Providence is on the board to start its next men’s basketball recruiting class.
The Friars have picked up a commitment from Aiden Derkack, a four-star prospect in the Class of 2026. He announced the decision via social media Wednesday morning.
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Derkack is a 6-foot-6-inch perimeter player who should develop as a shooting guard or wing. He took recent campus visits to USC and Dayton and also claimed offers from the likes of Indiana, Maryland, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Rutgers, TCU, Miami, VCU and Big East rivals Creighton, Villanova, Butler and Xavier. Derkack is a consensus top-70 prospect, according to online recruiting services Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports.
“Friar Town, I’m home,” Derkack wrote on his personal Instagram page.
Aiden Derkack, left, shown playing for Colonia High last February, has committed to Providence.
Derkack took what wound up being his final official visit with Providence over the weekend. Friars coach Kim English was at Spire Academy for an open gym in September, checking in with one of his priority recruits entering the fall. Providence made its extended work building a relationship with Derkack ultimately pay off.
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Derkack starred with Team Final over the summer at Peach Jam, the signature event on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League circuit. He averaged 21.4 points, shot 67.7% from 2-point range and added 6.4 rebounds in five games. That was up from 13.2 points in 15 games during the regular season, which started in April.
Derkack played his first three prep seasons at Colonia High in his native New Jersey. He was a three-time state champion, an All-State selection and a MaxPreps All-American while becoming the all-time leading boys scorer with the Patriots. Derkack announced his departure in late July and will play against a national schedule with Spire Academy starting late this fall.
“I’m excited for what’s ahead, but Colonia will always be home,” Derkack wrote on his Instagram page. “I truly appreciate everyone who has supported me over the past three years. I hope you’ll continue to be part of this journey.”
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Derkack will play for eight-time national champion Kevin Boyle, who was recently hired away to Ohio after building a juggernaut in Florida at Montverde Academy. Boyle’s previous players with the Eagles include top NBA Draft selections Ben Simmons, Cade Cunningham and Cooper Flagg. Boyle coached his first future No. 1 pick in his native New Jersey with St. Patrick, mentoring former Duke and Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving.
Derkack makes it four straight years the Friars will bring in a four-star freshman prospect according to 247Sports. Garwey Dual (2023), Oswin Erhunmwunse (2024), Jamier Jones (2025) and Jaylen Harrell (2025) all carried that distinction before enrolling. Dual lasted just one season before following transfers to Seton Hall and McNeese State, but Erhunmwunse was named to the all-freshman team in the conference in 2024-25 and should open this year as the starting center.
Derkack was raised in an athletic household — his parents, Gene and Jenny, were men’s basketball and women’s soccer players, respectively, at Florida International. His older brother, Jordan, has played men’s basketball for Merrimack and Rutgers and will suit up with the Flyers in 2025-26 after a second transfer. His older sister, Taylor, is expected to make her women’s basketball debut with Massachusetts after taking an injury redshirt in 2024-25.
Providence counts one close connection to Derkack on its current roster. Walk-on guard Johnny Jackson — nicknamed “Buckets” for his performance during a standout career at Ridgewood High — is a close friend and fellow Garden State native. Jackson is a cancer survivor who netted more than 2,000 career points for the Rebels.
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Derkack’s commitment reverses what had been an empty cycle to date for the Friars. Providence was heavily involved with Florida big man Marcis Ponder (Florida State), New Jersey forward Julius Avent (Michigan State) and Connecticut wing Abdou Toure (Arkansas), all of whom selected power programs elsewhere. The Friars also pursued Worcester guard Amir Jenkins before he reclassified to 2025 and enrolled immediately with West Virginia.
Providence remains in the hunt for five-star shooting guard Caleb Holt, who visited last month. He was at Kentucky over the weekend and has also made trips to Arkansas, Arizona and Alabama. A commitment to the Crimson Tide would take Holt from his current California base at Prolific Prep back to his home state.
On X: @BillKoch25
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence men’s basketball lands 4-star prospect for 2026-27 season
