Derrick Byars
Derrick Byars | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 25, 1984 United States |
| Occupation(s) | Former professional basketball player, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Professional basketball career, SEC Player of the Year 2007 |
Derrick JaVaughn Byars (born April 25, 1984) is a former professional basketball athlete from the United States and a current entrepreneur. He competed at the collegiate level for both the Virginia and Vanderbilt teams. In the 2007 NBA draft, Byars was chosen as the 42nd overall pick.
High school career
Byars attended Ridgeway High School in Memphis, where he played under coach Wesley Henning and contributed to winning two Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Class AA State titles.
During his sophomore year (1999–2000), he received honorable-mention All-State recognition while guiding Ridgeway to the Class AA State Championship, posting averages of 16.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists each game.
In his junior season, Byars again earned honorable mention All-State accolades, was named both Ridgeway’s MVP and District 15-AA MVP, and averaged 20.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5 assists per contest.
As a senior (2001–02), he led Ridgeway to its second TSSAA Class AA State Championship within three years by averaging 23.2 points, 10 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. His achievements that year included fourth-team Parade All-America honors, Tennessee’s Gatorade Player of the Year award, TSSAA Class AA Tournament MVP, and first-team All-State selection.
Academically, Byars excelled as well, graduating high school with a 3.9 GPA.
Virginia
Byars spent two seasons playing under coach Pete Gillen at Virginia. In his freshman year (2002–03), he started in 16 of 31 games and averaged 6.5 points per game; as a sophomore (2003–04), he started 18 of 31 games with a scoring average of 7.5 points.
Looking for increased playing opportunities, Byars opted to transfer schools. Vanderbilt emerged as a leading choice due to his relationships with players there and their recent Sweet 16 run in the NCAA Tournament, although initially no scholarships were available. However, when Vanderbilt guard Adam Payton transferred out shortly before Byars was set to join Mississippi, a scholarship spot became available for him.
Due to NCAA transfer regulations, Byars sat out the entire 2004–05 season.
Vanderbilt
In his junior year (2005–06), Byars started every one of Vanderbilt’s 30 games, averaging 12.4 points per game and leading the team with 3.2 assists on average. His performances earned him SEC Player of the Week honors after scoring 20 points on an efficient 7-of-8 shooting against Oregon and a season-best 25 points—including five three-pointers—against Cincinnati.
During his senior season (2006–07), Byars was honored as the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year by coaches and was unanimously selected for the All-SEC first team. He helped Vanderbilt achieve a 22–12 overall record (10–6 in SEC East play, finishing second) and reach the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. Leading the team with an average of 17.0 points per game, he ranked within the SEC’s top ten across four additional statistical categories. Within conference play, he averaged an impressive 19.1 points per game—the second highest in the SEC—with eight games scoring over 20 points, including a career-high of 32 against South Carolina. His standout performance of 24 points in an upset victory over No. 1 ranked Florida earned him another SEC Player of the Week award.
Byars completed his studies at Vanderbilt in May 2007, earning a degree in sociology.
NBA
Byars was chosen as the 42nd pick in the 2007 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, but was immediately traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Philadelphia released him on October 22, 2007. In the 2008 Summer League, Byars competed with both the New Orleans Hornets and Orlando Magic, leading Orlando with 15 points in their first game against the New Jersey Nets.
In September 2008, he secured a contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he averaged 4.1 points and nearly 15 minutes of playing time during preseason matches.
Byars participated in the Chicago Bulls training camp in 2009 but was cut prior to the regular season. Additionally, he represented the Bulls in the 2010 NBA Summer League.
Germany
In late October 2007, Byars joined the Köln 99ers, a team competing in Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga based in Cologne. He played eight games while recovering from a foot injury. During four ULEB Cup appearances, he averaged 6.3 points and 18 minutes per game, and scored an average of 3.5 points over four Bundesliga contests before his release on December 21, 2007.
On November 2, 2009, Byars signed with ALBA Berlin as a small forward.
France
Byars became a member of Chorale Roanne Basket on January 24, 2008, competing in France’s Ligue Nationale de Basketball (LNB). The club finished fourth in the regular season of 2007/08 and advanced to the LNB finals, falling to Nancy after defeating top-seeded Le Mans in the semifinals. His averages included 8 points and 3 rebounds across approximately 24 minutes per game.
NBA Development League
Selected fifth overall in the 2008 NBA Development League Draft by the Bakersfield Jam, Byars averaged 18 points per contest and earned a spot in the 2009 NBA D-League All-Star Game, where he led all scorers with an 18-point performance. He made a brief return in 2011, securing NBA Development League Player of the Week honors after posting a career-high of 45 points against Springfield Armor.
Greece
In September 2010, Byars inked a one-year deal with Greek team Panellinios Basket, competing in the HEBA A1 Ethniki league.
Return to France
Byars signed a one-year contract with Cholet Basket in August 2011; however, he departed by November after appearing in only two games—one during the Pro A and another in the Euroleague qualifying round.
Return to the NBA
On December 10, 2011, Byars agreed to terms with the Miami Heat but was released before the season commenced. He later joined the San Antonio Spurs on April 25, 2012, but was waived on August 21 after scoring ten points across two appearances.
Return to Germany
Byars returned to Alba Berlin by signing again with them in November of 2012.
Memphis Grizzlies
In September 2013, Byars joined the roster of the Memphis Grizzlies, only to be waived on October 6.
Russia / D-League
Byars signed with Russia’s BC Krasny Oktyabr in January 2014 for the remainder of that season but left before playing any games. Subsequently, on March 4, 2014, he was reacquired by the Bakersfield Jam.
Belgium
On April 12, 2014, Byars committed to Belfius Mons-Hainaut competing in the Basketball League Belgium for the remainder of that season.
Israel
Byars secured a contract with Maccabi Rishon LeZion of the Israel Basketball Super League on September 15, 2015.
Puerto Rico
On January 6, 2016, Byars became a member of Santeros de Aguada in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league.
France
Byars signed with JA Vichy of the LNB Pro B on August 20, 2016. During his tenure there, he averaged 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, and one steal across 16 games.
D-League
The Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League acquired Byars on February 27, 2017.
NBA
|- | align="left" | | align="left" | San Antonio | 2 || 0 || 18.5 || .273 || .000 || 1.000 || 5.5 || .5 || 1.0 || .0 || 5.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | Career | 2 || 0 || 18.5 || .273 || .000 || 1.000 || 5.5 || .5 || 1.0 || .0 || 5.0
Awards and accomplishments
- Named to the All-SEC First Team in 2007
- Honored as the SEC Co-Player of the Year in 2007
- Selected for the Rivals.com Second Team All-American in 2007
- Inducted as an SEC Legend in 2019