CHARLESTON, S.C. - As a sophomore at Winthrop, Derrick Henry had burst onto the college basketball scene, putting together a breakout season. The dynamic swingman had adjusted to the level of play and was scoring in bunches to lead the Eagles.
 
Winthrop was out to a 4-4 start in the midst of a grueling nonconference slate and Henry was settling into a groove as a reliable weapon on the outside. During a trip to Ohio State, Henry felt a twinge in his knee.
 
It was uncharted territory for a player who had avoided being sidelined by injuries throughout his career. This would not be any different. He wanted to play for his team and his coaches who needed him, so he battled through it, putting pressure on his other knee and the rest of his lower body.
 
Henry continued to fight through the injury as the Eagles waded through the conference season. On Feb. 16, 2013, Winthrop traveled to Presbyterian College for another Big South matchup. Henry was flexing another gritty performance, going 5-for-11 from the floor in 27 minutes. Then things took a nasty turn.  On a simple floater in the lane, Henry came down awkwardly and his knee gave out without any contact. After an MRI, it was confirmed he had torn both his ACL and meniscus.
 
"It was the hardest moment of my career," Henry said. "I had never had an injury make me miss significant time. I knew it would be a long journey back to the court."
 
Henry's guess proved to be right, as he had to sit out a season and a half to fully recover. He says that process was the most difficult part.
 
"I would have a great day when I felt like I was making a lot of progress and then the next day it would hurt so bad and I would feel like I was two weeks behind," Henry said. "I kept believing and my teammates encouraged me so much."
 
Henry needed to be strong-willed mentally and confident physically to make a full comeback. Luckily, he learned those attributes at a young age. Henry recalls the first time he stepped onto a basketball court as a defining moment for him as a person and player.
 
With two older, bigger and more athletic brothers spending most of their time playing basketball, Henry wanted to join in. He mustered up the courage to face his brothers on the court and after being pushed down and overpowered, he remembers running to his father with tears in his eyes. His father responded by turning Henry around and forcing him to keep playing.
 
"Ever since then, they haven't been able to get me off the court," Henry said. "I saw how good my brothers were and wanted to work hard to be like them. Seeing hard work pay off gave me the confidence to keep at it and keep improving. I made sure to be the best player I could be and be a leader on every team I played on."
 
Henry, faced with the biggest challenge of his career following the devastating knee injuries, needed to channel that drive and confidence to bounce back. Eventually, his relentless hard work helped him return to health and return to the court. But, he was forced to embrace a supporting role coming off the bench as he re-adapted to the place of play.
 
After graduating and earning a bachelor's degree from Winthrop, Henry wanted to get the absolute most out of his final year of eligibility. That led him to The Citadel, a military college that offered an opportunity to get a one-of-a-kind degree and play in a unique system for innovative first-year head coach Duggar Baucom.
 
Henry, a now fully-healed machine, is having the best season of his career. He's leading the Bulldogs with 19.3 points per game while shooting 48 percent from the floor and 82 percent from the free throw line. His scoring average ranks second among all Southern Conference players and he's the only player in the league to score 30 points in a game twice this season.
 
Meanwhile, The Citadel as a team is off to a solid start following an 11-win season and the Bulldogs are 5-2 when Henry scores 18 points or more. On a team with five freshman and only five returning players from last year's campaign, Henry's leadership has proven to be invaluable.
 
"To come here and play the way I've been able to play is exciting and humbling, "Henry said. "There's a lot of room for improvement, but looking back and remember all the nights when I put up extra shots or put in an extra lift to strengthen my lower body, it means so much to come here and have success."
 
With plenty of season left, Henry has a chance to make the 2015-16 campaign a special one for The Citadel and special one for himself. In the meantime, his work ethic and strong-willed approach to life has translated academically. Henry currently boasts a 4.0 GPA in The Citadel's graduate program as he strives toward earning his MBA. That, he says, will mean more to him than anything on the court.
 
"It's amazing to have a chance to graduate from a military school like The Citadel and get a ring," Henry said. "It speaks volumes I can't even comprehend. I know it'll be a great moment and one of the best accomplishments of my life."
 
For now, Henry will continue to grind on and off the court and cement the current season as the one he'll never forget. As for the injury?
 
"I don't even think about it anymore," Henry said. "I just play hard."