Spire cruised to a blowout victory that was uncompetitive from start to finish thanks to the play of guys like Rollins. A floor spacing wing forward, Rollins actually put in more work in the paint than I’ve previously seen from him. Using his physicality in the paint and making smart pivots and pump fakes to free the space for him to score at the rim, Rollins has a polished game. A bit of a tweener who can play either the three or the four, Rollins has a bunch of Division II and NAIA interest but could also try and go the JUCO route after this post grad season. Will be interesting to see what path he ends up taking as he’s going to contribute to winning in ways that don’t always show up on the stat sheet.

Rollins is doing a post-grad year at Spire as he just turned 18 years old, which is younger than many normal 2026 high school students. A sweet shooting wing prospect, Rollins was hitting catch and shoot shots on the wing and has a high-arcing shot. His trail 3 late in the game helped Spire come away with an overtime victory as Rollins was in the game down the stretch. Rollins is a no-brainer scholarship target who had a handful of Division II offers as a senior in Nebraska and should attract even more offers this post grad season.

Now standing at 6’6″ according to the ETG roster, Derek Rollins just finished up his final year on the 3SSB Circuit. He will play a year of post-grad ball for Elite Futures Prep after largely receiving Division II offers out of Millard North.

Similar to Gedik, Rollins can throw down some ferocious dunks, and his length is a calling card on the perimeter. He’s not super quick and neither is his shot release, but Rollins’ body control and smooth stroke make him an offensive threat. In addition to the added two inches to his frame, Rollins is a thick, physical presence who won’t get bullied as a defender and won’t get pushed off his spots as a scorer. He’s confident offensively and force anything or get sped up.

Derek Rollins Derek Rollins 6'4" | SF Millard North | 2025 State #386 Nation NE is a versatile forward whose game is similar to a Swiss army knife.

Rollins ran well in transition was effective moving off of the ball. He is a solid passer and an effective rebounder.

Derek is also comfortable knocking down shots from deep especially of the catch.

On defense he can guard 2-4 and the occasional small ball 5.

He only played two games on the weekend, but his last game was his most impressive where he scored nine points, six rebounds and two assists.

As the top small forward in his class, Rollins brings a polished inside-out game and a soft touch in the post, capable of scoring off either shoulder. He plays bigger than his size, is a strong rebounder, and keeps defenders off-balance with his perimeter shooting. A coachable, all-business athlete, he consistently delivers double-doubles and embodies the hard-hat, lunch-pail mentality that coaches covet. Rollins will be an invaluable asset to any roster.

Millard North senior forward Derek Rollins Derek Rollins 6'4" | SF Millard North | 2025 State #386 Nation NE is one of if not the most complete scorer in Nebraska. Rollins only averaged 17.8 points per game last season however, he did so while averaging a mere 18.4 minutes per game. At nearly a point per minute, Rollins averaged a state-high 31.1 points per 32 minutes.

Off Ball

Rollins at 6’4” has serious vertical pop and is a lob threat in transition and in the half-court off of back cuts.

Shot Making

Rollins is also one of the best difficult shot makers in the state. He uses a variety of different step-backs and pull-up jumpers to get to his spots on the court and uses his vertical to rise over defenders.  

Shooting

Rollins is also a solid shooter from beyond the arch as he finished last season shooting a respectable 37% from deep on 81 attempts.  

Inside

He is an extremely physical driver who often initiates contact on his finishes. Rollins isn’t the fastest but he has a good first step and gets to the rim at will. He is a freight train in transition, once he gets enough head of steam few players are able to stop him from getting all the way to the rim.

Post Game

Rollins also has a developing post-game where he takes advantage of his frame to power through defenders. There’s not a tone of different moves in his post bag at the moment but he hasn’t really needed them to this point as he has success using first and secondary bumps to get to high percentage close shots.

Rollins’ transition prowess and his ability to post smaller players allow him to be super-efficient. He shot a staggering 62% on two-point attempts last season

Rollins has offers from the likes of Central Missouri, Colorado State-Pueblo and Kearney.  

Derek was too much to contain inside on Friday night, finding a ton of success using his size and strength to out-muscle defenders around the rim. He stands at 6’4”, but has a very strong build, being able to go to work in the post to convert through contact. He could also play out on the perimeter, knocking down a couple jump shots. Rollins made some big plays on both sides of the ball down the stretch in a tight win.