Marques Townes (born September 3, 1995) is a Dominican-American basketball player for Tours Métropole Basket of the LNB Pro B. He played college basketball for the Loyola Ramblers, after beginning his career with Fairleigh Dickinson. A native of Edison, New Jersey, he attended Cardinal McCarrick High School and St. Joseph High School, where he played both basketball and football. Entering the college level, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard was a three-star basketball recruit. He drew national attention after helping the Ramblers reach the Final Four round of the 2018 NCAA tournament.
![]() Townes with St. Joseph High School in 2011 | |
Tours Métropole Basket | |
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Position | Shooting guard |
League | LNB Pro B |
Personal information | |
Born | (1995-09-03) September 3, 1995 (age 27) Edison, New Jersey |
Nationality | Dominican / American |
Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
Career information | |
High school |
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College |
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NBA draft | 2019 / Undrafted |
Playing career | 2019–present |
Career history | |
2019–2021 | Murcia |
2021 | Kalev/Cramo |
2021–2022 | Pieno žvaigždės Pasvalys |
2022–present | Tours Métropole Basket |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Townes was born in Edison, New Jersey to Bryant and Luisa Townes but grew up in the nearby city of Rahway.[1][2] While in fifth grade, he moved to South Amboy, New Jersey.[2] Townes began his high school years at Cardinal McCarrick High School in South Amboy, where he played basketball under head coach Joe Lewis.[3][4] 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.[3]
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."[5] He joined a lineup that featured future National Basketball Association (NBA) players Karl-Anthony Towns and Wade Baldwin IV.[6] 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.[1] 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.[6] He accumulated 1,863 points, the most in school history behind Jay Williams.[1]
Townes also saw success on the football field at St. Joseph, where he played the outside linebacker position.[2] He drew interest from various college football programs, such as Penn State, Maryland, and Rutgers, but eventually chose to focus on basketball.[7]
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.[8][9] In his freshman season for the Knights, he averaged 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.[10] On December 29, 2015, against Towson, he recorded 18 points, six rebounds, and five steals, all season-bests.[1] 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.[10] 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.[7]
After his second season in college, Townes announced that he transfer to play for the Loyola Ramblers.[11] He sat out in the 2016–17 season due to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) transfer rules.[11] On November 24, 2017, he scored a season-high 23 points to help beat UNC Wilmington.[12] At the 2018 NCAA tournament, Townes helped Loyola, an 11-seed, make a Cinderella run to the Final Four.[13] In the team's Sweet 16 match-up with Nevada, he made a game-winning three-pointer with 6.3 seconds left in regulation.[14] With his success in the tournament, he garnered national attention, being featured in the New York Post and Chicago Tribune.[15][7]
Coming into his senior season, Townes was named to the Preseason Second Team All-MVC.[16] He was named MVC Player of the Year.[17] 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.[18]
On July 23, 2019, Townes signed with UCAM Murcia of the Liga ACB.[18] He averaged 6 points per game during his rookie season. On June 10,2020, Townes extended his contract by one season.[19]
On March 11, 2021, he has signed with Kalev/Cramo of the VTB United League.[20]
On September 16, 2021, he has signed with Pieno žvaigždės Pasvalys of the Lithuanian Basketball League.[21] Townes averaged 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game. On January 3, 2021, he signed with Tours Métropole Basket of the LNB Pro B.[22]
In July 2018, Townes was selected to represent the Dominican Republic at the Central American and Caribbean Games.[23]
Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year | |
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