Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Men’s Basketball Head Coach Matt Figger announced on Friday the signing of 6-6 guard Derrius Ward, who has Division I experience at LaSalle, for the 2022-23 season.
Ward comes to UTRGV from Harcum College with three years of eligibility remaining. This past season, Ward averaged 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals while shooting 41.9% from the field, 32.4% from behind the arc and 70.7% from the line in 34 games (26 starts) while leading his team to a 32-3 record and the Elite 8 of the NJCAA Tournament.
Ward played the 2020-21 season at LaSalle, grabbing a rebound in four minutes in a game against Fordham on Jan. 2 and recording two rebounds, one assist and one steal in four minutes against Lincoln on Dec. 8.
Ward played the 2019-20 season at St. Thomas More Prep, leading his team to a 31-10 record and a trip to the finals of the National Prep Championship. Playing against Brewster Academy, Ward scored 12 points in the title game. He also scored 12 points in a championship game win over Bridgton Academy at the 29th Annual Founder’s Tournament.
Originally from Philadelphia, Pa., Ward was a standout at Sankofa Free Academy. He scored 20 points with nine assists and six steals in an 83-61 win over Vincentian to secure the 2019 PIAA State Championship. He tallied 21 points with five assists in a state semifinal win against Lourdes Regional. For his efforts, Ward earned PIAA Class A First Team All-State honors.
“Derrius is a Swiss army knife. He’s very versatile and can play any position 1-3,” Figger said. “When he was fully healthy, Derrius was a major contributor to Harcum’s success. He also got good experience at an A10 school and now we have him for three years. Derrius is a good passer and a very team-oriented guy. He had 122 assists, averaging more than three and a half per game. He’s also a good 3-point shooter.”
Ward joins 6-7 forward Ahren Freeman, 6-11 forward John Shanu II, 6-3 guard Will Johnston, 6-5 guard Sherman Brashear, 6-7 guard/forward C.J. Jackson, 6-10 forward Dima Zdor, 6-0 guard Adante Holiman, and 6-7 forward Isaiah Barganier as part of the 2022-23 recruiting class.
