Meet Derrick Randolph

From the menacing mean streets of The Windy City to the not always bucolic San Joaquin farmland, life has been a continuous battle for Derrick Randolph. Guard always up, survival mode was his constant default. All the while, what he displayed on the basketball court was often a thing of beauty. That is, when he was able to tamp down his fears and trust those around him.

Outside of Fresno where he moved to during high school, Randolph is a relative hoops unknown in California. Not so in Chicago where he established an indelible mark due to his play with the Mac Irvin Fire AAU team. Jabari Parker, Jalil Okafor, even Derrick Rose -- some were teammates and all are friends with Randolph, and many in Chi-town consider him a full-fledged member of that exalted group of players.

For a multitude of reasons the 5-foot-9 Randolph never played high school basketball. He's 22 now. Currently a freshman at Feather River College in Quincy (population 5,500) and playing for Coach Randy Rick, he has exploded on the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) scene. Hurricanes are not part of the weather system in northeast California but he has figuratively taken over the community college basketball landscape by storm.

Try a tops in the state 31.0 points per game alongside a state best 30 steals plus 6.8 assists an outing while shooting 42%, 37% and 84% respectively. When the Golden Eagles matched up with Chabot College, Randolph finished with 39 points. Against Yuba, it was 43 points and 11 three-pointers.

Plus, Feather River is 8-0.

"Derrick is a household name in Chicago," Rick offered. "He's a warrior, a tough kid and a great competitor who makes his teammates better. Plus, he's doing well in school."

Rick continued, "he's lightning quick and strong. Teams put two defenders on him at halfcourt and he'll go right by them. He blows by defenders and dissects defenses. At Yuba, the crowd was in awe. They walked up saying 'we've never seen a kid like this.'"

So why the difference between never taking the court as a prepster and Randolph 2.0?

"Derrick's really maturing and he knows this is his last chance," Rick explained. "He's in a safe haven now [here at Feather River and Quincy] and not having to look over his shoulder."

Developing confidence in your surroundings and those inhabiting it can sometimes make all the difference. It's a step-by-step process.

Ask Derrick Randolph.