Derek Needham
| No. 5 – Pallacanestro Reggiana | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League |
Serie A Euroleague |
| Personal information | |
| Born |
October 20, 1990 Dolton, Illinois |
| Nationality | American / Montenegrin |
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
De La Salle Institute (Chicago, Illinois) |
| College | Fairfield (2010–2013) |
| NBA draft | 2013 / Undrafted |
| Playing career | 2013–present |
| Career history | |
| 2013–2014 | BC Šiauliai |
| 2014–2015 | BC Khimik |
| 2015–2016 | Basketball Löwen Braunschweig |
| 2015–present | Pallacanestro Reggiana |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Derek Needham (born in Dolton, Illinois on October 20, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who plays the point guard position. Needham currently plays for Pallacanestro Reggiana in the Lega Basket Serie A and is a member of the Montenegro national basketball team. Previously, Needham played college basketball for Fairfield University where he was named to the CollegeInsider.com Freshman All-America team in 2010 and was All-MAAC for four straight years between 2010 and 2013.[1]
Player career
High school
Needham is a native of Dolton, Illinois and attended the De La Salle Institute in Chicago, Illinois. During his senior season in 2009, Needham helped the Meteors basketball team reach the Class 4A sectional final while earning All-Chicago Catholic League and All-State second team honors. Needham also received the George Eastman Young Leaders Award and was named to the Chicago Catholic League All-Academic team.[1]
College
Needham played college basketball for Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut from 2010 to 2013. During his freshman season with the Fairfield Stags, Needham earned MAAC Rookie of the Year after receiving a league record 10 Rookie of the Week awards and setting Fairfield freshman records with 543 points and 172 assists. He was also named to the CollegeInsider.com Freshman All-America team.[2] Needham is third on the all-time scoring list at Fairfield, with 1,875 points and 535 assists. He set a new record for three-pointers in a season, with 74 in his senior year. He earned All-MAAC honors during all four seasons, and earned spots on the NABC Division I All-District 1, All-Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) and All-Jesuit teams.[1]
Professional
During the 2013-2014 season, Needham played for BC Šiauliai in the Lithuanian Basketball League and Baltic Basketball League.[3]
During the 2014-2015 season, Needham led BC Khimik to a perfect 36-0 season and the Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague championship. He was named the most valuable player of the championship.[4]
During the 2015-2016 season, Needham first played for Basketball Löwen Braunschweig in the Basketball Bundesliga and then joined Pallacanestro Reggiana in the Lega Basket Serie A. He helped lead Pallacanestro Reggiana to the Lega Basket Serie A championship game where he competed against his former Fairfield Stags teammate Rakim Sanders of Olimpia Milano.[5]
National team
Needham is a citizen of Montenegro and will be a member of the Montenegro national basketball team for the 2017 European Basketball Championship.[6]
References
- 1 2 3 "Fairfield Stags: Derek Needham Bio". FairfieldStags.com. FairfieldStags.com. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ↑ "Rookie of the Year: Derek Needham". Fairfield Stags. YouTube. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ↑ "BBL TV: Derek Needham". BBL TV. BBL TV. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ↑ "Derek Needham 2014-15 Season Highlights". Krepsinio Analizes. Krepsinio Analizes. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ↑ "Sanders, Needham Meet In Italian League Championship". FairfieldStags.com. FairfieldStags.com. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ↑ "Derek Needham will be the new point guard of Montenegro National Team". EuroBasket.com. EuroBasket.com. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
External links
- Derek Needham at eurobasket.com
- Derek Needham at fiba.com