HAWAII GROWN REPORT
COURTESY WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
Former Iolani star Derrick Low is blossoming for Washington State since he was switched to shooting guard from the point by coach Tony Bennett.
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Low high on Cougars
Derrick Low doesn't regret his decision to sign to play basketball for Washington State three years ago
By Howie Stalwick
Special to the Star-Bulletin
PULLMAN, Wash. » Derrick Low has never been one to gloat, and nothing has changed in the three years since he left the hustle and bustle of sunny Honolulu for the peace and quiet of snowy Pullman.
A lesser man than Low would be screaming "I told you so!" from the top of his lungs. After all, when the greatest high school basketball player in Hawaii history turned down Gonzaga, Utah, Hawaii and plenty of other suitors to play for perennial also-ran Washington State -- without even visiting the campus -- his decision was met with far less than universal approval back home.
"People would ask me, 'Why are you going to Washington State? They're junk. They're horrible,' " Low recalls.
Low's critics grew in numbers when the Cougars plummeted into the Pacific-10 Conference cellar last year, when their 10th straight losing season was observed by droves of empty seats. Matters were not helped any when Gonzaga, located a long 3-pointer north of Pullman in Spokane, Wash., continued to bask in the national spotlight while playing before sellout crowds every home game and advancing to the NCAA Tournament yet again.
One year later, the Bulldogs have hit a few bumps in the road, but the Cougars are rolling right along. Washington State is ranked No. 14 in the nation and packing Friel Court for the first time in years, and Low is leading the Cougars in scoring and a whole lot more.
"The one guy they could not afford to lose would be Low," said Lute Olson, the legendary coach of the Arizona Wildcats.
"I think Low is to them what Steve Nash is to the Suns."
Considering the fact that Nash has won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award the past two years with Phoenix, that's rather lofty praise for Low, a three-time state player of the year at Iolani.
COURTESY WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
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After averaging only 7.6 points his first two college seasons, both of which were interrupted by foot fractures, Low came into the week averaging 15.0 points per game for the 19-4 Cougars. Low led WSU and is ranked among the Pac-10 leaders in scoring (11th), 3-point shooting percentage (fifth, .434), 3-pointers made (fifth, 2.4), steals (seventh, 1.5) and minutes played (third, 34.4). The third-year starter has only 24 turnovers in 23 games.
"First and foremost, he's been healthy all year -- (and) he's much more aggressive this year," Washington State coach Tony Bennett said. "He's stronger."
"He's definitely been doing a lot more penetrating," teammate Kyle Weaver said.
Low's season was highlighted by a memorable 37-point performance Jan. 27 against then-No. 7 Oregon. Low was guarded most of the night by national player of the year candidate Aaron Brooks.
"He put on an amazing display of courage and grit along with talent," Oregon coach Ernie Kent said after the Ducks' overtime victory.
"It was definitely a quality effort by Low," Brooks said. "He played great."
Low's 37 points and nine 3-pointers were the top individual marks in a Pacific-10 Conference game this season. His career-high points total tied him for 10th in school history, and he tied his own school record for 3s in one game.
"An amazing game by Derrick," Bennett summed up.
Low was typically low-key and modest after the nationally-televised contest. He acknowledged the game would have been the best of his career "if we had won," and despite the fact that he scored all 10 WSU points in overtime, he chastised himself for missing a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the final horn.
"I couldn't get any more wide open than that," Low said.
COURTESY WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
Derrick Low scored a career-high 37 points against Oregon last month.
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Weaver, a point forward of sorts, has assumed most of the ball-handling and play-making responsibilities since Low moved from point guard to shooting guard this season. Low has already sunk more field goals and 3-pointers than in his first two seasons combined, but he said "it wasn't easy" to shift from playmaker to shooter.
"He was always hesitant about shooting," WSU forward Daven Harmeling said.
"Coaches had to tell me multiple times, 'Shoot the ball. Shoot it, shoot it, shoot it!' " Low said. "They said I didn't have the mentality to shoot it."
Still, Low said he was "all for it" when Bennett -- promoted to head coach after Dick Bennett, Tony's father, retired at the end of last season -- approached him last spring and told him of his plan for the position switch.
"I like both positions," Low said, "but I like this better because it's easier to concentrate on scoring if you don't have to worry about doing all the things you have to do as the point guard."
Low has always shown great trust in the Bennetts, so much so that Low signed a letter of intent with WSU before he ever saw Pullman.
Surrounded by rolling wheat fields in the southeastern corner of Washington state, Pullman is heaven for some, hell for others. Only 7,000 people live in Pullman besides WSU's 18,000 students, and there aren't a whole lot of stoplights, restaurants or pretty much anything else.
"We would have released him if he didn't like it," Tony Bennett said. "But he said, 'No, Coach. To me, it's about being some place where I like the people.' "
"I'm a simple person," Low said. "I don't need a lot of things in my life to be happy.
"After talking to Coach Tony and Dick Bennett, I just felt really confident. I felt they would take care of me, and I felt they would get the program headed in a good direction."
Low's faith in the Bennetts has been rewarded, and Low has certainly held up his end of the bargain -- on and off the court. Low is a popular figure on the WSU campus, and he's hard to miss on the court this year with his new game, his new hairdo (longer hair held back by a headband) and his new tattoo, a long one down the side of his left leg that tells of his family heritage.
Low tends to be quiet and unassuming around strangers, but Weaver said Low is "definitely a clown" when hanging out with teammates.
"He's just a goofy guy," Weaver said.
Low specializes in dead-on impersonations of comedic actors like Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Low studies actors when he and fellow homebody Harmeling watch movies over and over again at their off-campus apartment.
" 'Dodgeball' -- he can probably tell you every line out of that movie," Harmeling said.
Debate the merits of that accomplishment all you want. Low would prefer to be recognized for his team's accomplishments, which almost certainly will include WSU's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1994 and perhaps WSU's first conference championship since 1941.
"This," Low said with a smile, "has been a lot of fun."