Derek Stockalper Decides
Sometimes when a high school player begins to get highly recruited, he looks far and wide for the perfect college.
But for sharpshooting guard Derek Stockalper, he found everything he needed only 30 minutes from his doorstep.
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Stockalper told the Insiders Report on Monday night that he is bound for San Diego, which is pretty much a stone's throw for the 6-4, 195 pound shooting guard from Carlsbad H.S. in Carlsbad, Calif.
"The coaches at San Diego have been great," Stockalper said. "They were the first to recruit me and they've always been there and I feel real comfortable around them and I would love to play for them."
"As I watched their games, I found that their style of play fit me pretty well," Stockalper continued. "I felt welcome by the whole staff and team. It's close to home and their academics are terrific, and I felt I could not go wrong with USD and that's why I did it so early."
Stockalper said he picked USD over Gonzaga and to a lesser extent, Pepperdine.
"Gonzaga was probably my second choice," he admitted. "But I was not just looking for straight basketball. Or else I might have picked a school that was really good at basketball, like Gonzaga. I would rather be at USD in San Diego than Washington."
In fact, Stockalper had seriously considered making an unofficial visit to Gonzaga, but the recruiting process never advanced that far.
Stockalper averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds and three assists per game as a junior at Carlsbad.
"I am a pretty good rebounding guard, but basically, I can pass, dribble and shoot," Stockalper said. "I think I fit well in the rotation. They are going to use me as a two or three. And if I work on my ball handling skills, they might put me at the one."
Stockalper realizes that there are things that he must improve on to reach his full potential on the hardwood.
"I need to work on my strength," he said. "I am a little undersized for college right now. But I have another year and a half to work on it. By that time, I should be getting close."
An excellent student, Stockalper said he has compiled a 3.6 GPA and scored an 1130 on the SAT. Both marks make him a full qualifier under current NCAA guidelines.
The Insiders Report had a chance to catch Stockalper in action at the adidas ABCD Camp in New Jersey as well as the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas, where he played for Pat Barrett and Ollie Goulston's Southern California All-Stars program.
Stockalper is a terrific shooter with deep range, and he should vie for minutes on the wing as a freshman at USD.