The Peninsula and South Bay have often been dominated by the private schools in the West Catholic Athletic League. But last season, Santa Teresa of the Mount Hamilton League went 23-8 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Northern California regional playoffs. For the Saints to repeat last year's regular season and postseason run, they will need a solid year from 2012 guard Derek King.
Santa Teresa has had a slow start to the 2011-2012 season but King has been solid, as he has averaged 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, King is a versatile guard who has the size to physically overmatch point guards but has enough quickness to maneuver around larger shooting guards.
King's journey to basketball is unusual in that he started to play as a freshman in Shanghai as his parent's job dictated his stay across the Pacific. Despite playing in such circumstances, King was a starter on his freshman team before moving to San Jose. At Santa Teresa, he was the sixth man as a sophomore and junior before becoming a key starter in his senior year.
Despite the late start in basketball, King has an effective game as he has an accurate pull up jumper and mid-range game. In addition, he has a good spot up three point shot and has good ball handling skills to finish at the basket or to distribute to teammates. As a result, his offensive skills are similar to former Syracuse Orangeman Carmelo Anthony because he can score from the perimeter but will also take the ball to the basket to initiate contact.
Basketball coach and trainer Mike Allen has worked with King. He says, "I have had the pleasure of coaching and training Derek King for the past 3 years and I cannot tell you enough at how far he has come as a player, person, and leader in the community. He has grown so much and I know he is going to go on from High School and do amazing things on and off the court. He continues to display a great work ethic, positive attitude, and leadership with his team this season with all the work he has put in in the off season."
During the off-season, King has worked on his ball handling and shooting. This has helped in his senior year as he has had to play the point guard position, which has forced him to deal with full court presses and not to turn the ball over against good defenders. In addition, he worked hard to make his jump shot more consistent.
"Derek's strengths are his ability to get to the basket and spot up and knock down shots," says Allen. "His leadership and passing ability is displayed as he always looks to keep his team mates involved in the offense. He is a good rebounder who wants the ball in his teams hands with every possession."
King plays alongside Chico State-commit Trevor Priest and has benefited from the exposure. Occidental has shown interest while Puget Sound has offered. King wants to play for a team that likes to run up and down for transition fast break points but also has a fluid offensive scheme. He would like the college to have an outstanding strength and conditioning program as well. King has a 3.2 GPA with a 1600 SAT score as he will major in Business or Communications. He is open to playing anywhere geographically.
"Right now, I believe with Derek's skill and ability that he can play at the Division II and low Division I level and know that what he will bring to a team is an all around guard and wing player," says Allen. "He is defensive minded and hustles on and off the court. Any team, coach, or program that brings Derek in will have a gifted player with amazing abilities."
The college that enrolls King will have a player who has had a worldly perspective, as he is bilingual (English and Mandarin Chinese) growing up in China. When King moved back to America, he had to adjust to the American game as the physicality was not the same as in China and was also coming off the bench. King worked hard by putting on 25 pounds during his first summer and working hard to be a contributor.
For his senior year, King wants to help his Saints win league and be an all around contributor. He hopes that his efforts will land him a roster spot on the next level for the fall of 2012. Watch for this Saintly King to excel in San Jose.
No comments:
Post a Comment