© Mark Zerof
Derek Willis’ breakout junior season was a surprise to many. People from around the state loved to see the Kentucky kid succeed, but there’s another nation that was just as proud.
Willis is of Native American heritage, only one a few in all of Division I basketball. His mother is a descendant of the Southern Arapaho, Pawnee and Creek Native American tribes. The Indian Country Today Media Network talked to Willis about his recent success and what it’s like to represent Native Americans everywhere.
What has been your teammates’ reactions to learning you are Native American?