2026 star guard Darius Bivins backs himself after championship loss against Nate Ament; talks college offers and upcoming documentary (EXCLUSIVE)

Darius Bivins, a standout high school basketball point guard from the Class of 2026, is making everyone pay attention. The two-way impact player combines lockdown defense with a polished offensive skill set that he upgrades every season.

The District Defensive Player of the Year for his previous school, Alexandria City High School, has one thing in common with some big names from Virginia, including Orlando Magic guard Mac McLung, two-time CAA POY Odell Hodge, and more: having scored more than 1,000 career points in their high school basketball careers. Furthermore, Bivins is just a junior.

Darius Bivins already has over 1,000 points in his high school career as he prepares to enter his senior year. The 6-foot point guard led Bishop O'Connell to a 23-10 overall record and the finals of the 2025 VISAA State Boys Basketball Tournament last month, where it faced Tennessee Volunteers commit Nate Ament’s Highland Hawks.

Darius has had his sights set on a professional career since a young age. His father, Chris Bivins, was a state champion for John Jay High School in San Antonio. Darius noted how he was always around basketball due to his father and “shooting the basketball on my mini hoop, like just, you know, dribbling, like whatever.”

Citing his dad as his “biggest inspiration,” the Virginia high school standout noted when he fell in love with the game.

“So I think I was three or four when I really started playing basketball," Darius said. "And then competitively, I would say like seven or eight, in leagues and stuff. But it was crazy because normal kids would just watch cartoons. But for my fifth birthday, I asked my dad, "Can I get NBA League Pass?"

On3’s Industry Rankings put Bivins as the fifth-best player in Virginia, as the junior guard sits on offers from top programs, including Harvard, Rutgers, Stanford and BYU, among others.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Bivins discussed his upcoming documentary, his take on the ranking system, colleges and how his on-court experience helps him off the court.

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Darius Bivins Exclusive

You’re coming off a Defensive Player of the Year win and were also selected for the first-team All-District during your time at Alexandria High School. Can you share how these accolades impacted you as a player?

Darius Bivins: First of all, Alexandria City was a great experience last year, sophomore year. It really helped me grow as a player. So I feel earning those awards really instilled confidence in me. It pretty much just shows all the hard work you put in this season.

And it's kind of like a sigh of relief, dang, like all the hard work, like that didn't go unnoticed. So it was a big moment for me, just realizing all the hard work is starting to pay off. Obviously, I have so much more work to do.

So it gave me a lot of confidence. And I feel like that's the biggest thing with me. Like, if I have confidence, I feel like I'm one of the best players in the country. So I just gotta stay confident. It's really mental, really mental.

What motivated your decision to join Bishop O'Connell?

Darius Bivins: Um, so Bishop O'Connell's in the WCAC. I feel it's the best conference in the DMV. I think it's the best actual high school conference in the country because, you know, with different prep schools and stuff, they have different schedules when it comes to school.

But in the WCAC, we're going for eight hours, like we're in a real school, learning for eight hours a day. So I think, just like the opportunity and the relationship I built with Coach Woon (Joe Wootten), who was the head coach at Bishop O'Connell, it was a right fit. And then not to mention, the coach at Alexandria City, given that it's a public school, and out here, private schools are pretty dominant when it comes to high school basketball.

Coach Tyrone Sally, the head coach at Alexandria City. He told me, you know, I want you to stay here, but I want you to do what's best for you. And I know that's leaving. So he kind of just told me, 'Go make a move, I'm rooting for you.'

That motivated me to look at my options. Then, I built a great relationship with Coach Woon. So that in the mix with the fit and stuff, I feel all three of those things motivated me. We played a super tough schedule. We went to the Bahamas, Texas and Myrtle Beach and traveled all over. So, just playing a national schedule, playing a top competition every night.

Do you think the transition to Bishop O'Connell helped you with your basketball?

Darius Bivins: I believe so. I believe so because there are no off nights at Bishop O'Connell. You go from playing Paul VI, which is like a top 25 team in the country, and then the next day, you're playing Gonzaga. That's another top-25 team in the country. And not to mention, like the environments, like student sections going crazy, and all that stuff. So it's just, I think that helped me grow this year as a player.

Class of 2026 defensive standout Darius Bivins (Image via Owen Kashawlic, Instagram/@owenkashawlic)

You're expected to have a great court vision, plus you're also averaging 11.4 points and 3.8 assists for Bishop O'Connell. How do you balance your scoring with your playmaking abilities?

Darius Bivins: One thing my coach, Coach Woon, told me this year that really helped me is just one thing that puts you over at the top in your field. So, I kind of just like to play with my field. I don't try to make a decision before I'm not going to come down and be like, I'm going to shoot it.

I just try to play with feel, see what I see. If I'm open, I'm going to shoot it. If I'm not, if I see someone open, I'm going to pass it. But I think one of the biggest things that I've been trying to work on is that I tend to be super passive just 'cause I feel I'm very unselfish.

So if I see someone open, I'm going to pass it. But Coach Woon actually taught me that sometimes I got to shoot more, I got to be more aggressive, and I'm hurting my team by not doing that. So I think the biggest thing is sometimes, even though someone may open, I can get a good shot as well.

So I feel sometimes like not necessarily looking them off, but just trying to get a shot for myself is like the biggest thing, 'cause I feel like I make a lot of passes. It just changes. It depends on what the defense does. You know, it's like a read.

Talking about the Virginia tournament. You finished up as a runner-up, but what do you take away from that experience playing against a quality player like Nate Ament?

Darius Bivins: Yeah, that was a great experience, man. Nate is an amazing player, if not the best player in the country, but one of the best. I'm actually pretty cool with him. So it was really cool. Just playing against him, seeing stuff he does, given he's 6-10, you know, it was a really good game.

I really want that one back, though. 'Cause, man, we were tied, we were tied with seven seconds to go, and I came down, I missed a 3-pointer. It felt good. I thought it was going in and thought we were coming home with a state championship, but I missed it. And then we went into overtime, and they pulled away. So I really want that one back.

But I mean, playing against a player like Nate, it's just like, you see some of the stuff he does. You're like, man, I see why he's one of the best players in the country. So it was definitely a great experience. And the whole team, their team is just like really good. So they put together really well. I think it was a great experience for us.

Even though I thought we should have won, I feel like runner-up is, it's not what I wanted, but it's cool to be runner-up in the state, knowing you're top in the state.

Nate Ament claimed that he's not too keen on the ranking system. What's your take on the High School Basketball Ranking system?

Darius Bivins: Oh, I mean, he said it, man. When I look at rankings, it's another person's opinion. And I feel like everyone has an opinion, but it's not really about other people's opinions. It's my journey. I feel it just matters what I think and what the people in my circle think, which is why I try to keep my circle very tight. You know, people that really care about me, people that are gonna help me get to the next level.

So, I don't really care about rankings. It's obviously a blessing to be ranked and stuff. I'm very appreciative that I am, but at the end of the day, it's just someone's opinion. So, I'm not really too worried about it. You know, I'm just gonna go out there and play my game.

Class of 2026 defensive standout Darius Bivins (Image via Owen Kashawlic, Instagram/@owenkashawlic)

I heard there's a documentary coming. Can you tell me more about that?

It was about a year ago, around this time last year, De La Villa, the cameraman, um, their names are Naeem and Muhammad; they're two brothers. They work together, and they just make different things. So they were working with a high school. It's called Jackson Reed out here.

So, after doing three years of basketball with the teams and stuff, they wanted to change it up and go to an individual player. So, they had hit up my dad and just kind of explained to him. And my dad was cool with it. And he gave him the green light. So I built a relationship with them, you know, obviously, knowing that they're going to be around a lot.

I think it's gonna be a movie. Like a mini-movie, and they're working on it right now, just trying to get interviews from different people and stuff like that. But I'm really excited, I think it's gonna come out like super, super cool. So I'm excited. Can't wait.

How many offers are you sitting on right now? And what particular colleges are you considering?

I'm really just looking for a family, a coach that's gonna let me do, let me play my game. And then obviously, somewhere I'm gonna play, man, it's really different with this transfer portal stuff. I would say a lot of coaches aren't really looking for high school kids.

So I think those are the biggest things that come to mind. But as of right now, the people that are showing the most interest would be Rutgers, Stanford, Providence, BYU, Harvard and a couple of others. But I would say those are the main people right now.

This is a big summer for me, though. So I'm hoping to grab a couple more offers, get a couple more opportunities, and go on visits and stuff. So I'm really just taking it day by day. You know, I still got some time. But, you know, time flies. So I definitely just gotta keep working. I feel like everything will fall into place.

Where do you see your career going in the next five to 10 years? Do you plan to go pro?

Darius Bivins: My goal is just trying; I'm trying to become a pro. I want to obviously go to a Division I college, somewhere I'm gonna play. And then just do my thing there. Whether that's one year, two years, three years, or four years there, whatever it takes. And then after that, like, take it to the next level and go pro.

I want to be drafted in the NBA. But playing in Europe and stuff like that, it's not like I'm not opposed to it. I just want to be a pro in general. But my main goal is just trying to take it to the next step, which is college, and then do my thing there, and then hopefully get drafted. So we're gonna, we're gonna see for sure.

Rapid-fire round with Darius Bivins

What's your top basketball shoe?

Kobe's.

LeBron or Jordan?

Jordan.

What's your go-to pump-up song?

"Him All Along" by Gunna.

What are the five songs you definitely would listen to before a big game?

I'm gonna say "All Once a Night" by Gunna. "Time of Our Lives" by Pitbull. "Ain't It Fun" I forgot what the artist is (Paramore). "Dreams and Nightmares" by Big Mule. And then fifth, I'm going "Baby Birkin" by Gunna.

One word to describe your playing style?

Unselfish.

Favorite TV show right now?

"The Chi."

Favorite NBA player right now?

Chris Paul.

What's your pre-game meal?

Pasta.

Best teammates you have had?

In high school, I would say Kyle Robinson. AAU, I would say at the Adidas All-American Camp, I was teammates with VJ Edgecombe. So, he's probably up there. Nader Ahmed is up there. I mean, a lot of players I played with, but I would say those three guys.

Your current high school basketball starting five?

Oh, I'll say me, at the one. At the two, I'm going with my man, Justin Edwards, he goes to O'Connell. At the three, I'm gonna go with Darryn Peterson. At the four, Nader Ahmed. At the five, I'm going, Eric Reibe, from out here. He is going to UConn.

Your NBA All-Time starting five?

At one, Chris Paul. At the two, I'm going with Jordan. At the three, LeBron. At the four, I'm going with KD, and at the five, Shaq.

Rapid Fire Round Concluded.

Class of 2026 defensive standout Darius Bivins (Image via Owen Kashawlic, Instagram/@owenkashawlic)

Do you have any hidden talents or skills that people might not know of?

Darius Bivins: I could really sing. I feel like when I'm in that mode and the song comes on, I could really sing. I got some really nice vocals when it comes down to it.

What advice would you give to young athletes who are trying to follow your path?

I would say it's going to be rough at times. There have been times when I wanted to quit. I wanted to give up. I wasn't doing well mentally. I didn't have a lot of confidence. But you've got to get through it.

You've got to keep working. I think the main thing is just to keep working. There's always going to be tough times. So just keep working. You're going to get through it and just never give up.

If you really have a passion for this, your drive is going to help you. So I think just the tough times and the hardest moments, that's going to really help you get to where you want to get. Because without those, you're not going to succeed. And the biggest thing I would say is with success comes a lot of adversity; just always remember that.