UK sophomore recruit needs work

By Jerry Tipton

jtipton@herald-leader.com

Dominique Ferguson is a 6-foot-9 junior-to-be from Indiana.

• Jerry Tipton's UK basketball blog

It Takes 5ive Classic

At Cincinnati

When: July 6-8

What: Adidas-sponsored tournament featuring top high school basketball recruits from around the country.

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Cincinnati — Kentucky recruit Dominique Ferguson seemed to have a message on the T-shirt he wore under his jersey. ”Cats are back,“ it read.

When asked about the T-shirt, Ferguson smiled self-consciously. It referred to his Bloomington Lawrence North team in Indiana. He's intent on restoring that program's glory before moving on to UK in 2010. Ferguson acknowledged UK's recent slippage when he said, ”It's better for me to come in and make us better.“

Then he added, ”I think they'll be a lot better this year.“

Of more immediate concern to Ferguson is rebuilding his own basketball reputation. His goal at the adidas-sponsored It Takes 5ive Classic team tournament is not to wow anyone. He just wants to convince critics he's good enough to merit a UK scholarship offer as a high school sophomore.

”After my commitment, I don't think I've gotten the proper respect,“ he said in soft-spoken tones. ”I don't think I've gotten my due. A lot of people think I'm overrated.“

Ferguson admitted that the doubts rankled.

”I don't listen to them,“ he said before adding, ”I listen a little. ... I need to step up my game and take it to another level, take all my attributes to another level: Passing, scoring, dribbling, rebounding.“

Based on his opening game Sunday, Ferguson's got a lot of work to do. He took a spill when undercut on a fast break. He banged his backside on the court at the University of Cincinnati's Fifth Third Arena. He spent the rest of the game on his belly in front of his bench.

Injuries have played a big part in Ferguson's career and made him have to prove himself at the tournament. As an eighth-grader, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Three months later, he tore the patellar tendon that doctors had used a piece of to repair the ACL. The double-whammy sidelined him for about 12 months.

”It was good for me,“ he said. ”It taught me that if I don't take it seriously, basketball can be over for me at any time. Now I always play my hardest.“

Matt Green, who coaches Ferguson on the Indiana Elite LNO team, noted how Ferguson fell out of the top five in the Class of 2010 after the injuries (the Prep Stars recruiting service still ranks him No. 5 in its updated ratings this spring). Some days Ferguson favors the knee, Green said. But even so he remains a versatile, 6-foot-9 talent with perimeter skills. He can shoot over smaller defenders and blow by bigger opponents.

”Kind of like Scottie Pippen,“ Green said.

Ferguson's commitment to Kentucky falls into the whirlwind-romance scenario that marks Billy Gillispie's brief time as coach. Ferguson favored Purdue, which first offered a scholarship (at the end of the player's sophomore season). He also liked Louisville.

All the school year, UK kept a steady drumbeat in its recruiting effort and repeatedly asked Ferguson to make a visit. When he finally came, Gillispie surprised him by offering a scholarship.

”It kind of caught me off guard,“ Ferguson said.

After collecting himself, Ferguson accepted. Now he's watching tapes of LeBron James and Tracy McGrady, players he wishes to emulate.

In a perfect world, Ferguson would lead Lawrence North to an Indiana state championship, then be part of bringing UK's Cats back to the top of college basketball.

No. 1 player taking his time

The No. 1 player in the high school class of 2009, forward Derrick Favors, is in no hurry to make a college commitment.

He said Sunday that he did not plan to commit until April. That figures to make for a lot of drama as teams, including Kentucky, vie for the services of this 6-foot-9 forward from South Atlanta.

Among the contenders are local favorites Georgia and Georgia Tech. What a boost Favors could give Coach Dennis Felton's program at Georgia.

The national powers are lined up, too. When asked to run down the contenders, Favors mentioned the prospects already committed to North Carolina. That didn't sound like a good sign for the Tar Heels.

As for UK, Duke and UCLA, he dutifully noted the storied history and gaudy tradition of each. Favors said he wants to wait until April to get a good feel for each contender's roster, needs, coaching status and direction. No doubt each could use a player like him.

Incidentally, Favors played in arguably the best game Sunday. His powerful Atlanta Celtics lost — barely — to the All Ohio Force in overtime.

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