Nikki Derrell commits to Saint Xavier University
Nikki Derrell
Nikki
Derrell
5'3" | PG
Sand Creek | 2021
State
CO
has always been small and has often been underestimated or undervalued when judged solely based on her height.
But Derrell can ball and just as often, underestimating the 5-foot-3 Sand Creek guard has proven to be a mistake. In fact, Derrell has always used any doubt and all the times she has caught someone whispering the words “too small” as motivation while chasing her dream of playing collegiate basketball.
On Saturday, Derrell announced via Twitter that she has committed to continuing her basketball career at Saint Xavier University. It appears that Derrell will have a few more years to keep doing what she does best – proving doubters wrong.
“That was always my ‘why,’” Derrell said. “I needed to show people that it’s OK to be short and that you can still be a great player. The coach at St. Xavier told me she didn’t care that I didn’t have height. She only cares that I have heart. That really meant a lot to me.”
https://x.com/aaliyahnaa/status/1332795430657134595
One of the most electric players in all of Colorado who has a highlight-reel wow factor to her style, Derrell can impact a game in a number of ways. Also turning heads on the grassroots scene with the Colorado Hawks and Give Greeley, Derrell can create her own shot, score from all over the floor and set her teammates up with creative and timely passes. As a junior in 2019-20, she averaged 14.5 points, 3.9 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game. She has already passed the 1,000-point threshold with one last prep season left to play.
As a 3-point shooter, Derrell averaged 35 percent (59 for 168) from long range as a junior. With Derrell in the driver’s seat, the Sand Creek Scorpions nabbed the No. 1 overall seed in the Class 4A state tournament last winter.
Given the uncertainty and the severe limiting factors that accompany all 2021 recruits during the current global pandemic, Derrell said she is happy to have landed in what she believes to be an excellent opportunity with Saint Xavier University and widely-respected head coach Corry Irvin. She’ll also be playing for one of the top NAIA programs in the country.
“They were the best fit for me,” Derrell said. “They have the type of style I play and they have just a great coach. We played against her AAU team and I just loved the way they played. I also had a Zoom call with the girls on the Saint Xavier team and they made me feel like it was a family.”
Payden Goldberg, who coached Derrell at Sand Creek, said in July that she always knew Derrell’s basketball career would not end when she graduated from high school.
“Nikki just brings an intensity and a competitiveness that sets the bar for any team she’s on,” Goldberg said. “She’s a smaller guard but she really gets after it. Offensively, she can really take over a game. When she gets hot, she’s really hard to stop. She’s also done a really good job of diversifying her game over the years. When she first started with us, she was primarily a 3-point shooter but now she’s gotten stronger in every area, she has a nice floater and really knows how to set the tempo in a lot of different ways.”
https://x.com/COHawksASGR/status/1280617812604497925
Nikki
Derrell
5'3" | PG
Sand Creek | 2021
State
CO
has always been small and has often been underestimated or undervalued when judged solely based on her height.
But Derrell can ball and just as often, underestimating the 5-foot-3 Sand Creek guard has proven to be a mistake. In fact, Derrell has always used any doubt and all the times she has caught someone whispering the words “too small” as motivation while chasing her dream of playing collegiate basketball.
On Saturday, Derrell announced via Twitter that she has committed to continuing her basketball career at Saint Xavier University. It appears that Derrell will have a few more years to keep doing what she does best – proving doubters wrong.
“That was always my ‘why,’” Derrell said. “I needed to show people that it’s OK to be short and that you can still be a great player. The coach at St. Xavier told me she didn’t care that I didn’t have height. She only cares that I have heart. That really meant a lot to me.”
https://x.com/aaliyahnaa/status/1332795430657134595
One of the most electric players in all of Colorado who has a highlight-reel wow factor to her style, Derrell can impact a game in a number of ways. Also turning heads on the grassroots scene with the Colorado Hawks and Give Greeley, Derrell can create her own shot, score from all over the floor and set her teammates up with creative and timely passes. As a junior in 2019-20, she averaged 14.5 points, 3.9 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game. She has already passed the 1,000-point threshold with one last prep season left to play.
As a 3-point shooter, Derrell averaged 35 percent (59 for 168) from long range as a junior. With Derrell in the driver’s seat, the Sand Creek Scorpions nabbed the No. 1 overall seed in the Class 4A state tournament last winter.
Given the uncertainty and the severe limiting factors that accompany all 2021 recruits during the current global pandemic, Derrell said she is happy to have landed in what she believes to be an excellent opportunity with Saint Xavier University and widely-respected head coach Corry Irvin. She’ll also be playing for one of the top NAIA programs in the country.
“They were the best fit for me,” Derrell said. “They have the type of style I play and they have just a great coach. We played against her AAU team and I just loved the way they played. I also had a Zoom call with the girls on the Saint Xavier team and they made me feel like it was a family.”
Payden Goldberg, who coached Derrell at Sand Creek, said in July that she always knew Derrell’s basketball career would not end when she graduated from high school.
“Nikki just brings an intensity and a competitiveness that sets the bar for any team she’s on,” Goldberg said. “She’s a smaller guard but she really gets after it. Offensively, she can really take over a game. When she gets hot, she’s really hard to stop. She’s also done a really good job of diversifying her game over the years. When she first started with us, she was primarily a 3-point shooter but now she’s gotten stronger in every area, she has a nice floater and really knows how to set the tempo in a lot of different ways.”
https://x.com/COHawksASGR/status/1280617812604497925
