Tarkus Ferguson

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Tarkus Ferguson

| image = File:20150321 IHSA Class 3A championship game Tarkus Ferguson (2) cropped.jpg

| caption = Ferguson in the 2015 IHSA Class 3A Championship game

| position = Shooting guard

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lb = 190

| league = CIBACOPA

| team = Rayos de Hermosillo

| number = 9

| nationality = American

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1997|7|27|mf=y}}

| birth_place =

| high_school =

| college =

UIC (2016–2020)

| draft_year = 2020

| career_start = 2020

| years1 = 2020–2021

| team1 = Vevey Riviera

| years2 = 2021

| team2 = UBSC Graz

| years3 = 2021–2022

| team3 = Sioux Falls Skyforce

| years4 = 2022

| team4 = Salt Lake City Stars

| years5 = 2022–present

| team5 = Rayos de Hermosillo

| highlights =

2x Second-team All-Horizon League (2019, 2020)
Horizon League All-Freshman Team (2017)

}}

Tarkus Ferguson (born July 27, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Rayos de Hermosillo of the Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico (CIBACOPA). He played college basketball for the UIC Flames.

Early life and high school career

Ferguson played his freshman season at Belleville High School-West and saw action in five games. He transferred to Cahokia High School as a sophomore and averaged 8.2 points per game on a team that finished 23–9. Before his junior season, Ferguson transferred to Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville, Illinois, which he wanted to attend as a freshman.{{cite news |last1=Zuvanich |first1=Adam |title=Althoff rolls to first title for a Belleville basketball program |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59032770/st-louis-post-dispatch/ |accessdate=September 10, 2020 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=March 20, 2016 |page=C13|via=Newspapers.com}} As a junior, Ferguson scored 21 points to lead the Crusaders to a 65–53 victory against Cahokia in the championship game of the Class 3A Mascoutah Regional.{{cite news |last1=Overbey |first1=Steve |title=Ferguson helps Althoff to first regional crown since 2009 |url=https://www.stltoday.com/sports/high-school/boys-basketball/ferguson-helps-althoff-to-first-regional-crown-since-2009/article_5e6b5de2-c45f-11e4-9e7f-afc5f09238ad.html |accessdate=September 10, 2020 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=March 6, 2015}} As a senior, he led the team to a 32–2 record and 62–37 win against Providence Catholic High School in the Illinois Class 3A state championship. Ferguson also played football as a wide receiver and was heavily recruited, but he decided to focus on basketball and committed to UIC because he liked coach Steve McClain's up-tempo style.{{cite news |last1=Scott |first1=Maurice |title=UIC guard Tarkus Ferguson is lighting up the Horizon League |url=http://www.stlamerican.com/sports/sports_columnists/from_the_east_side/uic-guard-tarkus-ferguson-is-lighting-up-the-horizon-league/article_d1199e66-2ff5-11e9-b06a-efc5b3bfd304.html |accessdate=September 10, 2020 |work=The St. Louis American |date=February 13, 2019}}

College career

As a freshman, Ferguson averaged 11.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and a conference-leading 5.4 assists per game.{{cite news |last1=Eschman |first1=Todd |title=Belleville 'brothers' Ferguson and Smith will share a college court on national TV |url=https://www.bnd.com/sports/college/article223639490.html |accessdate=September 10, 2020 |work=Belleville News-Democrat |date=December 27, 2018}} He was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team.{{cite press release |url=http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/peters-named-player-of-the-year-hlmbb-all-conference-teams-march-1 |title=Peters Named Player of the Year; #HLMBB All-Conference Teams |publisher=Horizon League |date=March 1, 2017 |accessdate=March 3, 2017 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170604050812/http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/peters-named-player-of-the-year-hlmbb-all-conference-teams-march-1 |archivedate=June 4, 2017 }} Ferguson was sidelined for much of the nonconference part of his sophomore season with a foot injury. He averaged 10.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.{{cite web |last1=Sweeney |first1=Kevin |title=32×32: 2018–19 Horizon League Preview |url=https://cbbcentral.com/2018/10/15/32x32-2018-19-horizon-league-preview/ |website=CBB Central |accessdate=September 10, 2020 |date=October 15, 2018}} On November 16, 2018, Ferguson scored a career-high 25 points in a 100–95 overtime win against William & Mary.{{cite news |title=UIC outlasts William & Mary 100–95 in OT |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401085885 |accessdate=September 10, 2020 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=November 16, 2018}} On December 5, 2018, he recorded the second triple-double in program history with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a 94–75 win against Illinois State.{{cite news |title=Ferguson's triple-double, Blount help UIC beat Illinois St. |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401089236 |accessdate=November 17, 2020 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=December 5, 2018}} Ferguson led UIC in scoring (15.5 points per game), rebounding (6.8 per game) and assists (5.2 per game) and posted 26 double-digit scoring games as a junior, including seven double-doubles. He was named to the Second Team All-Horizon League.{{cite news |last1=Ryan |first1=Shannon |title=UIC might deserve the most buzz in Chicago — and Loyola isn't the favorite anymore. A look at college basketball in the city. |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-chicago-college-basketball-loyola-uic-depaul-northwestern-20191022-grw55sbunbgedjk5qfpqiyydlu-story.html |accessdate=September 10, 2020 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=October 22, 2019}} Ferguson tied his career-high with 25 points in a 73–56 win against Wright State in the conference tournament semifinal.{{cite news |title=UIC advances to 1st Horizon League title game since 2004 |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401211638 |accessdate=September 10, 2020 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=March 9, 2020}} As a senior, Ferguson averaged 14.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.{{cite web |title=What Could Have Been? Help Us Play Out the 2020 Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship |url=https://www.3x3uhoops.com/What_Could_Have_Been |website=3x3UHoops.com |accessdate=September 10, 2020}} He earned Second Team All-Horizon League honors for the second consecutive season.{{cite press release|url=https://horizonleague.org/news/2020/3/2/mens-basketball-horizon-league-reveals-2019-20-hlmbb-all-league-awards.aspx |title=Horizon League Reveals 2019–20 #HLMBB All-League Awards |publisher=Horizon League |date=March 2, 2020 |accessdate=March 2, 2020}}

Professional career

=Vevey Riviera (2020–2021)=

On September 1, 2020, Ferguson signed with Vevey Riviera of the Swiss Basketball League.{{cite web|title=Vevey Riviera tabs rookie Tarkus Ferguson|url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Switzerland/news/643007/Vevey-Riviera-tabs-rookie-Tarkus-Ferguson|website=Eurobasket.com|date=September 1, 2020|access-date=September 10, 2020}}

=UBSC Graz (2021)=

On June 27, 2021, Ferguson signed with UBSC Graz of the Austrian Basketball Bundesliga.{{cite web|title=UBSC Graz inks Tarkus Ferguson, ex Vevey Riviera|url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Austria/news/691089/UBSC-Graz-inks-Tarkus-Ferguson,-ex-Vevey-Riviera|website=Eurobasket.com|date=June 27, 2021|access-date=June 27, 2021}}

=Sioux Falls Skyforce (2021–2022)=

On December 1, 2021, Ferguson was acquired by the Sioux Falls Skyforce via waivers. He was waived on January 28, 2022.{{cite web|title=2021–22 NBA G League transactions|url=https://gleague.nba.com/transactions/|website=NBA.com|access-date=March 17, 2022}}

=Salt Lake City Stars (2022)=

On March 17, 2022, Ferguson was acquired via available player pool by the Salt Lake City Stars.

=Rayos de Hermosillo (2022–2023)=

On May 7, 2022, Ferguson signed with the Rayos de Hermosillo of the CIBACOPA.{{cite web|title=Tarkus Ferguson signs at Hermosillo|url=https://www.latinbasket.com/Mexico/news/744850/Tarkus-Ferguson-signs-at-Hermosillo|website=Latinbasket.com|date=May 7, 2022|access-date=May 8, 2022}}