Derek Willis
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 21, 1995 Louisville, Kentucky |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 228 lb (103 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
Bullitt East (Mount Washington, Kentucky) |
| College | Kentucky (2013–2017) |
| NBA draft | 2017 / Undrafted |
| Playing career | 2017–present |
| Position | Forward |
Derek Willis (born June 21, 1995) is an American basketball player. He played collegiately for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Early life
Willis is one of a relatively small number of Native Americans who have played in NCAA Division I basketball. His mother is a member of three tribes—Southern Arapaho, Pawnee, and Muscogee. Although born in Louisville, Kentucky, he lived with his family for several years during his childhood on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. According to Fox Sports writer Reid Forgrave, "His favorite childhood memories are from that reservation." The family eventually returned to the Louisville area, settling in the suburb of Mount Washington.[1]
High school career
In his senior year at Bullitt East High School, Willis averaged 17.4 points and 9.4 rebounds a game. While at Bullitt East, he regularly traveled around the U.S. for both AAU basketball and Yu-Gi-Oh! tournaments; according to his father, "Derek was the only kid in the nation who was nationally ranked in basketball and in Yu-Gi-Oh!"[1]
College career
Willis was the first player to commit to Kentucky’s 2013-14 recruiting class,[2] choosing UK over Indiana, Louisville and Purdue.[3] He appeared in 103 games over his four-year career with the Wildcats, turning in averages of 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest, while making 108 of his 271 shots taken from three-point territory in his college career. Willis won the SEC Tournament with the Wildcats in 2015, 2016 and 2017, advancing to the NCAA Final Four in 2015. He proposed to his girlfriend on senior night, prior to Kentucky's home game against Vanderbilt.[4]
In April 2017, he attended the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Portsmouth, Virginia.[5]
International career
Willis was a member of the US team that competed at the 2012 Albert Schweitzer Tournament.[6]
External links
References
- 1 2 Forgrave, Reid (March 15, 2016). "Kentucky’s March X-factor Derek Willis is one unique guy". Fox Sports. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
- ↑ "On Calipari's Kentucky, Hawkins and Willis Are the Rare Senior Wildcats". Sports. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
- ↑ "Derek Willis picks Kentucky over Indiana, Louisville and Purdue". Inside the Hall | Indiana Hoosiers Basketball News, Recruiting and Analysis. 2012-01-20. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
- ↑ "Kentucky's Derek Willis proposes on Senior Night". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
- ↑ "Derek Willis concludes play at Portsmouth Invitational Tournament". CoachCal.com. 2017-04-17. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
- ↑ "US finishes seventh in Albert Schweitzer basketball tournament". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2017-06-09.