Florida won the NCAA tourney in April and Oklahoma City won the NBA Finals in June but there is still 1 more basketball champion to be crowned this summer. The Basketball Tournament (aka the TBT) kicks off on July 18th with 8 regions of 8 teams playing at Indianapolis/JMU/Kansas City/Lexington/Louisville/Syracuse/West Virginia/Wichita. Each region will send 1 team to the quarterfinals, with the championship game taking place during the 1st week of August, and the winning team walking away with $1 million in prize money. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel will spend the weeks ahead interviewing as many TBT participants as possible. We continue our coverage with Jermaine Marrow, who will be playing for Sideline Cancer after becoming 1 of the best scorers in D-1 history at Hampton.
Hampton coach Edward Joyner Jr. saw you at a basketball camp when you were in the 8th grade: what was your reaction when he offered you a scholarship on the spot? We were at the Boo Williams Summer Camp. I was surprised to get the offer…until I heard that he had been following my career since the 6th grade! It came to fruition, and I chose to stay home for college.
1 of your friends growing up in Newport News, VA, was Allen Iverson: what was the future Hall of Famer like back in the day? He was a cool/chill dude: I know a different version than what the world knows. He worked hard and never wanted to lose at anything, whether it was basketball/dominoes/etc.
As a freshman at Hampton you scored 15.6 PPG and were named to the conference all-rookie team: how were you able to make such a smooth transition from high school to college? I just put the work in and was in the right situation. They won the MEAC title in 2016 (the year before I arrived) but had lost a lot of seniors from that squad, so I was fortunate to have a coach who believed in me early on.
In February of 2019 you had a career-high 40 PTS/5 STL in a 5-PT OT loss to High Point: was it just 1 of those situations where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I remember that game: we were leading in the final minute of regulation…but they got 2 STL and made a pair of threes to send it to OT. I had the “hot hand”, even though we lost.
As a senior you passed Rick Mahorn as the all-time leading scorer in school history: what did it mean to you to break the record, and do you think that anyone will ever pass you? It meant a lot. Going into my senior year I had a LOT of high-major schools who wanted me to leave. I did some pre-draft workouts the prior year and knew what I had to work on. Rick’s record stood for 40 years, so if someone can break my record then they will have to put up a LOT of buckets…and I will tip my hat to them.
You were also top-15 in the nation that year with 6.5 APG: what is the key to being a good PG? Having control of the team, having guys believe in you, and believing in them. When 1 of your teammates is make shots, you must keep feeding the hot hand.
Your 2680 career PTS remain top-40 in D-1 history: what is the secret to being a great scorer? I put in a lot of repetitions/workouts. I give credit to my dad/trainer/coach: there were a lot of early mornings and late nights putting up shots so that I could gain more confidence.
You have played pro basketball overseas for the past several years: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball in other countries? I have played in both Europe/Asia. Europe has more fundamental players who look at and play the game differently from guys in the US: it is an inside-out game and has less isolation, while Asia has more 1-on-1.
You have a birthday next month: any plans for the big day? No big plans: maybe take a vacation with my kids before I head back overseas.
You are playing for Sideline Cancer in the TBT: how is the team looking, and what will you do with your share of the $1 million prize money if you win it all? THAT would be a good birthday gift! We are looking good: we are bringing our core back from last year, when we were 1 shot away from getting a big win in Louisville, so we know what the guys can/cannot do. If we win it all then I will invest my prize money.
