Last season found him back in Europe.
Last season found him back in Europe.
Last season found him back in Europe.
Darrell Willis will be the naturalized player for Cyprus at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025, where our National Team will be participating for the first time, as a host nation. Group C games will take place in Limassol at the Spyros Kyprianou Athletic Center from August 28 to September 4.
The 29-year-old (born January 21, 1996), standing at 2.06m (6’9”), who can play both center and power forward, will join the rest of the team on July 25 for the final stage of preparations and will also take part in the friendly games of the ECOMMBX Cup on August 9 and 10 against Israel and Serbia, respectively.
“The selection of Darrell Willis was based on many criteria. He is a player I know personally, as we have worked together in the past,” said national team head coach Christoforos Livadiotis. He added: “He played with us last year and his contribution was significant. He adapted easily, as he was already teammates with several of our internationals.”
The national coach also pointed out that Darrell Willis has the attributes the team currently needs: “He’s a dynamic player. He can help both near and away from the basket,” he noted.
Debut with the National Team
Debut with the National Team
After obtaining a Cypriot passport, Darrell Willis made his debut with our national team on February 23, 2024, in the first window of the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 qualifiers, in a home game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was even voted among the top debut performers. In that game, he scored 22 points, hitting four three-pointers, with 13 rebounds and 1 assist.
He also played in both games against Croatia, recording 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists in the away game, and 19 points with 8 rebounds in the home fixture. He featured in both matches against France as well, with 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist in the game in Cyprus, and 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists in the away encounter.
His Career
His Career
Darrell Willis also competed in the Cypriot league, playing for Keravnos Strovolou, which was his first professional team. During his high school years, he played at Madison Memorial, before moving on to Pearl River Community College (2014–16), and later Wichita State University (2016–18).
With the red-and-yellows (Keravnos), he played in European competitions and won the domestic double during the 2018–19 season, being named MVP of the cup final after scoring 40 points, with 2 three-pointers, 17 rebounds, and 1 assist in an 89–86 victory over AEK. In 32 games with Keravnos, he averaged 14.7 points and 9.6 rebounds.
After Cyprus, he went on to play in the Russian league with Nizhny Novgorod. In the summer of 2020, he transferred to France to play for Monaco. Midway through the 2020–21 season, he joined Brescia in Italy.
In September 2021, he returned to Russia to play for BC Enisey, and the following season he played for Lokomotiv Kuban. Then came his experience in South Korea with the Seoul Samsung Thunders, from January until the summer of 2023, after which he moved to Japan to join Levanga Hokkaido. The following season, he transferred to Kyoto Hannaryz.
Last season found him back in Europe, specifically in Greece with Aris Thessaloniki, where he played ten games, scoring 129 points and recording 72 rebounds and 11 assists.
Darrell Willis and his teammates on the National Team will face the following opponents in the FIBA EuroBasket 2025, in order: Bosnia and Herzegovina (28/08, 18:15), Greece (30/08, 18:15), Spain (31/08, 18:15), Georgia (02/09, 18:15), and Italy (04/09, 18:15).
