MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — In the end, Derek Culver was not about testing the waters and dove into a run at a professional basketball career head first.
The former WVU standout could have been like the dozens of other underclassmen and pursued the NBA while maintaining his college eligibility.
Instead, Culver signed with non-certified agent Cervando Tejeda of New York-based Athletes Sports Management and forfeited his remaining eligibility.
“That was something me and my family talked about in weighing our options,” Culver said Tuesday after a workout with the Golden State Warriors. “I felt like it was time for us to take that route. We came to the conclusion of doing it that way. We felt like it was a good choice.”
Culver believes his best option at playing professionally is as a stretch four, meaning a forward who can step out and shoot longer-range jump shots.
“I feel like I can be a stretch four and bring intensity to teams with my rebounding,” Culver said. “For sure, I see myself as a stretch four.”
That was not Culver’s style of play with the Mountaineers.
Over three seasons at WVU, Culver attempted only two 3-pointers — he missed them both.
But, at his NBA workouts, Culver said he’s tried to display an ability to shoot from 15-feet out.
“Yeah, it was weird at first,” Culver said. “I never really shot 15-footers at West Virginia, so to be able to shoot the ball and pull the defense out a little bit more, it gives me a little more room to work with.”
It was unlikely, with the multitude of outside shooters already on the Mountaineers’ roster that Culver would have been asked to shoot from the outside much if he had returned.
He said that had little to do in making his decision to go pro.
“I was always the (center), but, at the time, that was my best attribute,” Culver said. “It wasn’t like I left school, because I was only playing down low. I always knew I was going to play down low. That was my bread and butter. To transition my game to the next level and be able to maintain playing, I felt like I had to expand my game a little bit. I had to be able to put it on the floor a little bit more and be able to shoot from the elbow.”
Culver is not projected to be picked in the 2021 NBA Draft, but that hasn’t kept teams from bringing in him for workouts.
Along with Golden State, which currently only has two first-round picks in the draft and no second-round selections, Culver has also worked out for Minnesota, Cleveland and New York.
“It’s fun, but I’ve never really been through something like this before,” Culver said. “I’m learning. I’m going to different places and seeing how different organizations go about their business and conduct themselves. All in all, I’m having a hell of an experience.”
He averaged 14.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game as a junior and was selected first team all-Big 12.
But Culver also had his shortcomings. Taking a majority of his shots in the paint, he never shot better than 47.8% from the floor and was also a career 57.6% shooter at the foul line.
“Honestly, the best thing I can bring is my intensity and being able to rebound at a high level,” Culver said. “Being able to guard in pick-and-roll situations, I feel like I can hold my own if I get switched onto a guard.”
The decision to go pro, Culver said, was not something he wrestled with during the season. In the end, he and his family simply thought going pro was the best option.
“I didn’t really think about it until the end of the season when everything was said and done,” Culver said. “During the season, I was locked in with my teammates at West Virginia. I wasn’t focused on the next level. All the future stuff happened after the season.”
TWEET @bigjax3211
