BIO: Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Ferguson moved to Dallas, Texas as a youth and enrolled at Prime Prep Academy. He joined the school’s basketball team and played for coach Ray Forsett. As a freshman in 2012/13, Ferguson averaged 10 points per game and helped his team to a 38–2 record, the 2013 NACA Division I Tournament title, and the 2013 National High School Invitational semi finals. He was named to the NACA All-Tournament Team and earned NACA Tournament MVP honours.

In January 2015, halfway through his junior year at Prime Prep Academy, the school closed amid allegations of theft and the mishandling of funds. In September 2015, a new institution known as Advanced Preparatory International opened in place of Prime Prep. Coach Ray Forsett subsequently joined the ranks at Advanced Prep, while four players, including Ferguson, moved over from Prime Prep with Forsett to play for Advanced Prep in 2015/16.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Terrance Ferguson made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 18 years of age. He scored 10 points in his first game.

In the 2016 NBL off-season, the Adelaide 36ers retained their star player, Jerome Randle, and signed a talented lineup of young prospects, including Anthony Drmic (brother of former NBL player Frank Drmic), Majok Deng, and import forward/center Eric Jacobsen. Among the notable additions was 18-year-old Terrance Ferguson, a high school star from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who chose the NBL over college basketball in the United States. Ferguson’s decision to join the NBL set a precedent and was instrumental in the development of the league’s Next Stars Program, allowing international prospects a professional pathway before the NBA draft.

Despite predictions that Adelaide’s inexperienced squad would finish last, the 36ers defied expectations. Early in the season, however, injuries to team captain Mitch Creek (ankle) and Daniel Johnson (hamstring) contributed to a rocky start, with the team dropping to a 3-6 record. Their struggles culminated in a tough loss to Brisbane (87-105) in Round 7, leaving them at the bottom of the standings. Once Creek and Johnson returned, Adelaide turned the season around, beating Brisbane (101-83) in the next game and embarking on an impressive eight-game winning streak. By Round 11, they surged from last place to the top of the ladder, and by Round 16, had clinched the top spot with three rounds remaining. The team finished the regular season in first place with a 17-11 record, even after dropping their final four games.

Throughout the season, Ferguson averaged 4.7 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.6 assists. Although he played a limited role, Ferguson’s athleticism and shooting ability brought energy off the bench, providing glimpses of his potential. In addition to Ferguson, the team was powered by Randle (21.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists), who won the league MVP, and Nathan Sobey, who had a breakout season with 15.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, earning the Most Improved Player award and an All-NBL Second Team selection. Johnson (15.1 points, 7.1 rebounds) and Creek (12.1 points, 5.4 rebounds) further solidified their status as core contributors, with both being named to the All-NBL First Team alongside Randle.

In the playoffs, Adelaide faced the fourth-seeded Illawarra Hawks in the semifinals. They started strong, winning Game 1 (93-78) behind an MVP-caliber performance from Randle (26 points and 4 assists). However, Illawarra bounced back, taking both Games 2 (100-94) and 3 (106-98) to eliminate Adelaide from championship contention and bring their promising season to a disappointing end.

Terrance Ferguson played one season in the NBL. He averaged 4.7 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 28 NBL games.

Dan Boyce (821 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.