Yogi Ferrell, Juwan Morgan Teaming Up in Montenegro

Former Indiana Hoosiers Yogi Ferrell and Juwan Morgan won a Big Ten title together in 2015-16, and they're joining forces again with KK Buducnost, a professional team based in Montenegro.

Juwan Morgan brings the ball up the court alongside Yogi Ferrell during Assembly Ball's 89-79 win over The Cru in The Basketball Tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse. / The Basketball Tournament

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Former Indiana Hoosiers Yogi Ferrell and Juwan Morgan will be teammates once again.

This time, it'll be for KK Buducnost, a professional team based in Montenegro that competes in the Montenegrin Basketball League, Adriatic League and EuroCup.

🚨 #iubb Transaction Alert 🚨

Juwan Morgan has signed with KK Budućnost
(@KKBuducnostVOLI🇲🇪). Budućnost plays in the Montenegrin Basketball League, Adriatic League and Eurocup.

Juwan will join former Hoosier and @TBTAssemblyBall teammate @YogiFerrell11 on Budućnost.

— ProBallHoosiers (@ProBallHoosiers) July 11, 2024

Last season, Morgan played for Runa Basket Moscow in the VTB United League and averaged 13.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Ferrell began the 2023-24 season with the Shanghai Sharks before wrapping up the year with KK Buducnost.

On Friday, Morgan shared some insight into how their reunion came together.

"I didn't even know Yogi was in Montenegro at the time, but then my agent was like, 'A EuroCup team is looking at you, and Yogi was there last year,'" Morgan said at TBT.

"So I reached out to Yogi and we were just talking about it. I was thinking of my best year at IU team-wise was with Yogi, and it was just almost like, why not? It's a great chance to play with a great point guard again and also in amazing competition overseas. I couldn't pass it up."

Playing for former Indiana coach Tom Crean, Ferrell was a senior and Morgan was a freshman on the 2015-16 Hoosiers team that won the Big Ten regular season title and advanced to the Sweet 16. Ferrell averaged 17.3 points per game, made the All-Big Ten first team and became Indiana's all-time assist leader that season. Morgan contributed 2.4 points per game off the bench before becoming a double-digit scorer during his junior and senior seasons.

Following his Indiana career, Ferrell went undrafted but signed with the Brooklyn Nets. He spent five seasons in the NBA with the Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers. Ferrell finished tied for eighth in NBA Rookie of the Year voting in 2016-17, and he averaged a career-high 10.2 points per game the following season. After his NBA career, Ferrell has played professionally in Greece, Slovenia, China and Montenegro.

Morgan is one of three players – along with Trayce Jackson-Davis and Steve Downing – to record a triple-double in Indiana men's basketball history. He did so on Dec. 22, 2018 against Jacksonville, totaling 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on 5-for-5 shooting.

After four seasons as a Hoosier, Morgan signed with the Utah Jazz as an undrafted free agent. He played 52 games in the NBA with the Jazz, Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors and also played for their G-League affiliates.

Ferrell and Morgan also competed together on Assembly Ball, Indiana's alumni-based team, in The Basketball Tournament. Ferrell led the team with 20.3 points per game, and Morgan logged a 12-point, 10-rebound, double-double in their win over The Cru. Assembly Ball advanced to the Round of 16 after defeating Men of Mackey, but their run ended with an 82-79 loss to Eberlein Drive in the Butler Regional final.

Morgan didn't play in Tuesday's loss due to injury, but playing with Ferrell reminded him of old times.

"[Yogi] is just strong, fast and makes shots that are insane look normal," Morgan said. "He's the same Yogi."