Derek Needham

Derek Needham (born October 20, 1990) is an American-Montenegrin professional basketball player for Mornar Bar of the ABA League and the Montenegrin League. Standing at 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m), he plays the point guard position. 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] Since 2017, Needham represents the senior Montenegrin national basketball team in international competitions.

Derek Needham
Mornar
PositionPoint guard
LeagueABA League
Montenegrin League
Personal information
Born (1990-10-20) October 20, 1990
Dolton, Illinois
NationalityAmerican / Montenegrin
Listed height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight181 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High schoolDe La Salle Institute
(Chicago, Illinois)
CollegeFairfield (2010–2013)
NBA draft2013 / Undrafted
Playing career2013–present
Career history
2013–2014Šiauliai
2014–2015Khimik
2015–2016Löwen Braunschweig
2016–2017Reggiana
2017–2018Mornar Bar
2018–2019Monaco
2019Rytas Vilnius
2019–presentMornar Bar
Career highlights and awards

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 then 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]

On July 12, 2017, Needham signed with Montenegrin club Mornar.[6]

Following the 2017-2018 season, EuroBasket.com named Needham to its FIBA All-Imports team after finishing 5th in scoring (17.2 ppg) and leading Mornar to the quarterfinals of 2017–18 FIBA Europe Cup Play-offs.

National team

Needham is a citizen of Montenegro and is a member of the Montenegro national basketball team since the 2017 European Basketball Championship.[7] He was part of the Montenegro team that qualified for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

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References
  1. "Fairfield Stags: Derek Needham Bio". FairfieldStags.com. FairfieldStags.com. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  2. "Rookie of the Year: Derek Needham". Fairfield Stags. YouTube. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  3. "BBL TV: Derek Needham". BBL TV. BBL TV. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  4. "Derek Needham 2014-15 Season Highlights". Krepsinio Analizes. Krepsinio Analizes. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  5. "Sanders, Needham Meet In Italian League Championship". FairfieldStags.com. FairfieldStags.com. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  6. Derek Needham inks with KK Mornar Bar
  7. "Derek Needham will be the new point guard of Montenegro National Team". EuroBasket.com. EuroBasket.com. Retrieved July 23, 2016.


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