Derrick Tarver

11/16: "Derrick Tarver is coming home. Tarver, who played his first three seasons at St. Vincent-St. Mary and his last high school season at Buchtel, has signed to play at the University of Akron next year. Currently, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Tarver is enrolled at City College of San Francisco and playing for head coach Harry Pantazopulos. Tarver opened the season by scoring 25 points and eight assists in a 97-74 win against West Valley. ``This is a great decision for Derrick and the University of Akron,'' Zips head coach Dan Hipsher said. ``He knows our staff, he fits in well with our program and gets the opportunity to come back to Akron and play in front of his family.'' Tarver, a junior-college transfer, signed with Akron on the second day of the early signing period. He is the first player to sign with the Zips and will have two years of eligibility left when he arrives at Akron. He'll see a familiar face on the Zips' coaching staff. Akron assistant coach Keith Dambrot coached Tarver at St. V-M. Last season, Tarver was named to the National Junior College All-America Team as he led the NJCAA in scoring at 28 points per game while at Howard College in Big Spring, Texas. One scouting report lists Tarver as the No. 8 overall junior-college recruit in the country. ``Derrick is a great scorer and has developed his all-around game while playing for one of Coach Bob Knight's disciples at City College of San Francisco,'' Hipsher said. ``He fills a need for us and has the talent to make an immediate impact in the (Mid-American Conference).'' Tarver's brother, Darren, is a starting point guard at George Mason University after transferring from Wabash College." - Akron B-J

10/17: "Derrick Tarver 6'4 wing guard from San Fransico (JC) Ca. has
verbally committed to U. of Akron. Tarver was a second team junior college All-American last season at Howard (JC) Texas. He averaged over 33.0 ponits last season. Tarver was also being recruited by Cincinnati, South Florida, Texas and Tulane. His former high school who now coaches at Akron did a good job recruiting him and convining him to commitment. Good job Keith Dambrot." - Ohio Preps

9/27: "Both players (Westley and Tarver)have decided to visit during the season" - Ohio Preps

9/25: "I spoke with Tarver and he told me that he is planning on making official visits to Texas, CINCINNATI, Ohio State, Akron and South Florida. He visited Fresno State on an unofficial visit and he also mentioned Texas Tech. He is hoping to catch the Akron-CINCINNATI game (Rock N Roll Shootout) held at Gund Arena December 29th. Akron could be a sleeper in the mix. Tarver is from Akron and he actually was planning on walking-on for the Zips before. Derrick and twin brother both went to Wabash Valley (IL) CC after high school. However, Derrick left after being homesick. He enrolled at Akron, but left there, winding up at Howard. Derrick said that he has matured a lot since his high school days and would be able to handle playing close to home much better now. He is also close to Akron assistant Keith Dambrot, who was the St. Vincent-St. Mary head coach. Dambrot was named as an assistant under head coach Dan Hipsher in June. Tarver is also close to Hipsher’s son, Andy, who redshirted last season after playing in six games. Hipsher averaged 14.2 points per game. Tarver is friends with Maverick Carter, who is sitting out the season after transferring from Western Michigan." - College Basketball News

9/20: Tarver will attend a Juco camp this weekend. "Rick Ball of BallStars, a junior college recruiting service, is hosting his Top 40 Camp at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., this weekend. The event will attract some of the top junior college prospects in the nation. However, it is not sanctioned and Division I recruiters will not be permitted to attend." - Blue Chip Hoops

8/31: "After telling the coaching staff at College of the Sequoias that he was coming to play for the Giants, Derrick Tarver kept an earlier verbal commitment and has enrolled at San Francisco City College." - Big Apple Sports

8/26: "Big Apple Sports reports that Derrick Tarver will attend College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California following his aborted attempt to transfer from Howard JC in Texas to an NJCAA school in Florida. Sequoias, under former coach George Tarkanian (Jerry's son), reached the California championship game in 2000 but was ineligible for postseason play in 2001 due to recruiting violations. Tarkanian has been replaced as head coach by Scott Eitelgeorge."

8/23: "New coach at Howard junior college refuse(d) to release Derrick
Tarver (from) his letter of intent. He stated he would give Derrick the okay to transfer. After selecting a college in Florida, the coach called to get his release and the coach at Howard mention (said) he had a change of heart. So, now Derrick has enrolled at San Francisco junior college becuase...you don't need a release to attend junior college in California." - Mike Duncan, Ohio Preps (snipped)

http://ohiopreps.alliancesports.com/showmsg.asp?fid=374&mid=854972&sid=979&tid=854972&style=1

8/6: "I will be bring both kids (Westley and Tarver) this weekend along with junior standout 6'6 Reggie Harwell from VA/Joes." - Coach Michael Duncan from Ohio Preps

8/5: "Cincinnati will have several recruits on campus this coming
weekend (8-10 thru 8-12). Omari Westley and Derrick Tarver will also visit unoffically. There may be some commitments this weekend." - Ohio Preps

8/1/01: Listed as the 19th best Juco Soph in the country. - NBA Draft Report

7/4: "Cincinnati, Xavier and other high major D-1 colleges are recruiting him. He played at Howard (JUCO) Texas and scored over 35.0 a game. I'll say Cincinnati (leads) because they have been recruiting this kid since the 11th grade. Would have gotten commitment out of high school but grades/trouble messed that up. No school has followed this kid harder then Cincinnati. " - Ohio Preps

6/13: "Cincy is indeed very high on Derrick Tarver, who according to a good source, re-signed with Howard J.C. this spring. However, rumors persist that Tarver might still wind up elsewhere. Names that have cropped up include Barton County (KS) and Vincennes (IN), though I don't know how much merit there is to those reports just yet." -- Russ Blake, Juco Junction

4/01: Derrick Tarver was named the MVP of the WJCAC Conference. (Taron Barker was also named to the 12 man All Conference Team) - WJCAC.com

3/2/01: "Derrick Tarver scored 24 second-half points to help propel Howard past the South Plains College Texans, 75-63, Thursday night at Texan Dome. Tarver came into the game as the WJCAC’s leading scorer, and after scoring just 7 of his 31 points in the first half, he put on a clinic in the second half to lead the Hawks (13-17 overall, 7-7 WJCAC). After coming back early in the second half to tie the contest at 34-34, a dunk by Tarver ignited the Hawks on a 12-3 run and a 46-40 lead." - Southern Plains College website



http://www.hc.cc.tx.us/big_spring/department/athletic/baskball/hawks/pictures-bios-0001.htm

School change to Barberton
http://www.ohio.com/bj/sports/prep/0998/025554.htm

http://www.ohio.com/bj/sports/prep/1197/018767.htm

Both Tarvers eligible to play
http://www.ohio.com/bj/sports/prep/0998/019743.htm

Derrick Tarver's name on roster for tournament brings on controversy
http://www.ohio.com/bj/sports/prep/0299/019165.htm


2/3/00: "Former All-Beacon Journal guard Derrick Tarver, who graduated last spring from Buchtel, has enrolled at Akron, but has not met with Hipsher to discuss plans for joining the team." - Akron Beacon Journal

2/25/99: "It was a commitment that wasn't a commitment. That's because there was never a scholarship offered. Akron Buchtel senior Derrick Tarver, who averaged 28 points and 11 rebounds, thought he was being recruited to play basketball for the Bearcats, and it was reported in Cleveland that he had commited. However, UC wasn't recruiting the 6-foot-4 swingman. 'We're not nor have we ever recruited him,' said UC coach Bob Huggins.

While it's unknown if Tarver, who played three years at St. Vincent-St. Mary's before transferring, ever visited the UC campus on his own, he didn't take an official visit to the school. It's possible Tarver received a recruiting questionnaire from UC, probably during his freshman or sophomore year.

After UC signed three players - New York City guard Kenny Satterfield, Buffalo, N.Y., guard Leonard Stokes and center B.J. Grove of the George Jr. Republic School in Grove City, Pa. - during the early signing period, UC was out of scholarships. While UC coaches cannot talk about prospective players because of NCAA rules, it is believed that the only other senior the school is recruiting is DerMarr Johnson of Maine Central Institute.

Tarver's mother Sharon told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer that a person who identified himself as Huggins had called to talk to her son. She, however, never spoke to the man. 'It must have been some kind of misunderstanding,' she told the newspaper. 'The phone calls must have been something of a prank, must have been a joke. Somebody must've been impersonating the coach.' - CincyPost.com


2/25/99: "Chris Johnson tells us that the Cleveland Plain Dealer has a quote from 6'3 Derrick Tarver from Akron (Buchtel) OH, who ranks #8 in the senior class in Ohio, saying that he has verbally committed to the University of Cincinnati. "I chose Cincinnati, because it was close to home; they have good players and a great coach," says Tarver. "They'll probably use me as a guard/forward." - HoopScoop

1/6/99: "Derrick Tarver will remain a member of the Buchtel basketball team -- for now. Griffins coach Harvey Sims yesterday said that it is too early to discuss the status of Tarver, who has been charged with felony drug abuse. "There may be some type of disciplinary action, but right now I can't say what,'' said Sims. "We want to see what the courts do."

Tarver, a 6-foot-3 senior guard/forward who is averaging 28 points for Buchtel, was arrested New Year's Day after Akron police allegedly found crack cocaine on the floor of the car in which he was a passenger. Police had stopped the car for a broken tail light. Tarver, 18, is free on $2,500 bond, and faces a hearing today in Akron Municipal Court.

Mike Buckner, athletic director of the Akron Public Schools, said there is no policy requiring the suspension of city athletes facing felony charges. In fact, no action will be taken until after the criminal charges are resolved. "We all have to wait and see what happens legally,'' said Buckner. "What if he is found not guilty?
However, a drug conviction essentially would end Tarver's career at Buchtel. "If he is found guilty, he would be disciplined from school," Buckner said. "Basketball would follow, since he would not be in school." Tarver has been a starter since his freshman year at St. Vincent-St. Mary. Early last season, he transferred to Firestone briefly before returning to the Irish. Tarver averaged 27.4 points and 6.7 rebounds for St. V-M in 1997-98. He was named first-team All-Northeast Ohio Inland District and first-team All-Beacon Journal.

During the first week of classes at St. V-M, both Tarver and his twin brother, Darren Tarver, withdrew in protest over the school's ban on facial hair. The twins visited various schools before Derrick settled on Buchtel and Darren on Barberton." - Akron Beacon Journal

Summer 98: Listed as the 18th best Wing Forward at the adidas ABCD Camp by HoopScoop (DerMarr was 8th best, Jason Kapono was listed as #1 WF)

Summer 98: "Strong guard. Ugly shot. Plays hard. Scores on offensive rebound putbacks. Warrior on the court. Grows on you as the game progresses. No left hand when leading break. Ideal for program where he can play in and out." - adidas ABCD Camp Notes written by "Cut The Nets" (unknown)

2/98: "received the Outstanding Player Award in the St. James Invitational in Hagerstown, Md." - Akron Beacon Journal