Banzhaf is a 6' 180 lb. guard from Lyndon High School. There he played basketball three seasons. His senior year, Banzhaf averaged 19.3 ppg. and 5.4 rpg. He shot 44 percent from the field, 72 percent from the line and 32 percent from beyond the arc.

As a senior, Banzhaf earned first team all-league and all-county honors and was named second-team all-state by the Topeka Capital-Journal and the Wichita Eagle. He was named to the South East Kansas Elite all-class third team and participated in the Emporia All-State game. His sophomore and junior years, Banzhaf twice earned first team all-county honors and first team and second team all-league honors.

 
Banzhaf has over 1360 career high school points and currently holds his school record for career three-point goals made.

 
Bethany Head Basketball Coach, Clair Oleen, said he is pleased to have Banzhaf coming to Bethany next year. "Derek is a fine young man and possesses the intangibles that we look for in our players at Bethany," Oleen said.

 
Banzhaf also played football at Lyndon High, twice earning all-league honorable mention honors as a quarterback and earning first team honors as a punter. He also was on the track and field team two seasons, qualifying for state his junior season. During his three seasons as a baseball player at Lyndon, Banzhaf earned first team all-league honors his junior season.

 
Off the court, Banzhaf was on the honor roll four years and earned all-league academic honors his junior and senior seasons.

 
Banzhaf is the son of Scott and Shelley Banzhaf. He has a 3.64 high school GPA. At Bethany he plans to study elementary education.