Former St. Joe’s and McCarrick Standout Leaving FDU for The Valley
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| Marques Townes, pictured here against Pace Academy at the 2014 Primetime Shooout during his days at St. Joseph’s, announced on Tuesday that he is transferring to Loyola of Chicago. |
TEANECK, NJ–On Tuesday night, GMC Hoops learned via Twitter that former St. Joseph’s and Cardinal McCarrick hoops standout, Marques Townes is transferring from FDU to Loyola University of Chicago. Townes will have to sit the entire 2016-17 season as per NCAA rules. Loyola-Chicago is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, one of the top mid-major conferences in NCAA Division I basketball with the likes of Witchita State, Northern Iowa, Evansville, Indiana State, and Bradley.
This past season at FDU, Townes played and started in all 33 games, averaged 30.6 minutes, 11.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, made 141 of 295 shots for 47.8 percent, 35 of 103 three point attempts for 34 percent, and 61 of 88 free throws for 69.3 percent, and compiled an assist to turnover ratio of 1.49. Townes ranked third in the team in scoring, third in rebounding, third in assists, and second in steals. FDU finished the season at 18-15 overall including an 11-7 mark in the Northeast Conference, and won the NEC Tournament before falling to Florida Gulf Coast in the First Four contest in the NCAA Tournament.
As a freshman a year ago, Townes played in 24 games including two starts. He averaged 21.8 minutes, 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.3 assists per game. Townes connected on 88 of 167 shots for 52.7 percent, 12 of 41 for 29.3 percent, and 31 of 55 from the line for 56.4 percent. He also compiled an assist to turnover ratio of 1.2. Putting that altogether, Townes played in 57 games including 35 starts. Made 229 of 462 shots for 49.6 percent including 47 of 144 three point attempts for 32.6 percent, and netted 92 of 143 free throws for 64.3 percent. He averaged 26.9 minutes, 10.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Townes also compiled an assist to turnover ratio of 1.40.
Prior to arriving at FDU, Townes had a star studded career in the Greater Middlesex Conference. As a freshman, he was a key contributor to a Cardinal McCarrick squad that reached the semifinals of the 2011 Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament and won the Non-Public B South Championship. The sectional crown was the first at McCarrick since 2005, and the last ever at the school which closed its doors last June. After a superb sophomore campaign, Townes moved on to St. Joseph’s, where he teamed up with Karl-Anthony Towns (University of Kentucky and Minnesota Timberwolves) and Wade Baldwin (Vanderbilt) to guide the Falcons to the 2013 GMCT Championship, Non-Public A State TItle, and T of C Finals berth.
In 2014, Townes along with Towns and Baldwin teamed up with Raven Owen and Bree Tyree to be the GMC’s version of the Fab Five at St. Joseph’s. The 2013-14 Falcons repeated as GMCT Champions and Non-Public A State Champs, and became the first GMC team ever to win the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions when they edged Newark Eastside in a thrilling final. The Falcons finished with a 30-2 overall record including an unblemished mark of 12-0 in the GMC Red. Each of the fab five went on to play or commit to a Division I school with Townes, who was the 2014 GMCT MVP, going to FDU while Owen moved on to Canisius, and Tyree committed to the University of Mississippi this past November.