Derek Culver facts for kids

Derek Culver (born May 24, 1998) is an American professional basketball player. He plays as a center for the Rayos de Hermosillo team in Mexico. Before becoming a professional, Derek played college basketball for the West Virginia Mountaineers.

About Derek Culver

Growing Up and High School

Derek Culver grew up in Youngstown, Ohio. He went to Warren G. Harding High School in Warren, Ohio. His coach was Andy Vlajkovich. In his junior year, Derek was a star player. He averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds per game. He helped his team win a Division I district title. They also reached the regional semifinals.

During his senior year, Derek was dismissed from the team. After high school, he played a special year at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. There, he averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds per game. He was named to the First Team New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class AAA. He also led his team to win the NEPSAC Class AAA regular season title. Many colleges wanted Derek to play for them. He decided to play college basketball for West Virginia.

College Basketball Journey

Before starting at West Virginia, Derek was suspended for breaking team rules. He was able to rejoin the team after about a month.

Freshman Year Highlights

On February 4, 2019, Derek had an amazing game. He scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. This was his best game as a freshman. Later, on February 26, he scored 22 points and got 21 rebounds. This happened in a long game that went into triple overtime! He was the first West Virginia player since 1977 to get at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in one game.

As a freshman, Derek averaged 11.5 points per game. He also led his team with 9.9 rebounds per game. He was the top rebounder in the Big 12 Conference during conference games. He was chosen for the Second Team All-Big 12. He was also picked for the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.

Sophomore and Junior Seasons

Before his second year, Derek was named one of the top 20 players to watch for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award. On December 1, 2019, he scored a career-high 25 points. He also had 11 rebounds in a win against Rhode Island. As a sophomore, he averaged 10.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. He was given an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.

Derek started his junior year by helping his team win the Crossover Classic Championship. He averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game in that tournament. He was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP). Derek finished his college career with 1,036 points and 799 rebounds.

After his junior year, Derek decided to leave college early. He wanted to try playing basketball professionally. He was not chosen in the 2021 NBA Draft. This means no NBA team picked him directly.

Playing Pro Basketball

Starting in the G League

On October 15, 2021, Derek signed with the Indiana Pacers. However, he was waived (released) the next day. He then joined the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, which is a team in the NBA G League. The G League is like a development league for the NBA. He was waived by the Mad Ants before the season started.

Later, on December 18, 2021, Derek joined another G League team, the Wisconsin Herd. He played with them for a short time before being waived again in January 2022.

In November 2022, Derek joined the Delaware Blue Coats. He was waived by them in December. In January 2023, he played for the Mexico City Capitanes. He was waived in February. He briefly joined the South Bay Lakers but was waived before playing a game for them.

Winning a Championship

On February 25, 2023, Derek joined the Lakeland Magic. He played in one game before being waived two days later.

On March 4, 2023, Derek returned to the Delaware Blue Coats. This time, he helped the team win the NBA G League championship! It was a big achievement for him. He rejoined the Blue Coats again in October but was waived in December.

Playing in Mexico

In 2024, Derek Culver joined the Rayos de Hermosillo team. They play in the Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico (CIBACOPA) league in Mexico. He continues his professional basketball career there.

Personal Life

Derek Culver has a cousin named Lynn Bowden. Lynn played football in college for Kentucky. He was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders and later played for the Miami Dolphins. Lynn is known for being a versatile player who can play different positions.