Is Marcus Derrickson Primed For A Big 2017?

Georgetown forward Marcus Derrickson is an intriguing player. At 6’7” and 250 pounds, he has a big body equipped for rebounding while also sporting the height, shooting touch, and footwork of a wing player. He was sixth on the Hoyas in usage rate (18.1%), as the freshman conceded to older players to facilitate most of the offense. Still, at times, he was able to display flashes of what he could produce at his best.

After a summer of improving his game and Hoyas star guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera graduating, Derrickson could potentially step up and have a big year for a program coming off of it’s worst season in over a decade.

The sophomore from Bowie, Md. finished 2015-16 averaging 7.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game. The big man shot 37.6% from three-point range on 3.2 attempts a game and 86.9% from the free throw line. Despite it being his first season on The Hilltop, Marcus was a consistent part of the Hoyas rotation. He appeared in 32 games and started 27 of them, derailed from going 33 and 33 by a mid-season knee injury.

Derrickson’s production fluctuated, as he was never a centerpiece of the offense. Still, he was able to carve out moments of strong production throughout the season. He had 11 double-digit scoring performances, including two double-doubles. One of those double-doubles was his 13-point, 10-rebound game in a win over long-time rival Syracuse. But his best game had to be pacing the Hoyas with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists in a close loss at Providence.

On the downside, even though he was never a centerpiece of the Hoyas offense, Derrickson did pass up a shot or two when his number was called. He also didn’t score inside as much as one would expect a 250-pound man to do. He only averaged 2.1 two-point attempts a game, shooting 45.5% from inside the arc. On a team where offensive possessions tended to stagnate at times, being a more willing shooter from anywhere on the court really would’ve helped the Hoyas.

Also, on a team that struggled with fouls (11th most in the nation), he was one of the leaders of the charge. He had 100 total fouls on the year, 9th most in the Big East and 3rd most on the team.

With 2015-16 in the rearview, he proceeded to play well in the Nike Pro City Jabbo Kenner Summer League. He played 10 games for The Tombs, averaging 18.1 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 51.9% from the field and 37.2% from three-point range. He showed off added facets of his game such as ball-handling and an improved post game.

"The summer time is a great time to keep developing your game,” Derrickson told Scout.com after his first game, “A lot of people knew I could shoot the ball, so I just wanted to put my game together more by adding different pieces like dribbling and posting up more".

His summer league ended with a hyperextended right knee when he lost the ball on a drive and stepped on it coming down. Thankfully, that injury turned out to be minor in the long-run.

Coming into 2016-17, figuring out the distribution of possessions after the departure of D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera is anyone’s guess. However, one can surmise that an older, stronger, more confident Derrickson will get a few extra looks.

Draft experts have already taken notice of Derrickson’s abilities, too. Coming into the season Draft Express lists Marcus as the 9th best draft prospect in the Big East and 50th among sophomores.

With added confidence, added parts to his game, more responsibility being added, and outside experts looking his way, Marcus Derrickson’s sophomore year could be a big one for him and the Georgetown Hoyas.