Kammala jumla mai zuwa: Derksen ya kasance mai matukar tsammanin a cikin aikinsa na matasa. Duk da ƙarancin ƙididdiga tare da Winkler Flyers, an ambaci Derksen sau biyu a matsayin mafi kyawun mai tsaron gida a cikin MJHL. An zabi shi a zagaye na 3 na
NHL Draft kuma ya fara halartar Jami'ar Wisconsin <unk> Madison cewa fall. A lokacinsa na farko, Derksen ya zama madadin mai zuwa na NHL All-Star Curtis Joseph, yana wasa ne kawai a cikin kashi huɗu na wasannin Wisconsin. Bayan Joseph ya zama pro bayan 1989, ƙungiyar ta juya zuwa Derksen a matsayin mai farawa kuma ya zo ta hanya mai girma. Ya inganta ƙididdigar sa sosai kuma ya ci nasarar shirin wasanni 31 a wannan kakar (har yanzu rikodin Wisconsin kamar na 2021). Derksen ya taimaka sosai wajen taimakawa Badgers su gama na farko a WCHA kuma shine babban mai tsaron gida yayin da Wisconsin ta lashe gasar wasannin su. Wisconsin ta karbi zuriya ta biyu ta yamma kuma ta fara gasar NCAA a wasan kusa da na karshe. Derksen ya kasance mabuɗin a cikin Badgers ya lashe wasanni biyu, musamman wasan kusa da na kasa da Boston College, kuma ya yi wasan zakarun. Derksen bai kasance mai kaifi ba a wasan karshe amma bai kamata ya kasance ba. Laifin Wisconsin ya rinjayi Colgate Raiders da aka buga da taurari kuma Badgers sun lashe wasan 7 zuwa 3.