By Joanna Chadwick
Put the basketball in Derby senior Jack Ulwelling’s hands and he’s going to find a way to score.
That could mean he’ll spot up for a three or drive the lane against the much taller, much bulkier players to get the layup. Sometimes that means he ends up on the floor – and at the free-throw line.
His toughness also appears on the defensive side. He’s incredibly adept at taking charges, including taking a school record 16 charges in 2023-24. Ulwelling already owns the Derby career record with 25.
“He checks a lot of boxes for us,” Derby coach Brett Flory said. “(He’s) our best player, our strongest leader, our toughest kid and very high character off the court.”
But in eighth grade, after a freak accident during a PE class in middle school, Ulwelling’s basketball future appeared finished.
“I was worried that I wouldn’t play the sport I love ever again,” he said. “It was a devastating time in my life. I had to be positive and do everything I could to get back.”
Within hours of an awkward fall on his hip, Ulwelling was in surgery where four screws were placed. For three months he couldn’t put any weight on his right leg.
“There are so many times in the day where I think about it,” Ulwelling said. “I think about it before every game and every practice. Whether it’s a practice I don’t want to go to, it’s just about being thankful I can practice. Before a game, I feel lucky to play, win or lose. I have a bigger chip on my shoulder.”
