Derby guard, Archer, reflects on Arkansas commitment and successful season

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DERBY– Derby guard and 2023 Arkansas Razorback commit Maryn Archer is playing at one of the highest levels in the state of Kansas.


The future Razorback describes herself as a loyal person. She has been loyal to her current Derby team and her commitment to Arkansas.


“I committed to Arkansas the summer of my sophomore year,” said Archer. “(Arkansas) Coach (Mike) Neighbors was the first one to truly recruit me and was the first one to show interest. (Neighbors) showed love to me from the beginning. He saw something in me and has been loyal to me since he started showing interest. I’ve wanted to go to a loyal program. He went out of his way to come to my games, send coaches to my games and keep up with me.”

Archer’s unselfishness on the court also carries off the court. She wants to help people in the present and the future as much as she can.

“For a major, I am leaning towards social work or psychology,” said Archer. I love helping people when they need help and I want to be there for people who need help. Giving people that help in the future would be good for me.”

While Archer is excited to play for the Razorbacks, she wants to live in the present. She sees a lot of potential in this 2021-2022 Derby Panthers team and wants to keep the good times coming.

“I love that our team is so family-oriented,” Archer said. “We have built a trust and family aspect into Derby’s culture. We value every possession. Every night we make the extra play, dive for every loose ball, and get the open player the ball. I think with the attitude of our team, we will continue to make strides this year and in the future.”

The junior is front and center in the success of Derby this year. This 18-1 Derby team is unselfish, gritty, and consistent. Archer credits first-year head coach Daniel Harrison for constructing the attitude and fluidity of the team.

“(Daniel) Harrison stepped up big for us this year,” said Archer. “It took a while for us to truly get to know each other. We had to adjust to a new offense and we all were given different roles. It took us time, but as a team, we have great chemistry on and off the court. We enjoy being around each other every single day.”

While Derby has only taken one loss this year to Topeka-Washburn Rural, Archer knows the team will use that to their advantage.

“Going into the back half of the season, we have some things to touch up on,” Archer said. “Playing a tough team like Washburn Rural was beneficial for us. We have time to fix things. Time is in our favor since we took our loss in a mid-season tournament.”



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