Where in the World is Marcus Denmon?

February 29, 2012; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Marcus Denmon (12) waits for play to resume during the second half against the Iowa State Cyclones at Mizzou Arena. Missouri won 78-72. Mandatory Credit: Dak Dillon-USA TODAY Sports

By Logan Brinkley

Where in the world is Marcus Denmon? Most Mizzou basketball fans know who he is. He was a first team All-Big 12 player his junior year while averaging 16.9 PPG. In his senior year, Denmon averaged 17.7 PPG, and helped lead the Tigers to a 27-4 regular season record. In the postseason, the Tigers won their second Big 12 Championship Tournament, and clinched a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Also, Denmon’s class that included Kim English, Laurence Bowers, and Steve Moore became the winningest class in school history. However, the Tigers lost in the first round to #15 NorfolkState in a huge upset. After that disappointing loss, most fans lost track of the star guard. Denmon was drafted #59 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs. However, like many other Spurs draftees, he chose to forgo playing in the NBA, and instead chose to go to Europe to become a better player before playing in the NBA. This is a common thing for the Spurs, who currently have 10 players they’ve drafted playing in leagues overseas, including former OhioState star Deshaun Thomas. This strategy has worked well for them, as Manu Ginobili played three years overseas after he was drafted before he actually joined the Spurs.

Less than a month after he was drafted, Denmon signed a one-year contract with Élan Chalon of the French Pro A League. Bad luck struck the guard again, and during the team’s opening game, he broke his foot. After missing nearly four months, he returned, averaged 12.9 PPG, and helped the team get all the way to the league semi-finals before they were defeated. After the season, he signed with Tofaş S.K. of the Turkish Basketball League. Through four games, Denmon is leading the team with 17 PPG. They are 2-2, but he is averaging 28 PPG in their wins, showing signs of the scoring skill he helped the Tigers with during his time in Columbia.

I’m sure Denmon will eventually find a place for his skills in the NBA, and having them put to use by Coach Gregg Popovich will definitely help his career. With his ability to get buckets, Mizzou fans should expect to see the Marcus Denmon they know and love someday in the NBA.