Marcus Wilson (basketball)

Marcus Ali Dwayne Wilson (born August 8, 1977) is a retired professional basketball player, who played his career in a variety of places across the world including Europe, South America and the United States. He is currently the video coordinator at the University of Saint Louis, under head coach Jim Crews.

Before starting his professional career, Wilson set and still holds several Men's Division 1 basketball records while playing for the Purple Aces from 1995–1999.^[1][2][3] In 2008 was inducted into the University of Evansville Hall Of Fame.^[4] In 2007, Wilson "secured an amazing honor"^[5] joining the likes of Larry Bird, Oscar Robertson, Hersey Hawkin, and Xavier McDaniel by being voted to the Missouri Valley Conference Top 50 Greatest Players^[5] in the history of the conference. In 2005, Wilson was named to the University of Evansville's All Time Greastest Players^[6] a list which honored the top 15 players in school history, including retired^[7] Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and ex-Chicago Bull, Don Buse.

Early life

Wilson is the youngest of 11 children, and was born in Bloomington, Indiana. At the age of two, he moved to South Bend, Indiana where he was raised. Graduating from James Whitcomb Riley High School, he distinguished himself as an elite high school basketball player, lettering all four years. As a sophomore, Wilson led his team in scoring averaging 16.5 points per game, followed by 22.6 points per game as a junior, and capping of his high school career averaging 26 points per game, 4 rebounds and 4 assists as a senior for the Riley Wildcats. An all-state selection on the 1995 Indiana High School Basketball Coaches Association team, first team all-state as chosen by the Bloomington Herald, all conference and all-sectional selection and scored a career high 43 points against Michigan City Rogers, Wilson earned a scholarship to play at the University of Evansville in the Missouri Valley Conference and graduated from the University of Evansville in 1999, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration.

Collegiate career

Wilson is the 2nd leading scorer in the history in the University of Evansville, with 2053 points scored, making him the top scorer in the history of the school since they joined Division I athletics (Evansville went to Division I athletics in 1977 while the top scorer in UE, Larry Humes, played when Evansville was still Division II).^[8] Wilson led the team in scoring all four years at UE and as a freshman he was a member of the five-man Missouri Valley Conference All-Newcomer Team averaging 13.6 points per game. Wilson averaged 3.6 points his first seven games and 17.3 over the final 18, highlighted by 31 points against Indiana State, 28 against Drake and 26 against Southern Illinois—all victories. He totaled 22 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds in a win at Missouri State and scored 19 points and handed out eight assists in a loss to Tulsa. As a freshman he produced the fifth highest free throw percentage in school history at 88.2 percent, which was seventh best among all Division 1 players that season. As a sophomore, Wilson was second team all-Missouri Valley Conference and during that season made 48 consecutive free throws^[3] which places him tied for 14th in the history of the NCAA Division I men's basketball in consecutive free throws made. Wilson's free throw percentage of 90.1% was 4th in the nation^[8] among all Division 1 players. He averaged 21 points and shot 48 percent in UE's last 13 games while scoring 18 points or more in 12 straight games. As a sophomore he led the Aces in field goals, three-point field goals, free throws, free throw attempts and co-leader in steals. He averaged 18.4 points in MVC games and his streak of 48 free throws in a row between Dec. 1 and Feb. 2 is a UE record..he then hit 18 straight free throws later in the season. As a junior, Wilson was first team all-Missouri Valley Conference averaging 18.3 points per game and was one of three captains on that 1997-98 team. Also a captain on the 1998-99 team, Wilson's senior year, he led the Missouri Valley Conference in free throw percentage and 3 point percentage. Wilson finished 3rd in the nation in ft%^[9] and 12th in 3pt%.^[8] He finished 9th in the country in total points scored with 682.^[9] He also set an NCAA men's basketball Division I record for most 3 point shots made without a miss in a game,^[2][8] going 9 for 9 from behind the arc against the University of Tennessee Martin. Wilson was named the Larry Bird Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in 1999. He also led the Purple Aces to their first and only Missouri Valley Conference title in 1999.^[8] The Purple Aces faced the Kansas Jayhawks in the first round^[10] of the NCAA, tournament, where Wilson made a name for himself in front of a national audience by scoring 34 points against the Jayhawks in the SuperDome in New Orleans, La. After "Marcus Wilson put on an absolute show in the first half",^[11] scoring 18 points in the first 8 minutes,^[12] the Aces eventually fell to the Jayhawks,^[12] however this game brought him to the attention of NBA and professional teams that would give him the catapult needed to play professionally. Wilsons career free throw percentage while playing in college was 88.7%, placing him 9th in that category in the history of college basketball.^[1]

Professional career

After being named Missouri Valley Conference Player Of the Year, Wilson's first stop in his 11-year professional career began with the Utah Jazz in the Rocky Mountain Review Summer League.^[13] Wilson then played the 1999–2000 season in the top league in Poland for Komfart Stargard^[14] where he averaged 17.9 points per game in his rookie season in Europe. He then played in the Venezuelan summer league before starting the 2000–2001 season in Israel with Hapaol Holon^[14] in a suburb outside Tel Aviv. After violence erupted, Wilson returned to America for a short time before signing a one-month contract in Italy with the team Banco Ragusa,^[14] in Ragusa, Sicily. After the one-month contract he then moved to France and signed for the remainder of the 2001 season with the club in the suburbs of Paris, France called AS Bondy where his career took off as he led Pro B France^[15] league in scoring the last two months of the 2001 season and the entire 2001–2002 season.^[16] In 2002–2003 Wilson played in northern Germany, just outside Bremen in the German Bundesliga with the club Bremerhaven^[14] and led his team to a second-place finish in the league while averaging 23.7 points per game.^[17] He also earned the name "Mr. Perfect" by going 15–15 from the field (11–11 from 3's, 4–4 from 2's, and 2–2 ft's) tallying 43 points in only 20 minutes.^[18] In 2003–2004 season, Wilson returned to France, this time in the top division Pro A France, LNB (Ligue Nationale de Basket) in the city of Reims, about an 1 from Paris with Reims Club Basket^[14] where he finished 3rd in the league in scoring at 19.6 points per game.^[19] Next season, 2004–2005, he played in northern France with Gravelines, also in the top Pro A league, where he averaged 16.4 points per game.^[20] That season, Gravelines played in the ULEB CUP, where Wilson averaged 15.7 points per game, while shooting 44% from behind the arc,^[17] highlighted by a 30-point performance^[21] in Podgorica, Montenegro against KK Buducnost.^[22] Also at the end of the 2004–2005 season, Wilson signed a contract with another ULEB team, Spirou Charleroi^[14] in Belgium to finish the remaining 8 games where he helped them secure the league title while averaging 18.9 points per game.^[17] In 2005–2006, Wilson then moved to another top league in FIBA where he played in first division Turkey in the city of Izmir, Turkey for Tuborg Pilsener Spor Kulubu^[14] where he averaged 13.9 points a game while shooting 50.5% from the field.^[17] In 2006–2007, Wilson returned to Pro A France again with JL Bourg, in the city of Bourg En Bresse], France. In injury plagued season, Wilson averaged 15.1 points and shooting 40–40 from the free throw line.^[17] In the 2007–2008 season, Wilson returned to the country where he started his European career, this time in Ostrow Wiekelpolski, Poland, signing with Atlas Stal.^[14] After a dispute in terms of the contract, Wilson left the team and signed in the Ukrainian Superleague, with BC Odessa where he helped save the team from falling out of the first division by averaging 20.5 points per game and 5.0 rebounds during his stint with the team to finish the season.^[17] The following season, 2008–2009, Wilson signed in Tarragona, Spain, with CB Tarragona where he led his team in scoring averaging 15.1 points a game. Wilson then led his team to the league finals and moving up to LEB Oro Spain.^[17] After a brief retirement, Wilson returned the following season in February 2010 to Santiago de Compostela, Spain with Beirasar Rosalia averaging 15.8 points a game and shooting 50% from 3.^[17] In his final season of 2010–2011, Wilson returned to northern Spain, this time to the coastal city of Coruna, signing with Basquet Coruna.^[17] In December 2010, Wilson announced his retirement from professional basketball and returned to the United States where he now resides in the city of Atlanta, Georgia.

Outside basketball

Wilson devoted much of his time during his 11-year European career to volunteer and charitable work. In 2005 and 2006 while playing in Izmir, Turkey, Wilson joined leukemia specialist Hale Ören, MD^[23] to sponsor children suffering from Leukemia in the local hospital of Dokuz Eylül University.

Accomplishments

Named to the Missouri Valley Conference All Newcomer Team while leading his team in scoring as a freshman,^[8] Ranked 4th nationally in free throw percentage,(90.1%)^[8] Made 48 consecutive free throws which is 14th longest in NCAA history,^[3] 3-time all-Missouri Valley Conference; 2-time First Team; All-American (1999,)^[24] 1999 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, In 1999 Led MVC Conference in free throw and 3 point percentage, ranking 3rd and 12th respectively nationally,^[24] Tied the NCAA record for most 3 pointers made in a game without a miss, going 9 for 9,^[2] from behind the arc^[24] Led Evansville to their first Missouri Valley Conference Championship and first NCAA tournament berth since 1993,^[8] University of Evansville team captain, Ninth best career free throw percentage in the history of Division 1 NCAA Men's Basketball,^[1] Named to the University of Evansville All Time Team,^[6] Named to the Missouri Valley All Time Greatest 50 Greatest Team,^[5][24] Inducted into the University of Evansville Hall of Fame^[4]

References

^www.basketball.com