Rising Senior Spotlight - Aedan Derrick
Southington High School's Aedan Derrick was one of the most pleasant surprises at last fall's Open Gym Series.
He showed up at the Connecticut event as a virtual unknown, but immediately turned heads. When it was discoved that he was a full year younger than most juniors, the intrigue into his potential only magnified.
Now, following a strong junior campaign, he has continued to emerge and increase our belief that he could be one of the bigger sleepers in the Nutmeg State while simultaneously continuing to distinguish himself in the classroom.
Prospect Profile
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 216 lbs
Position: Forward
School: Southington High School (CT)
Academics: 3.4 GPA (100.98 weighted), 1120 PSAT
Personal Statement
Over the course of our limited spring and early summer I have committed myself to self-improvement in our game. What I offer to a next-level program: a cerebral and athletic player who does not need the ball to contribute. You'll find my strengths in defense and an execution of intelligent and effective basketball, fitting well into structured offenses commonly deployed in college. My main focus in practice is to learn and my main focus in a game is to win by execution of coach's plan. I've been blessed with a muscular 6'6" frame that as of late is surprising me with growing athletic ability due to my efforts in the weight room. This noted, I can hold my own in tough gyms and have the self condience and offensive know-how to back it up. I pride myself as being able to sacrifice myself as a tool to facilitate the collective success of my team.
Recommendations
"Aedan is developing every aspect of his game. From rebounding, taking charges, to blocking shots, to defending an opponent full court he has brought it to the next level. He embraces the finer points as one of the most coachable players in our program. He gets after it in every way on and off the court. Lastly and most importantly Aedan is an incredible person."
- John Cessario, Head Coach, Southington High School
Scout's Take
"Derrick is a long way from being a finished product, but he's a very intriguing long-term prospect. He has the right physical tools, is young for his age, and seems to have just the right mindset as well. There don't appear to be any short-cuts in his game. He gets into a good stance and actively guards on the perimeter, will bang for boards and take charges inside, and is a willing passer. His defense is probably ahead of his offense right now but he plays with natural length, changing ends and going through the lane with the type of long strides that are very hard to teach. Ultimately, I think it's possible that he's just scratching the surface of his potential and so he's definitely someone that I'm very interested in following."
- Adam Finkelstein, NERR & ESPN
Video Highlights
Aedan Derrick