Matchup: vs. No. 7 Fail Harder (July 19 at 4 p.m)

Team MVP: Yogi Ferrell

Point guard Yogi Ferrell is certainly a standout name for this team. During his time at IU, he received many prestigious awards and recognitions. One of these very notable awards was his being the 2015-16 Indiana University Male Athlete of the Year recipient. He is ranked 6th in the IU record books in career points with 1,986 points. In Big Ten Conference play, Ferrell is ranked 9th with 1,069 points. Following a remarkable collegiate career, the Indiana native went on to spend time in the NBA. He played in a total of 259 NBA games spread amongst the Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers, and LA Clippers. In addition to these teams, Ferrell has played with multiple teams in Asia and Europe.

Ferrell dominated in the tournament last year and willed the Assembly Ball Hoosiers to their first victory of The Basketball Tournament against The Cru. He landed a shot from outside the arc, putting the first points of the game on the scoreboard. This was a familiar shot from his time at IU. He led the team in scoring with a whopping 27 points, going 9-for-14 (4-for-9 from downtown). In the Round of 16, Ferrell recorded 21 points, which included a few poised three-pointers. He played strongly, fast, and electric, drawing on his five NBA seasons and overseas gameplay.

His points and assists will be great assets to Assembly Ball. He should be reliable yet again during this year’s TBT.

Make-or-break Player: Juwan Morgan

Power forward Juwan Morgan will be a key player this year. He has the leadership and experience from IU, having been a starter from 2015 to 2019, during which he earned honors from the Big Ten as well as captain honors. He has also played with the Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics, and Toronto Raptors.

His size has the ability to help the team significantly in the paint. Morgan can dominate the interior, collecting rebounds and coming in clutch from the blocks. If Yogi and Blackmon can carry out effective perimeter play, Morgan will be able to serve as an anchor and clean-up crew inside. Along with this, Morgan can show off outside the arc. Last tournament, he shot 2-of-5 three-pointers in the opening game of the tournament.

His impact, of course, will depend on the opponent. If they face a team that likes to drive, Morgan will surely be a high-value player who can clean up the glass. Similarly, if they are facing a defense that is tight on the perimeter, they’ll find success by feeding Morgan and exploiting the weak spots in the paint.

Team Outlook

The first-round game against Fail Harder features a variety of players from across the United States. The majority of their roster played at the University of Indianapolis, while a couple played at Morehead State. Assembly Ball will have the crowd backing them up, which should give them a boost.

Head coach Christian Watford will bring his experience to the team. He concluded his time at IU ranked 9th on the all-time scoring list with 1,730 points. Not only was he ninth in scoring, but also in program in rebounds, with 776 rebounds. Watford is also recognized for sinking a buzzer-beater 3-pointer to defeat the No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats in 2011.

Along with Ferrell and Morgan, there are other players to pay close attention to. Shooting guard James Blackmon has lots of potential to be explosive on offense. Power forward Race Thompson possesses a solid defensive presence and will be a key rebounder. Small forward Troy Williams is coming back from a 15-month injury. He was unable to play with Assembly Ball last tournament; however, he is listed on the roster this year and can provide a boatload of energy and motivation, especially considering his resilience to come back and play for the Hoosiers.

If Assembly Ball is victorious during the first round, they will remain in Indianapolis at Hinkle Fieldhouse to play the winner of the No. 3 All Good Dawgs (Butler alumni) vs. No. 6 Shield 219.