Derek Willis
Photo by Wayne Litmer
Junior forward
Derek Willis of
Bullitt East (Mount Washington, Ky.) delivered a verbal commitment Friday to Kentucky, becoming the first in-state player to verbal to the Wildcats since John Calipari was hired in March of 2009.
Willis, a 6-foot-9, 200-pounder, made the announcement during a press conference in the Bullitt East library Friday afternoon. The one-time Purdue verbal commitment is rated No. 51 in the MaxPreps Class of 2013 Top 100.
"He's a great kid first of all," Bullitt East head coach Troy Barr said. "He's an unselfish player. A lot of people list him as a power forward but he will play the small forward spot at the next level. He's got a lot of skill and is really versatile."
Current Wildcat Jon Hood of
North Hopkins (Madisonville, Ky.) committed to the Wildcats under former head coach Billy Gillispie and stuck with the program through the transition to Calipari. Hood is sitting out this season after suffering a knee injury over the summer.
Willis helped Bullitt East go 30-6 as a sophomore, pushing the Chargers to a semifinal appearance in Kentucky's single-class state tournament. Bullitt East is 16-3 this winter with Willis posting around 17 points and 11 rebounds per outing.
