Smits Commits to Valpo!

[valpopal]

[tweet]519150775000637441[/tweet]

[valpo64]

If this is true, it's a great way to start the season...and this is for next year, 2015?

[classof2014]

Looking at Smits twitter page on verbalcommits, Valpo is where he will be calling home for 4 years!

[wh]

Outstanding!  Welcome, Derrik!

[valpo64]

Welcome, Derrik...you'll look good in brown and gold.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

YESSSSSSSSSS
[tweet]519141104227463168[/tweet]

[wh]

From verbal to official on Nov. 12th

http://www.nationalletter.org

[bbtds]

YESSSSSSSSSS
[tweet]519141104227463168[/tweet]

I wonder if this will bring zville back.

Great news! I told you losing to Marist with good sportsmanship would work. We're used to losing with good sportsmanship.




In battle against Hamilton S.E. at the Eagles' Nest. Unfortunately Zionsville lost this one 64-51 and were 13-7 last season.

The Eagles did only lose to Carmel by 4 in their sectional game at the "toughest in the state" sectional site.

EDIT: I've realized that is Derrik at HSE in 2012 his sophomore year.

[bbtds]

I'd love to see Zionsville start out with a win at CHS on Nov.26th, the day before Thanksgiving, against the Greyhounds. If I can find the time before seeing Valpo in Nashville, I may find my way to Round-a-bout town that Wednesday.

The Greyhounds gym is almost 4,000 and doesn't hold the whole student body.

[bbtds]

http://indianahsbasketball.homestead.com/files/boyslogs381.htm

Zionsville's farthest north games at Logansport Berries on Dec. 13th, Saturday 7:30 p.m. EST / 6:30 p.m. CST

and at Frankfort Hot Dogs on Jan. 24th, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EST/6:30 p.m. CST


FYI, the Bob Wettig Tournament is in Richmond, IN.

[bbtds]

7'0" and 7'4" Just think if Mrs Smits had been over 5 foot. 

[classof2014]

Perhaps Smits can become the next Alec Brown, a 7 footer that can shoot. Wouldn't mind that at all.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

BUT WITH MOAR TOUGHNEZ

[bbtds]

BUT WITH MOAR TOUGHNEZ

You got that right. Brown, I'm sure, learned how to be humiliated.

The NBA connections at Valpo are multiple. That probably means more than anything.

[a3uge]

Going to have to beat every team with Miller/Smits in NBA Jam TE in his honor.

[justducky]

Welcome, Derrik...you'll look good in brown and gold.

Shucks! I really had my heart set on us finding yet another outside player. Well maybe if he commits to doing some remedial work on his perimeter game I will soon be able to forget that he is 8 or 9 feet tall.

[zvillehaze]

I wonder if this will bring zville back.

I never left ... just haven't been posting much.  Haven't seen it mentioned anywhere, but Zionsville's coach Shaun Busick was also Seth Colclasure's HS coach, so he is certainly familiar with Valpo and the Drews.  Congrats to all!

[bbtds]

I wonder if this will bring zville back.

I never left ... just haven't been posting much.  Haven't seen it mentioned anywhere, but Zionsville's coach Shaun Busick was also Seth Colclasure's HS coach, so he is certainly familiar with Valpo and the Drews.  Congrats to all!

Gotcha. Good to have you posting.

The Busick/Cloclasure connection was one I didn't know about. Thanks!

Now that I look I see Busick spent one year at Crown Point but he like the Columbia City/Valpo guy just couldn't get in with the Region Rats.

http://coach.homestead.com/files/Shaun.Busick.htm

[wh]

From the Indy Star:

http://www.indystar.com/story/recruiting-central/2014/10/06/zionsvilles-derrik-smits-commits-to-valparaiso-decatur-central-guard-makes-visits/16807945/

"He absolutely loves it," Zionsville coach Shaun Busick said of Smits' impression of Valparaiso following the visit. "Valparaiso is a great fit for Derrik, and he is excited to become a Crusader."

[bw12]

Found a brief article.

http://www.prephoopsindiana.com/news_article/show/427502?referrer_id=

[bbtds]

Welcome, Derrik...you'll look good in brown and gold.

Shucks! I really had my heart set on us finding yet another outside player. Well maybe if he commits to doing some remedial work on his perimeter game I will soon be able to forget that he is 8 or 9 feet tall.

He is known for his shooting touch, hitting 54 percent from the field and 71 percent from the free-throw line last season.

There you go. It's a shorter distance to the rim from beyond the arc for a seven-footer.

[vu72]

Brad Stevens offered Derrik long ago.  He also had offers from Clemson and Xavier among others.  There is lots of chatter from Purdue and Indiana fans who wanted him.  This could lead to others coming who want to be teamates. GREAT NEWS!!

[covufan]

This is great news!  Congrats to Derrik and the VU Basketball staff!  The picture of Rik with Bryce at the football game, with Rik in his Marist sweatshirt, was very fitting.  Hopefully, a new sweatshirt was delivered to Rik today - one that he can wear with VU Pride!

[wh]

Found a brief article.

http://www.prephoopsindiana.com/news_article/show/427502?referrer_id=

From the article:

They don't grow them much bigger than 2015 center Derrik Smits.  Standing 7-foot tall and with his pedigree, his ceiling is still a ways away.


Here's a scary thought.  From what I can tell Derrik went from 6-9 to 7 foot over the past year.  He could still be a growing boy.

[vu72]

ESPN has him rated as the 11th best player in Indiana and the number 2 center.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/playerrankings/_/state/indiana/class/2015/view/state

Dad talks about son:

http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130504/SPORTS/130509829/1002

As for wh's comment about him still growing, here is part of an article written when he was 15.  Not that he isn't still growing an probably is, but imagine growing 6 inches in a year!:

Perhaps most significantly, the younger Smits is also rapidly growing into his father's rather sizable shoes, quite literally; in the past year, the teenager has grown six inches to his current height of 6-foot-9 (though the News-Sentinel reported that the teen claims he is already 6-foot-10) and seen his feet grow to a size 16 sneaker.