Marrero has 'motor that never stops'
Posted by: Cody Westerlund
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Don't get Bowman Academy head coach Marvin Rea started on junior DeJuan Marrero's motor on the basketball court. You may never hear the end of it, but that's a good thing.
"DeJuan just has a drive and a motor that never stops," raves Rea, who's been coaching the 6-foot-5 small forward out of Gary, Ind., since the player was in seventh grade. "He has a motor that's unbelievable. He's always active on the court, he never settles. He just never settles."
"I don't think you'll find another player in the nation who has a motor like DeJuan has," Rea continues. "He's going to go find the ball, he's going to go get the ball."
Tenacity on the court isn't the only reason colleges such as Illinois, Indiana, Purdue and Ohio State have extended scholarship offers to Marrero. Rea called Marrero a "throwback player" because he can do a little bit of everything and said one of Marrero's real strengths is his ability to run the floor and finish at the rim.
But it's still his motor that stands out.
"He's always getting a double-double. That shows he brings it every night," Rea said. "With all the hard work he's put in over the summer in the weight room and on the court, there's nothing but upside."
For now, Marrero has been focusing more on his game than the recruiting process. Many coaches have come to visit with Marrero and watch him play this fall, but "I wouldn't say DeJuan has any leaders," said Rea. The coach added Marrero will have a better understanding of the direction he wants to take when he makes more visits.
"Once he gets on the campus, sees it and is talking to a coach, he'll know what's right," Rea said. "He'll know when a school is for him."
Rea said there are plans for Marrero to go on a handful of unofficial visits this fall, including to the campuses of Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan, Miami, Marquette and Xavier.
"DeJuan has a good relationship with (assistant coach Jay) Price and (head coach Bruce) Weber," Rea said. "He's always had a good relationship with those guys, they've always supported him. The University of Illinois has always been on DeJuan's radar. They're just as good as any other school right now."