West Side coach Chris Buggs beams with pride as he describes senior Derek Collins’ progress over the years.
Early in the 6-foot-3 guard’s career, Buggs had his doubts on and off the court. But Collins has developed into not only a productive player for the Cougars, but also a captain and a role model for other players in the program.
“From freshman year, he went from not really understanding the expectations of being a student to being an honor roll student,” Buggs said. “He’s really an example of the maturation process you hope will happen when you’re coaching kids in high school. As a coach, sometimes you lose hope, like, ‘This may not be it.’ Freshman year, he struggled with academics, attendance, just major issues, even on the court.
“But as the years went on, he stuck with it, went through all the tough times. He was mad at us. I’m sure he wanted to quit at times. But as he got older, he started to understand, ‘I have an opportunity to help us win as a program and get a scholarship.’ Once he saw he had that opportunity, his grades went to honor roll. He got all As and Bs this semester. He’s gotten student of the month one or two times. He really turned it around completely.”
Collins attributed part of the process to adjusting to West Side after he attended 21st Century in middle school.
“West Side had everything I needed,” he said. “I was just getting used to the classes, the new environment. Freshman year, I definitely struggled. Last year, junior year, I got better. This year, I’ve been excelling.”
After splitting time between the junior varsity and varsity teams as a freshman and coming off the bench as a sophomore, Collins has been a standout player for two seasons.
He was averaging 13.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals before the Cougars (7-5) defeated Lowell on Thursday night. He posted 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 3.0 steals last season.
Numbers aside, Collins has become a better and more complete player.
“I’m just more confident,” he said. “I’m more vocal. I’m more of a leader. I try to get everybody on the same page. I try to get everybody to go out there and play as hard as they can and just win a game.
“I want to do whatever I’m asked to do. I’m just trying to do what I can to help my team win.”
Senior forward Keyton Barnes, a captain with Collins, knows the importance of his longtime friend. Barnes and Collins have been teammates since elementary school.
“DC brings a lot to the team,” Barnes said. “He has playmaking skills — he’s just a playmaker. He’s very fast. He can play around the rim. He can shoot the ball. He’s really creative off the dribble.
“I just love his style. He helps big time in games, in big moments.”
There could be big moments in the near future for the Cougars, who have moved down to Class 3A into a sectional that also includes East Chicago Central. They’ve had a challenging schedule after going 15-9 last season.
After losing in overtime to eventual state champion Carmel in a Class 4A semistate in 2021, West Side went 7-14 in 2021-22 and 5-18 in 2022-23. Collins and the Cougars absorbed their lumps in those two seasons, emerging wiser and more experienced.
“I feel like nobody can beat us when we’re at our best,” Collins said. “If we all maintain focus, we can go far.
“Freshman and sophomore year, the seniors treated me like I was a little brother. It’s always been a brotherhood.”
Buggs, a 2003 West Side graduate who was part of the 2002 state championship team, takes anything Cougars-related to heart.
“As coaches, as a program, with Derek and all of our guys, that’s one of our main goals — to make sure we inspire students, student-athletes, and make sure they understand that student comes first,” Buggs said. “A lot of times, students struggle with that. Basketball is an important sport here. Sometimes it’s easy to say, ‘I’m a basketball player.’
“But what we’re trying to preach here as a program, you’re a person first, then you’re a student. You’re more than a basketball player. I’m just really proud of him and proud of our program. … There’s a whole network of people that are supporting him and helping him, and he would not be where he is today without them. Now he’s gotten to a point where he’s not only playing well, we’re winning games, but he’s in a situation where he can get a scholarship.”
Collins is sorting out his playing options. He said he intends to major in business.
“When he was a freshman, we really questioned it,” Buggs said of Collins. “He was just struggling, struggling. It wasn’t like he was doing bad things. He just didn’t understand the responsibility of being a student-athlete. He’s a good kid. He just wasn’t focused in school.
“Now I’m really proud of where he is and where he’s come from. He went from somebody we were questioning to, ‘Hey, guys, you should be like this guy.’”
