DeJuan Marrero
MOREHEAD, Ky. – Former Morehead State men’s basketball center Dejuan “Rico” Marrero has put pen to paper on a contract to play professionally for the Pully-Lausanne Basket LNB basketball club in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The hoops club in the nation of premier chocolatiers is one of eight teams that is fielded in Switzerland’s national basketball league.
“I’m blessed and thankful to have God on my side throughout my entire journey,” said Marrero. “It means so much to be able to continue to live my dream of playing professional basketball. I had my first tour in Puerto Rico in the spring, I learned a lot, and I now have a better sense of what to expect going forward, both on and off the court.”
The Gary, Indiana native is heading to Europe after having completed a season of professional competition in Puerto Rico, playing for the Guayama Brujos.
Marrero is one of 17 former Eagles’ men’s basketball players to have played professionally since 2011, joining Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets), Xavier Moon (France), Lyonell Gaines (Peru), Corban Collins (Germany), Anthony Elechi (England), Brent Arrington (Hungary), Karam Mashour (Israel), Angelo Warner (Cyprus), Kareem Storey (Slovakia), Billy Reader (England), Miguel Dicent (Dominican Republic), Luka Pajkovic (Romania), Chad Posthumus (Japan), Devon Atkinson (Australia), Milton Chavis (Luxembourg), and Demonte Harper (Russia). All have seen (or are currently seeing) success in the professional ranks.
As a senior, “Rico” was nominated to Second-Team All-OVC honors after the completion of the 2016-17 regular season. Marrero averaged 12 points and nearly nine rebounds per contest, the latter of which ranked 4th-highest in the Ohio Valley Conference. He also ranked second in the league in offensive rebounds per game (3.0) and sixth in defensive rebounds per game (5.4).
Marrero’s top performance as an Eagle came in the “Show Me” State, when the Eagles took on Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau. On Feb. 4th, 2017, the forward poured in his best performance of his collegiate career, draining 24 points on 11-of-21 shooting, pulling in 12 rebounds and dishing out five assists.
Marrero’s contributions to the Eagles helped intensify a unit that ranked second in the OVC in scoring offense (79 points per tilt), first in 3-point field goal percentage (38.6), second in rebounds per game (37.6), first in rebounding margin (+4.9), first in assists per game (16.1), third in steals per game (6.7), third in turnover margin (+1.2), first in offensive rebounds per game (13.2), tied for second in assist-turnover ratio (1.2), and second in both defensive and offensive rebounding percentages (72.5 and 36, respectively).
“From my days coming out of high school to where I am today, I’m thankful for all the support and knowledge I’ve inherited over the years from friends and family. I am especially grateful for all of the coaches who have bestowed their expertise; I wouldn’t be entering this next phase of my journey without them.”
