OFFICIAL: Dererk Pardon signs with Italian team Pallacanestro Reggiana

Former Northwestern center Dererk Pardon has signed to play professional basketball in Italy with Pallacanestro Reggiana of the Serie A Basketball League, the team announced via an Instagram post Wednesday.

After going undrafted in June, Pardon joined former teammate Vic Law in competing with the Orlando Magic in the NBA Summer League. The Cleveland native saw playing time in three games.

This past week, Nicola Lupo of Sportnado.com reported that Pardon had reached a deal with the Belgian club Spirou Charleroi, but Pardon himself later tweeted that this was false.

Pardon served as a staple of Northwestern’s offense in his last two seasons. He ranked seventh in the Big Ten for total rebounds in the 2018-19 season (248). He averaged almost 15 points per game his senior season and finished with the second best field goal percentage in the Big Ten. Known for playing with his back to the post and going up strong to the basket, Pardon was an effective big who presented quite the offensive threat.

He will go down in history as the player to send Northwestern to the NCAA tournament for the first time — his last second basket against Michigan punched the ‘Cats a ticket in 2017. Just a few weeks later, he also helped them secure their first NCAA tournament win with 14 points and 11 rebounds against Vanderbilt. To say he has a special place in the hearts of Northwestern fans is an understatement.

We cordially invite all of Italy to join the Northwestern fan base and we look forward to seeing how Dererk progresses as he begins his professional career.