The Hybrid

Dominique Ferguson is a quiet young man.

His game is anything but.

Ferguson began his first game of the adidas May Classic on Friday with a 3-pointer. He then took the ball in for an alley-oop slam later in the game. Ferguson posted up and took the ball from the 3-point line, showing he is the complete package when it comes to offense and defense.

Ferguson said he is a different man when he takes to the hardwood.

“On the court, I’m more intense, a little more energetic and a little more active,” he said. “Off the court, I’m quiet a lot. It depends on if I know you or not.”

Versatility and his ability to create mismatches, Ferguson said, are the reasons he thinks IU coach Tom Crean began recruiting him.

He said offensive rebounding and his ability to switch it up have made him the top-10 recruit that he is.

“I can go inside or outside,” Ferguson said. “If someone small wants to guard me on the wing, I can take it to the post. If somebody big wants to guard me, I can take it to the wing.”

Ferguson said he has been thinking of going to IU for perhaps the longest that he’s been thinking of going to any school, he said. Since his freshman year, IU has been on the list. Crean’s efforts have also helped IU’s cause, in Ferguson’s opinion. He said Crean has been recruiting him harder than any other program.

“I think of him highly,” Ferguson said. “Every coach that you talk to will say the same thing to you. When I talk to Crean ... I feel comfortable talking to him.”

Being a highly touted recruit does not come without its challenges, Ferguson said.
He said he has had trouble staying close to friends who do not understand his love for the game.

“People that don’t realize what my goals are in life and what I actually want to do, take it to the next level, I can’t hang out with them every night,” Ferguson said. “So keeping friends (is a problem).”

Ferguson said his parents are the biggest influences in his life.

“My dad played college ball,” he said. “He didn’t necessarily make it. My mom is kind of a single parent. She’s taking care of my little sisters by herself, so it’s motivation to want to go harder and makes me want to get to the next level more.”

Ferguson goes to Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis. Its proximity to IU gives the University an edge when it comes to recruitment, Ferguson said.

“The first thing that comes to my mind is that my whole family could come to all the home games,” he said. “I wouldn’t mind going far away, but I also think it would be a big plus just to stay here.”