Marqus Blakely
Marqus Blakely | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 22, 1988 United States |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player (retired) |
| Years active | 2010–2020 |
| Known for | College basketball at Vermont, multiple professional basketball teams worldwide |
Marqus Austin Blakely (born October 22, 1988) is a retired American professional basketball athlete who played college basketball for the Vermont team.
College career
During his tenure at Vermont, Blakely distinguished himself by securing two Kevin Roberson America East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year titles along with three straight America East Defensive Player of the Year awards. He attracted national recognition in 2010 by capturing the State Farm Division I College Basketball Slam Dunk Contest, showcasing an innovative "Double Dunk" maneuver co-created with teammate Evan Fjeld. This highlight became widely celebrated and was featured on ESPN SportsCenter's Top Plays segment.
In his final collegiate season, Blakely led the America East in both steals (2.6 per game) and blocks (1.9 per game), while ranking second in scoring (17.4 points), rebounds (9.1), and field goal percentage (54.1%), as well as fourth in assists (3.7). He concluded his Vermont career ranked fifth all-time in scoring with 1,875 points, second in rebounds (1,044) and steals (226), third in blocks (254), and tenth in assists (304). His leadership was instrumental in guiding Vermont to a 25–10 record and an NCAA tournament appearance.
Following the season, Blakely was one of only 64 seniors nationwide invited to participate in the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, where he helped his squad claim the championship title.
Professional career
After not being selected in the 2010 NBA draft, Blakely took part with the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2010 NBA Summer League. On July 26, 2010, he inked a two-year deal with partial guarantees reportedly valued at $473,604 annually but was waived on October 25, 2010.
Bakersfield Jam (2010–2011)
Subsequent to his release, Blakely was picked 12th overall in the 2010 NBA Development League Draft by the Bakersfield Jam. He played in 25 contests before being traded midway through the season.
Iowa Energy (2011)
In January 2011, Blakely was dealt to the Iowa Energy, where he posted averages of 17.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
Houston Rockets (2011)
Blakely signed with the Houston Rockets on April 13, 2011. Although on the roster for the final regular-season game, he did not see playing time. After attending training camp following the NBA lockout, he was waived on December 19, 2011.
Return to Iowa Energy (2011–2012) / Sioux Falls Skyforce (2012)
On December 27, 2011, Blakely returned to the Iowa Energy, participating in 14 games before being traded to the Sioux Falls Skyforce in February 2012. While with Sioux Falls, he averaged 16 points and 7 rebounds per contest and earned selection as an NBA D-League All-Star.
B-Meg Llamados (2012)
Following the conclusion of the NBA D-League season, Blakely signed as an import player for B-Meg Llamados of the Philippine Basketball Association during the 2012 Governors' Cup. He posted a double-double average with 22.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game, leading his team to a seven-game series final where they ultimately fell short.
Los Angeles Clippers (2012)
In September 2012, Blakely inked a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. He participated in three preseason matchups but did not score, leading to his release on October 27, 2012.
Telekom Baskets Bonn (2012)
On December 26, 2012, Blakely joined Telekom Baskets Bonn of the Basketball Bundesliga. Nevertheless, he was released on January 1, 2013, after not passing the required medical evaluations.
Neckar Riesen Ludwigsburg (2013)
Blakely signed with Germany's Neckar Riesen Ludwigsburg in January 2013.
San Mig Coffee Mixers / Purefoods Star Hotshots (2013–2015)
After his tenure in Germany, Blakely returned to the Philippine Basketball Association as an import for B-Meg, which had been rebranded as the San Mig Coffee Mixers. He contributed significantly to capturing the 2013 Governors' Cup title despite encountering adverse fan reactions.
Blakely renewed his contract as the import for San Mig Super Coffee Mixers and played a pivotal role in achieving a historic Grand Slam by winning four consecutive championships. Together with key players James Yap, Marc Pingris, and PJ Simon, they overcame the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in a decisive best-of-five finals during the 2014 Governors' Cup.
He came back for a fourth stint as import when the franchise was renamed Purefoods Star Hotshots during the 2015 PBA Commissioner's Cup, initially filling in temporarily. After the team acquired a new import, Blakely remained as a practice player before resuming his position as the regular import for the 2015 Governors' Cup.
Busan KT Sonicboom (2015–2016)
Blakely signed with Busan KT Sonicboom competing in the Korean Basketball League.
Star Hotshots (2016)
Making a return to the Philippines, Blakely served as the import for the newly named Star Hotshots during the 2016 PBA Governors' Cup, marking his sixth conference with the squad. On August 6, 2016, he was released due to unsatisfactory team performance and replaced by Joel Wright.
TNT KaTropa (2018)
In 2018, Blakely joined TNT KaTropa. In his first game with the team, he nearly achieved a triple-double by posting 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists, leading to a 110–104 victory over Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
Japan (2018–2019)
After his stint with TNT, Blakely signed with Japan's Shiga Lakestars, appearing in only 13 games before transferring to Fukuoka Zephyr. In just his second game with Fukuoka, he recorded a triple-double: 37 points, 11 rebounds, and a personal best of 12 assists in a tight loss to the Kawasaki Brave Thunders.
Blackwater Elite (2019)
During the 2019 PBA Governors' Cup, Blakely joined Blackwater Elite. He posted a conference-high of 37 points along with 17 rebounds and 6 assists in a narrow 117–120 defeat against Phoenix Fuel Masters.
Kumamoto Volters (2020)
Blakely later signed with Japan’s Kumamoto Volters of the B.League. On January 29, 2020, he achieved a triple-double by tallying 24 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists versus Fukuoka.
Player profile
Measuring 6'5", Blakely operates effectively both as a Shooting guard and Small forward. Renowned for his adaptability, he excels across scoring, rebounding, and facilitating plays. Averaging 9.5 rebounds per game underscores his dominance on the boards. Additionally, Blakely has amassed four career triple-doubles, demonstrating his comprehensive influence on games.
Professional career statistics
|- | align="left" | 2010–11 | align="left" | Bakersfield Jam / Iowa | NBA D-League | 49 || 25.2 || .625 || .167 || .636 || 6.4 || 1.2 || 1.5 || .8 || 15.0 |- | align="left" | 2011–12 | align="left" | Sioux Falls / Iowa | NBA D-League | 35 || 31.1 || .522 || .231 || .566 || 6.4 || 2.7 || 1.8 || 1.3 || 15.1 |- | align="left" | 2011–12 | align="left" | B-Meg | PBA | 22 || 41.0 || .437 || .362 || .641 || 13.4 || 3.3 || 2.7 || 2.6 || 22.4 |- | align="left" | 2012–13 | align="left" | San Mig Coffee | PBA | 21 || 42.8 || .488 || .239 || .459 || 15.5 || 4.5 || 2.1 || 2.2 || 23.9 |- | align="left" | 2012–13 | align="left" | MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg | Bundesliga | 11 || 23.6 || .516 || .429 || .544 || 6.5 || 2.2 || .7 || 1.2 || 11.5 |- | align="left" | 2013–14 | align="left" | San Mig Coffee | PBA | 20 || 39.4 || .483 || .008 || .547 || 15.7 || 3.9 || 1.8 || 2.4 || 19.2 |- | align="left" | 2014–15 | align="left" | Star Hotshots | PBA | 19 || 38.5 || .543 || .143 || .635 || 12.7 || 4.3 || 2.9 || 2.7 || 21.9 |- | align="left" | 2015–16 | align="left" | Busan KT Sonicboom | KBL | 53 || 20.9 || .540 || .172 || .589 || 6.9 || 3.0 || 1.5||1.1||13.8 |- | align="left" |2015–16 | align="left" | Star Hotshots | PBA |4||41.0|| .482|| .000|| .529|| 17.5||4.5||2.5||1.8||18.0 |- | align="left" |2016–17 | align="left" | Hyundai Mobis Phoebus | KBL |11||26.2|| .525|| .200|| .510||9.8||5.4||1.3||1.5||18.0 |- | align="left" |2017–18 | align="left" | TNT Katropa | PBA |5||41.0|| .575|| .364|| .614||15.2|| 6.6||2.2||1.2||23.0 |- | align="left" |2017–18 | align="left" | Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus | KBL |'58'||25.8|| .571|| .235|| .562||8.5||3.3||1.2|| .8||14.4