Bowman’s Marrero decides on DePaul

Updated: August 31, 2011 10:06PM

DeJuan Marrero is glad the recruiting is over. Glad the questions about where he is going to college are cleared up. Glad he found a place close to home that satisfied all of his criteria.

Glad that DePaul decided to make a hard charge at him, as his time for making a decision was getting closer.

On Monday, Marrero, the Bowman Academy star who was considering Ball State, Dayton, Iowa, Missouri and Missouri State, delivered the good news to DePaul coach Oliver Purnell.

He is going to be a Blue Demon.

Marrero will sign a letter of intent with DePaul during the November signing period.

Marrero was excited to break the news. He’s just as excited to not have to worry about answering the question anymore about his college choice.

“It’s an honor to go there,” he said. “It’s the Big East and it has great academics. I like the idea that I’ll be close to home. I’m glad it’s over. Now I can go on and enjoy life and get to work in the gym.”

Bowman’s running and jumping press appears to be a mirror for what DePaul does under Purnell, the second-year coach of the Blue Demons. Purnell’s team plays fast and uses the whole floor on defense.

Always the big unknown with Marrero, who is perhaps the best offensive high school player in the area within five feet of the basket, is what position he’ll play in college. Just 6-5, he plays like a power forward. Playing that position at that size in college is rare. Marrero’s ball handling skills and 3-point shooting range are points of emphasis that he has worked on over the years. Marrero averaged 22.2 points and 15.4 rebounds per game for the Eagles. He was the best inside player on the 2010 state championship team.

For Purnell, the position debate was irrelevant. Marrero said he expects to play mostly small forward.

“He told me that DeJuan doesn’t have a position,” Bowman coach Marvin Rea said. “He’s long, he can spin, he can press and he can trap. He could play anything from 1 to 5 (point guard to center) on defense.”

For Marrero, the opportunity to play early and help DePaul build while staying close to his mother was appealing. The Blue Demons finished 7-24 and 1-17 in the Big East last season.

Marrero credited assistant Billy Garrett, a holdover from former coach Jerry Wainwright’s staff, for closing the deal.

Garrett has known Marrero since he was a kid.

“He had stuck with me the longest,” Marrero said. “You can’t go wrong with the whole staff.”

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