For Derrion Reid and Alabama, it was all about longevity.
Shortly after the 6-foot-7, 5-start prospect finished a state championship sophomore season at Grovetown, the Division I and Power 5 scholarship offers started rolling in.
Georgia State was first, offering Reid a scholarship in late April, just a few weeks removed from him hoisting state title hardware with his Grovetown teammates.
Then, on June 17, 2022, the floodgates opened. Cincinnati, Kennesaw State, Georgia, Auburn, Xavier and then, of course, Alabama.
The Crimson Tide was in that first glut of high-profile offers, and even those a couple of dozen more would come from programs such as Kansas, Texas, Creighton and Oklahoma, Reid says one of the main reasons why he chose Alabama during Friday’s commitment ceremony in Grovetown’s gym is because he didn’t forget who was first and who seemed to stick with him the most.
“[Alabama] has just been there the longest,” Reid said Friday after donning his Crimson Tide hat for the first time. “That’s the case with everyone from the coaching staff, and then just the play style. How they play and knowing where they take their players.”
That destination would be the NBA, which also happens to be Reid’s major aspiration. It’s the reason why he stretched his wings to Prolific Prep in Northern California. He wanted to test his mettle against the best of the best so that he could train himself to be the best and play at the highest levels basketball has to offer.
And over the last decade or so, Alabama’s basketball program has proven to have a penchant for getting its players to the next level. As of today, 11 former Crimson Tide ballers adorn NBA Rosters. Several of them have come from current coach Nate Oats’ 4-year regime.
Reid has definitely seen his game mature over the season as he’s competed with and against the nation’s best. He said it’s gotten him more than prepared to take the next leap to Alabama for college.
“Definitely, just playing against high-major players helps,” Reid said. “Just seeing players that you know you’re going to see at the next level in college or the pros, and even when I’m in practice with my teammates, I’m either playing against or practicing against players that make me better every day.”
Already highly regarded, Reid’s stock took a meteoric rise after a stellar spring and summer session with Team Thad on the Nike EYBL Circuit. There he averaged 17.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, and showed of a sweet stroke behind the arc while knocking down well over 40% of his 3-point shots.
Reid has joined other 4-and-5-star caliber players in this year’s Alabama recruiting class, including small forward Nasir Cunningham and center Aiden Sherrell to round out one of the top classes in the SEC.
But perhaps more refreshing than anything is the fact that Reid, regardless of where his talents have taken him, has not forgotten where he came from.
Evidence of that can be readily seen on all his social media platforms — especially on X (formerly known as Twitter) where each of his profile pictures has him donning a Grovetown uniform.
Those pictures aren’t still there because of social media laziness. And it’s also no coincidence that Reid chose to stage his commitment ceremony inside the high school gym where notoriety first started coming to him.
“Grovetown is definitely a big part of my success,” Reid said. “It’s one of those things where you grow up, but you can’t forget where you came from. Like, everything I love is here. This is where I came from. This is where I got better at. This is where I worked those late nights in the gym, so this is where I grew up most of my high school career, and this place as definitely made me the player I am today.”
Though presumably home a bit for the holidays, Reid said he’s excited about getting his college choice behind him so he can now concentrate on finishing the season at Prolific Prep strong and preparing himself for a fast start in Tuscaloosa next season.
“I’m really just excited to get [Alabama], show that I can play well at that level and have a great first season,” Reid said.
