Top-30 junior Dereck Lively II talks official visits, updates recruitment
Dereck Lively II is one of the fastest-rising players in the entire nation. The 7-foot-1 center out of Westtown (PA) has turned himself into one of the best big men in the country and it has all happened over a 1.5-year span.
I watched Lively II at the PSA Cardinals showcase in December of 2019. He put on an absolute show and earned himself an offer from Miami’s staff after they had an assistant in attendance. The crazy part about that event is that Kentucky’s John Calipari was in the building watching someone else and ended up getting to see Lively II, who would ultimately become a heavy UK target.
The UK Wildcats will be one of three programs that the talented 7-footer will trip to this summer. A list in which Stockrisers.com reported, he will visit Duke and UNC toward the ladder half of June and then will hit Kentucky’s campus on June 20th.
Outside of all of this, Lively II has a huge summer to look forward to. Team Final, who I’ve been watching for years, is once again absolutely loaded. Behind Lively II, Emoni Bates, Corey Floyd Jr., Jalen Duren, Jameel Brown, and many others, Team Final has a legit shot at going all the way this summer and Lively II is going to be a vital part of the talented EYBL program.
So now, we hear from Dereck Lively II who talked with Stockrisers.com on his recruitment.
Which schools are still in the mix?
“Duke, Kentucky, UNC, Kansas, USC, Michigan, FSU, Virginia, Villanova.”
Which schools are you talking to that haven’t offered yet?
“Virginia, Villanova, Duke, and Kentucky.”
Discuss Duke, thoughts on Coach K retiring, and overall thoughts?
“Sadly I would be able to play under coach K, but I hope the best for him and his family. I’ve already had a good relationship with Jon because he has been the first person to speak to me from Duke. Planning a zoom Friday to speak.”
Breakdown Kentucky, thoughts on the program and your visit?
“I’ve recently been in high communications with Coach John Calipari, and our relationship has been a fun experience, has been a lot of talk over the phone FaceTime and zoom so it’s going to be great to meet him and the coaching staff when I visit on June 20th.”
How about UNC? Thoughts on Coach Hubert Davis?
“After hearing about coach Roy Williams leaving, Coach Hubert was the first person to recruit me out of North Carolina so we already have been in communications for a while and building trust and getting to know the staff.”
Briefly discuss this Team Final team, you guys are absolutely loaded.
“It’s been an amazing experience playing alongside such talented guys and we all have one goal, to win.”
Commitment timeline?
“Currently I do not have a commitment timeline but I will probably be decreasing my list in the next month or two.”