Beyond the Game: Jerrelle DeBerry is star on hard court

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Jerrelle DeBerry, a junior at Destiny High School is becoming somebody on the basketball court. The 6'4" shooting guard is among the highest scorers in the state, at close to 30 points per game.

DeBerry is turning the heads of college coaches, including Marquette University's Buzz Williams.

DeBerry is gifted enough to have started at Hamilton High School as a freshman -- helping the Division 1 Wildcats reach the state semi-finals -- before transferring to Destiny High School.

However, DeBerry has struggled after his mother Rhonda Savage died of a heart attack in August.

Then, as fate would have it, a mother-figure came into DeBerry's life in the form of Destiny High School Principal Kristen Reed.

DeBerry was at a basketball tournament just before a game when he learned of his mother's death. Somehow, he garnered the strength to not only play, but to play the game of his young life -- scoring 45 points.

Now, buoyed by his mother's memory and the love of a father (whom DeBerry says has been his pillar of strength) and everyone at Destiny, DeBerry's priorities are in place: heading for college and earning his degree.