Read about the other teams coming to the Shootout here
Each Monday, we'll introduce a team participating in the IlliniHQ Shootout at the Hall presented by State Farm Insurance, our annual boys' basketball extravaganza which this year takes place Dec. 12 at the Assembly Hall. Today: Gary (Ind.) Thea Bowman Leadership Academy, home of Illinois recruiting target DeJuan Marrero
Here's the scoop:
Bowman Academy
City: Gary, Ind.
Enrollment: 1,300
Nickname: Eagles
Shootout appearance: First
Three things to know about Bowman Academy, courtesy staff writer Paul Klee:
1.
Not many high school coaches can say this: "We're bringing back our entire team this year," Bowman Academy A.D. and boys basketball coach Marvin Rea said. "Our school, from a high school perspective, this is our fourth year. So this is our first graduating class in the history of the school." Bowman Academy went 19-4 last season and returns several Division I prospects, including 6-1 guard Tyrae Robinson, 6-4 forward Chris Bond and 6-5 forward DeJuan Marrero. The latter is an Illini recruiting target after averaging about 17 points and 13 rebounds as a freshman.
2.
Some Illini fans got a glimpse of Marrero, a Class of 2012 prospect, at the Illinois team camp in June. As a freshman at Bowman he turned heads with a triple-double and has scholarship offers from Purdue, Indiana, Ohio State and Illinois, among others, according to his coach. "DeJuan is what I call a throwback player," Rea said. "A lot of the kids these days are caught up on the flashy moves and the highlights. DeJuan is a hard-working player. You're not going to find a kid at his age that's going to play harder than he is. He's going to go after it."
3.
Illinois hasn't had much luck recruiting in Indiana. But it's apparent the staff believes that could change with the state's talented 2012 class. Rea said a UI coach was in to watch a Bowman open gym several times during the fall contact period. "The most important thing for DeJuan right now is to focus on his game. The second-most important thing is for him to take his time and take his visits and get to know the coaches and the programs," Rea said. "Right now to say if he'll go in-state or out-of-state, we're not in a position to say that. We're going to weigh all of our options."
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