Young Basketball Player Derrick Michael Becomes The First Indonesian-born Player In History To Play In The NCAA

Indonesian young basketball player Derrick Michael Xzaverrio (Instagram @derrickmichael_)

JAKARTA - Young Indonesian basketball player Derrick Michael Xzaverrio will soon play in the elite US student basketball championship, NCAA Division I, after he officially declared himself to join Grand Canyon University, Arizona, USA.

The 19-year-old's joining the Grand Canyon University basketball club has been announced by the university and the player via Instagram.

"Deal complete. As the first Indonesian-born player in the history of Division I, Derrick Michael has officially become a Lope (the nickname of the GCU basketball team)," wrote the Grand Canyon University basketball club via its official Instagram account @gcu_mbb quoted by Antara, Friday.

Derrick, who also briefly joined the NBA Global Academy, will later start competing with Grand Canyon University in mid-October 2022, which is a period for NCAA teams to undergo a pre-season preparation period.

Grand Canyon University has pretty good basketball achievements. The basketball team, nicknamed "Lopes", is ranked 88th, and plays in Division I, which is the highest caste competition for varsity basketball teams in the US.

However, before leaving for Phoenix, the base city of Grand Canyon University, Derrick will join the Indonesian national team which is currently undergoing the selection process for the 2021 Vietnam SEA Games and the 2022 FIBA Asian Cup.

Derrick will join the national team on 27 April.