He left Boise State for the pros without a degree. Five years later, he’s a college grad
Years ago, Boise State men’s basketball coach Leon Rice made a promise to Derrick Marks’ parents.
It might have taken a little longer than anticipated, but that promise was fulfilled Saturday when Marks received his bachelor of arts degree in multidisciplinary studies in a virtual commencement ceremony.
“With all his great accomplishments on the court — and there were many of them — this was one that ranks right there with all of them,” Rice said. “There’s a lot of people, not just me, who are really, really proud of his efforts.”
Marks’ four-year career with the Boise State basketball team concluded in 2015 with the Broncos’ second NCAA Tournament appearance in four seasons. Marks, a 6-foot-2 guard, was named the Mountain West Player of the Year by the coaches and media that season and became the first Bronco to appear on a major All-America team since Boise State moved to Division I in 1970-71.
He led the Mountain West with 19.4 points per game in 2014-15, tied for the sixth-best average in Boise State history. He scored 621 points, fourth-most in a single season in school history, and his 1,912 career points also rank fourth. Last week, he was named to the Mountain West’s 2010s all-decade team by Last Word On Pro Basketball.
When Marks’ college eligibility ran out, he did not yet have enough credits to earn a degree, but he decided to put his education on hold to pursue a professional basketball career.
“The thing that I always said to Derrick was, ‘Hey, I promised your mom and dad — your mom, especially, over and over again — that when we recruited you we were going to graduate you,’ ” Rice said. “… I told him, ‘I’m not going to lie to your mom.’ So we stayed on him about it.”
His rookie year as a professional, Marks averaged 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game for Derthona Tortona in the Italian Serie A2 League, which is similar to the NBA’s G-League. He played the following season in the same league for Basket Ravenna. In 2017-18, he played seven games for Germany’s Merlins Crailsheim and then went to the Erie BayHawks of the G-League.
Despite the success, he never forgot about that bit of unfinished business in Boise.
“I always felt I would get my degree, I just didn’t know when I would,” Marks told the Idaho Statesman by phone Friday from Washington, D.C. “I’ve had people from Boise reach out to me and encourage me to finish it. About two years ago, I just decided that I wanted to get back to it.”
With the continued encouragement of Rice and Sara Swanson, Boise State’s assistant athletic director/student-athlete development, Marks began taking several online classes in 2018 while still playing professionally.
Marks even enjoyed his most efficient season as a pro (18.9 points, 4.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds) in 2018-19 as a member of Manisa BB in Turkey all while balancing schoolwork.
He most recently returned to the Italian Serie A2 League and played in 26 games for Basket Torino. Torino led the league standings and Marks was averaging 15.2 points per game before the season was called because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s hard once you’re out of school mode. It’s difficult to come back and do that,” said Swanson, who also serves as an academic adviser for the men’s basketball team. “You really have to be disciplined and set aside time and work hard at going back to school. Living overseas and playing basketball, they’re super busy and they travel a lot. To sit down and do schoolwork, you really have to be disciplined, and so I am proud of him for doing that.”
When Marks finished his final college class this spring, Swanson sent a graduation cap, gown and student-athlete stole to his home in Chicago. If not for the pandemic, the 26-year-old Marks would have walked in Boise State’s graduation ceremony this spring.
“He was a fan favorite. The guys that played with him loved him,” Rice said. “He’s got a special place here at Boise State, and I think he values that. I think he takes a huge sense of pride in getting a Boise State degree.”
The last three summers, Marks has lived and trained in Washington, D.C. He safely returned from Italy last month and says he intends to continue his professional basketball career for as long as he can. When his playing days are over, Marks wants to stay involved with the game that has given him so much, and having a college degree only makes his resume stronger.
It also increases his chances of making the Boise State Athletics Hall of Fame.
“It feels good to finally complete my degree,” Marks said. “Coach Rice made sure I walked away from BSU with my degree, and I appreciate him for sticking with his word.”
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
