Northside senior Derek Shepard faces a coach transition, improves his game
by January 24, 2025 12:39 pm 364 views
Northside senior basketball player Derek Shepard (photo courtesy of Cody Wilmath)
Northside High School senior basketball player Derek Shepard has a rare distinction that many other athletes may likely prefer not to go through. Shepard is playing for his fourth head coach in as many years, having a different coach in each of his three previous seasons.
But Shepard doesn’t see it as a curse but rather as a blessing.
“(I’m) mainly just keeping my teammates together because in the three (previous) years having three different coaches, like we were really all we had,” he said. “We had each other, and then for myself, I feel like I’ve just been more of a sponge; I’m able to adapt easier every year.
“It’s just easier to learn, like I’m learning more. I feel like I’ve got a head start on college because I never know where I’m ending up at, so this is just helping me with life really.”
But Shepard does like the latest coaching transition he’s gone through, as he has a great rapport with the Grizzlies’ Coach Cody Wilmath.
“The first time I met Coach, he told me, ‘I can’t promise you anything that you’re going to win a state championship, but I will promise that you’re going to come out here and compete and we’re going to win some games and we’re going to have fun,’” Shepard said. “So far, that’s what we’ve been doing.
“From day one, it’s always been love. He’s shown that he’s going to care for us and he’s always going to be there for us.”
Not only has Shepard dealt with adjusting to another coach, he’s also wanting to get a mainly inexperienced Northside roster up to speed. On the individual level, though, Shepard is more than doing his part to help the Grizzlies. A three-year starter at point guard, he is averaging 19 points, four rebounds and four assists through Jan. 15.
Though Shepard averaged about 15 points as a junior, getting improved scoring was just gaining more confidence.
“Sometimes, I feel like I get into a mode where no one can guard me and I feel like whatever comes out of my hand is going to go in,” he said. “I feel like the last two or three years, I never really had that confidence being small and being young; it just wasn’t there. Every shot that I shot (in the past) was iffy depending on the night, and I’ve been more consistent this year.”
Then there were other things Shepard worked to improve on, like defense. Both him and Wilmath cited a game earlier this season against Harrison. Though Shepard scored 26 points, both remarked defense was what really stood out.
“We went into double overtime and I held their best player to about 13 points and I finished with 26,” Shepard said. “That was my best game because I felt like I played good overall.”
In regards to his college prospects, Shepard has talked to several Division II and junior college coaches. One hindrance may be his size, going 5-foot-10. But in eighth grade, Shepard was much smaller. For someone who initially didn’t like basketball, preferring soccer instead, doing the work to become better made him embrace basketball.
Shepard went 5-9 as a junior. Though he grew a single inch in that span, he noticed one major difference.
“Dunking got easier,” he said. “Maybe not on the defensive side but the offensive side, I feel like I can see the goal better and if I have somebody that’s the same height as me or close to 6-2 or 6-3, I can still see the goal, so if I can shoot it, I’ll shoot it.”
Should Shepard get the chance to play college basketball, he’ll more than likely play for his fifth coach in five seasons. But that is fine with him.
“These three or four years, I’ve been a sponge, so it’s easy to adapt,” Shepard said. “And what’s another year? That’s really the mentality, what’s another year, it’ll be fine.”