DeJuan Marrero

(below is a highlight tape as well as interview)

6'6" 205 pound Forward out of Thea Bowman Leadership Academy (Class of 2012, Committed to Depaul).

Hoopside rating: 86.67

Offensive: 86  Defensive: 87  Size: 70 Athleticism: 86  Intangibles: 92  IQ: 99

Overview:

DeJuan can play basketball at a very elite level.  His offense is methodical.  He can drive, work you down in the post, or pull up for an automatic mid-range.  The only thing lacking right now is either him growing two more inches, or developing a consistent 3-point shot.  He has the drive to do whatever he wants to do.  Defense is sound and is a very quick leaper, which helps him pull down rebounds and block shots.

Comparisons:

Defensively/Rebounding- Smaller Carlos Boozer

Athleticism- Shawn Marion

His mid-range jumper is so good that I am having trouble finding a comparison for it.

Notes:

Averaged 17 pts and 12 rebounds for Class A state champion Thea Bowman as a sophomore.

Hoopside with DeJuan "Rico" Marrero

By Grady Byrnes

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview one of the top prospects in Indiana, and number four on our Top Prospects page.  A solid 1-5 man, who averaged 15 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 3.5 steals a game as a sophomore last season for the state champions Thea Bowman, DeJuan “Rico” Marrero.  At first I asked the 2012 recruit what he needs to work on the most, he told me, “One of my things that I am working on to get better is my perimeter game, because in college I will be playing the 2 or 3.”  Now this tells me two things that speak volumes about Rico as a player.  1)  He is aware that even though he may be a “Post-perimeter” type for his high school squad, he is well aware that his size limits him at the next level to play the four or five.  It isn’t going out too far on a limb to say that his athleticism may allow him to play a little bit of Power Forward, especially if he is in a “run ‘n gun” offense, as Rico can get up the court in a hurry.  2)  He isn’t content with being an astounding high school player.  He wants to be absolutely tremendous at the collegiate level as well.  I then asked him how he felt about this upcoming high school season, and what his goals were, he responded, “My goal for this year to win state again, and if we don’t it will be a major upset.”  This is a powerful sentence, but don’t get it confused for cockiness.  The difference between being cocky and confident in his case is the fact that he puts in countless hours of work in the gym, along with his other teammates, and anything less than winning the Class A IHSAA State Championship again will be a considered a “major upset” to him.  It is that need to win and be better than his opponent that makes Marrero a beast on the court.  He can play any position fairly well, and he expects to see time on the floor at each spot this year for powerhouse Bowman.  All positions for the most heavily favored team in the state?  He can simply play basketball.

Marrero will certainly be able to take his game to the next level, and he has offers from just about everywhere.  So I asked him if he would end up joining recent commits, and friends, Glenn Robinson III or Branden Dawson at their respective schools, or if he will end up playing for one of their rivals.  And while his answer was no where near definitive, stating that his recruitment is still, “wide open,” he hinted toward that he may be playing for someone in the Big Ten other than Michigan or Michigan State when its all said and done.

“Rico” is more than a nickname to Marrero.  When he was younger he played on a team where there were two kids that looked alike; one of them was DeJuan, and seeing as DeJuan is Puerto Rican, he was dubbed “Rico” and the name stuck.  He got the opportunity to live up to that name as this summer he got to play with the Puerto Rican 18U National team at the 2010 FIBA Americas Tournament.  “Its a different atmosphere over there,” is what Rico said in regards to the tournament, but when asked if he had the opportunity to play for Puerto Rico or USA he said that he would play for USA.  Being on the team with the likes of Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James would be cool, especially considering that Carmelo is the player that Marrero most likens his game to.

DeJuan is a very hard working kid who was blessed with athleticism; his first dunk was in gym class of the seventh grade.  He has impeccable genes, which makes it easy to see why his mother is who he admires most.  She is supportive of DeJuan and his love of basketball.  He was a tremendous kid to get the chance to interview and I wish him and his Bowman Eagles the best of luck in the upcoming season.