INDIANAPOLIS – Most team reunions come in the form of a dinner or party. But for a group of former Indiana men’s basketball players, they’re getting to reunite in The Basketball Tournament.
IU’s alum squad, Assembly Ball, took the floor at Hinkle Fieldhouse in TBT first round action against The Cru, a Valparaiso-based team. It gave players like Yogi Ferrell (2012-16), Juwan Morgan (2015-19) and Devonte Green (2016-20) a chance to wear cream and crimson again.
“It was an amazing feeling,” Ferrell said. “Coming out, putting the candy stripes on before the game, being out here warming up and hearing the Indiana songs. I’m getting chills.”
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Ferrell was the star of the show, logging 27 points and six assists in Assembly Ball’s 89-79 victory. The former All-American who played five NBA seasons was far and away the best player on the floor in the win.
This week for the players has been about catching up and rehashing old times. Morgan felt like he was back in college “immediately.”
“Out the gate, we got into practice and we ran through old plays, and then everybody was just chatting it up like we’ve been friends for 10 years,” Morgan said.
The team had three days of practice inside Cook Hall, IU’s practice facility. Between that and events at Bloomington businesses BuffaLouie’s and The Upstairs Pub, the group got time to redevelop chemistry throughout the week.
“Just being in there, being around again, going to the gym for practice, just brought a lot of familiar feelings,” Ferrell said. “Great feelings, bad feelings, everything and the whole nine.”
Assembly Ball is also comprised of a few non-IU alums like big man Julian Gamble. Gamble — who played at Miami (Fla.) from 2008-13, got a glimpse of the basketball-obsessed IU crowd for the first time.
“We got here around 6:00 and it was all red in the gym,” Gamble said. “I almost forgot we were at Butler. … Even as a non-IU guy, I mean, I’m happy for them. I can only imagine what that feeling is to play back in front of your fans and you kind of feel like you’re back at home and see a lot of old, familiar faces. What better place to do it than a tournament where you have a chance to win a million dollars?”
Assembly Ball will move on to play Men of Mackey, a Purdue-based team in the semifinal of the Butler Regional at 8 p.m., Sunday. Regardless of the outcome, another chance to play and represent IU is something these players will cherish.
“I wasn’t thinking about the TBT even two years after I graduated,” Ferrell said. “So just to get this opportunity again is something special. … I can’t give that up.”
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