Marques Townes

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Marques Townes

| image = Marques Townes Flex's during Game.png

| image_size =

| caption = Loyola’s Marques Townes reacts during Elite 8 game vs. Kansas State March Madness 2018

| position = Point guard / Shooting guard

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lb = 195

| league = Kosovo Superleague

| team = Peja

| number =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|09|03}}

| birth_place = Edison, New Jersey

| nationality = Dominican / American

| high_school = *Cardinal McCarrick
(South Amboy, New Jersey)

St. Joseph
(Metuchen, New Jersey)

| college = * Fairleigh Dickinson (2014–2016)

Loyola Chicago (2017–2019)

| draft_year = 2019

| career_start = 2019

| years1 = 2019–2021

| team1 = Murcia

| years2 = 2021

| team2 = Kalev/Cramo

| years3 = 2021–2022

| team3 = Pieno žvaigždės Pasvalys

| years4 = 2022

| team4 = Tours Métropole Basket

| years5 = 2022–2023

| team5 = Kecskeméti TE

| years6 = 2023

| team6 = Crailsheim Merlins

| years7 = 2023–2024

| team7 = Opava

| years8 = 2024

| team8 = PAOK Thessaloniki

| years9 = 2025–present

| team9 = Peja

| highlights s = *MVC Player of the Year (2019)

First-team All-MVC (2019)

}}

Marques Rashaad Townes Villar (born September 3, 1995) is a Dominican-American basketball player. He played college basketball for the Loyola Ramblers, after beginning his career with Fairleigh Dickinson.

He drew national attention after helping the Ramblers reach the Final Four round of the 2018 NCAA tournament. Entering the college level, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard was a three-star basketball recruit. A native of Edison, New Jersey, he attended Cardinal McCarrick High School and St. Joseph High School, where he played both basketball and american football.

Early life

Townes was born in Edison, New Jersey to Bryant and Luisa Townes but grew up in the nearby city of Rahway.{{cite web|title=Marques Townes|url=https://fduknights.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=2742|publisher=FDU Knights|accessdate=March 25, 2018}}{{cite web|last1=Haley|first1=John|title=Q and A session with Marques Townes of St. Joseph (Met.), what sport will he play in college?|url=http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-7339304767832722050/a-q-and-a-session-with-marques-townes-of-st-joseph-met-what-sport-will-he-play-in-college/|publisher=NJ.com|accessdate=March 24, 2018|date=January 18, 2014}} While in fifth grade, he moved to South Amboy, New Jersey. Townes began his high school years at Cardinal McCarrick High School in South Amboy, where he played basketball under head coach Joe Lewis.{{cite web|last1=Haley|first1=John|title=Marques Townes looking to transfer from Cardinal McCarrick to St. Joe's (Metuchen)|url=http://www.nj.com/hssports/blog/boysbasketball/index.ssf/2012/07/middlesex_county_townes_transferring_from_mccarrick_to_st_joes-metuchen.html|publisher=NJ.com|accessdate=March 25, 2018|date=July 2, 2012}}{{cite web|title=Cardinal McCarrick Eagles--2010-11 Season Preview|url=http://gmchoops.com/cardinal_mccarrick_season_preview_2010_11.htm|publisher=GMC Hoops|accessdate=March 25, 2018}} As a sophomore, he averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, earning first-team All-County honors from The Star-Ledger and leading the team to a 22–7 record. At the time, he was being recruited by several major college programs, including Miami, Rutgers, and Virginia.

Before his junior season, Townes announced that he would transfer to St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey, in pursuit of "bigger and better opportunities."{{cite web|last1=Schiffer|first1=Alex|title=Marques Townes to St. Joe's-Metuchen|url=http://www.zagsblog.com/2012/08/14/marques-townes-to-st-joes-metuchen/|publisher=ZagsBlog|accessdate=March 25, 2018|date=August 14, 2012}} He joined a lineup that featured future National Basketball Association (NBA) players Karl-Anthony Towns and Wade Baldwin IV.{{cite web|title=Marques Townes|url=http://www.loyolaramblers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5|publisher=Loyola Ramblers|accessdate=March 25, 2018}} As a senior, he averaged about 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals per game, being a third-team All-State pick by The Star-Ledger. His team, which was ranked the 12th best in the nation by USA Today, finished with a 30–2 record and won the state's Tournament of Champions for the first time in program history. He accumulated 1,863 points, the most in school history behind Jay Williams.

Townes also saw success on the football field at St. Joseph, where he played the outside linebacker position. He drew interest from various college football programs, such as Penn State, Maryland, and Rutgers, but eventually chose to focus on basketball.{{cite web|last1=Ryan|first1=Shannon|title='Bulldozer' Marques Townes carries his football background to the court for Loyola|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-loyola-marques-townes-ncaa-tournament-20180321-story.html|website=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=March 25, 2018|date=March 21, 2018}}

College career

A three-star recruit, Townes decided to start his college basketball career with the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, turning down offers from Saint Peter's, South Alabama, Hartford, and Charleston Southern.{{cite web|last1=Zagoria|first1=Adam|title=St. Joe's Marques Townes Commits to FDU|url=https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/st-joes-marques-townes-commits-to-fdu/151165034|publisher=SportsNet New York|accessdate=March 25, 2018|date=April 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325234513/https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/st-joes-marques-townes-commits-to-fdu/151165034|archive-date=March 25, 2018|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Marques Townes|url=http://www.espn.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/162436/marques-townes|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=March 25, 2018}} In his freshman season for the Knights, he averaged 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.{{cite web|title=Marques Townes Player Profile|url=https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Marques-Townes/Summary/81076|publisher=RealGM|accessdate=March 25, 2018}} On December 29, 2015, against Towson, he recorded 18 points, six rebounds, and five steals, all season-bests. As a sophomore at Fairleigh Dickinson, Townes started in all 33 games, averaging 11.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He led the team to the 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, where they lost to Florida Gulf Coast in the First Four round.

After his second season in college, Townes announced that he transfer to play for the Loyola Ramblers.{{cite web|title=Marques Townes Transferring to Loyola-Chicago|url=http://gmchoops.com/blog/marques-townes-transferring-to-loyola-chicago/|publisher=GMC Hoops|accessdate=March 25, 2018}} He sat out in the 2016–17 season due to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) transfer rules. On November 24, 2017, he scored a season-high 23 points to help beat UNC Wilmington.{{cite web|title=Jackson, Townes lead Ramblers past Seahawks|url=http://www.wect.com/story/36921418/jackson-townes-lead-ramblers-past-seahawks|publisher=WECT|accessdate=March 25, 2018|date=November 24, 2017}} At the 2018 NCAA tournament, Townes helped Loyola, an 11-seed, make a Cinderella run to the Final Four.{{cite web|last1=Zgoda|first1=Jerry|title=Ex-teammates Karl-Anthony Towns, Marques Townes succeed on differing paths|url=http://www.startribune.com/ex-teammates-karl-anthony-townes-marques-townes-succeed-on-differing-paths/477802913/|website=Star Tribune|accessdate=March 25, 2018|date=March 23, 2018}} In the team's Sweet 16 match-up with Nevada, he made the game-clinching three-pointer with 6.3 seconds left in regulation.{{cite web|last1=Odum|first1=Charles|title=Going to Townes: Marques Townes hits 3-pointer with 6.3 second to go to send Loyola-Chicago past Nevada and to the Elite Eight|url=http://www.chroniclet.com/sports/2018/03/23/Loyola-wins-again.html|website=Chronicle-Telegram|accessdate=March 25, 2018|date=March 23, 2018}} With his success in the tournament, he garnered national attention, being featured in the New York Post and Chicago Tribune.{{cite web|last1=Vaccaro|first1=Mike|title=Marques Townes takes his game to new heights|url=https://nypost.com/2018/03/25/marques-townes-takes-his-game-to-new-heights/|website=New York Post|accessdate=March 25, 2018|date=March 25, 2018}}

Coming into his senior season, Townes was named to the Preseason Second Team All-MVC.{{Cite news|last=Hickey|first=Pat|url=https://www.courierpress.com/story/sports/college/evansville/2018/10/18/missouri-valley-conference-basketball-voters-pick-ue-finish-last/1686522002/|title=Evansville basketball teams picked to finish last in the Missouri Valley Conference|date=October 18, 2018|access-date=October 18, 2018}} He was named MVC Player of the Year.{{cite press release|url=http://mvc-sports.com/news/2019/3/4/arch-madness-marques-townes-headlines-mvc-specialty-honors.aspx |title=Marques Townes headlines MVC specialty awards |publisher=Missouri Valley Conference |date=March 5, 2019 |accessdate=March 5, 2019}} Townes averaged 15.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game as Loyola won 20 games and earned a spot in the National Invitation Tournament.{{cite web |title=Marques Townes Inks Deal To Play In Spain In 2019-20 |url=https://loyolaramblers.com/news/2019/7/23/mens-basketball-marques-townes-inks-deal-to-play-in-spain-in-2019-20.aspx |website=Loyola Ramblers |accessdate=November 7, 2019}}

Professional career

On July 23, 2019, Townes signed with UCAM Murcia of the Liga ACB. He averaged 6 points per game during his rookie season. On June 10, 2020, Townes extended his contract by one season.{{cite web |title=Marques Townes extends with UCAM Murcia |url=https://sportando.basketball/en/marques-townes-extends-with-ucam-murcia/ |website=Sportando |accessdate=June 10, 2020 |date=June 10, 2020}}

On March 11, 2021, he signed with Kalev/Cramo of the VTB United League.{{Cite web|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/marques-townes-joins-kalev-cramo/|title=Marques Townes joins Kalev/Cramo|last=|first=|date=March 11, 2021|website=|publisher=Sportando|language=En|access-date=March 13, 2021}}

On September 16, 2021, he signed with Pieno žvaigždės Pasvalys of the Lithuanian Basketball League.{{Cite web|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/marques-townes-joins-bc-pieno-zvaigzdes/|title=Marques Townes joins BC Pieno Zvaigzdes|last=|first=|date=September 25, 2021|website=|publisher=Sportando|language=En|access-date=September 25, 2021}} Townes averaged 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game. On January 3, 2022, he signed with Tours Métropole Basket of the LNB Pro B.{{cite web |title=Tours tab Marques Townes |url=https://www.eurobasket.com/France/news/724800/Tours-tab-Marques-Townes |website=Eurobasket |access-date=January 3, 2022 |date=January 3, 2022}}

On November 22, 2023, he signed with BK Opava of NBL due to the injury of Opava captain Jakub Šiřina. On January 22, 2024, he joined PAOK Thessaloniki of the Greek Basket League.{{Cite news |last=Maggi |first=Alessandro |date=2024-01-22 |title=Marques Townes signs with Paok - Sportando |url=https://sportando.basketball/en/marques-townes-signs-with-paok/ |access-date=2024-06-08 |work=Sportando |language=en-US}}

National team career

In July 2018, Townes was selected to represent the Dominican Republic at the Central American and Caribbean Games.{{cite web |last1=Ryan |first1=Shannon |title=Loyola's Marques Townes joins Dominican Republic national team |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-loyola-marques-townes-dominican-republic-20180705-story.html# |website=Chicago Tribune |accessdate=September 27, 2018 |date=July 5, 2018}}