This upcoming NBA Draft will feature one of the best defensive minded centers to come out of college in the name of Dereck Lively II. Son of Dereck Lively and Katherine Drysdale, the tall sever footer has got basketball DNA in his blood since his early days. He has followed in the footsteps of his mother who used to play the sport back in her college days.
Heading into the draft just out of his freshman year, Dereck Livell II is already a well rounded rim protector. With an enormous wingspan of 7 feet 7 inches and a 9 foot 4 inch reach, the opposing offense has a tough time getting up shots when he is in front of them. Likewise, going around him is also not easy as his height has not limited his movement. The agile center uses foot movements well to not only close down the lanes but can also switch over on guards easily as and when required. Needless to say his shot blocking skills are tremendous as well.
His skills on the other end of the court need a lot more work though. This is where Lively will need to expand his arsenal if he is going to make it big in the professional league. At the moment, the problem is that he is getting most of his buckets when his teammates are putting the ball near the basket. Dunking is a craft which he has mastered, but mysteriously, he has trouble with layups even for his size. Moving a little away from the basket, and his struggles continue. There are teams in the NBA who have plenty of scorers but need the dominant center to defend the rim. His best bet will be if he can land up in such a scenario where he will get time to develop his offense.
Where did Dereck Lively II go to high school?
There is not a whole lot of information available regarding Dereck Lively II’s high school. As he was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lively went on to attend Westtown School in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He was on the basketball team where he was rated as a 5-star center. For the 2022 class, ESPN rated him as the number 1 overall player in his position and in the state of Pennsylvania.
Which college did Dereck Lively II go to?
After finishing high school in 2022, Dereck Lively II had options to choose from. He got offers from Kentucky, Michigan and Penn State. However, Lively selected to attend Duke as it has one of the best basketball programs in the country. In April of this year, Dereck announced that he would be entering the NBA Draft after just his freshman year. In the one year he was at Duke, he was an important member of the team and helped them win the ACC Basketball tournament. At the end of the season, he made the All ACC-Defensive Team and All-Freshman Team.
Dereck Lively college stats
| Year | Team | GP | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| 2022-23 | Duke | 32 | .658 | .600 | 5.0 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 5.4 |
FAQs
A. Dereck Lively II is 7 feet 1 inch (2.16 mts) tall. His height along with his wingspan and reach make him a very difficult player to get past. His physical attributes also make him a tremendous ring protector.
A. Dereck Lively II was born on February 12, 2004 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He finished his freshman year at Duke and is now awaiting the NBA draft to see what the future holds.
A. Dereck Lively II’s mother is Katherine Drysdale. She used to play basketball at Penn State during college. Nowadays, she is the Director of Marketing and Fan Experience at Penn State University.
