Marcus Douthit

Marcus Douthit

Douthit with Smart Gilas
Personal information
Born (1980-04-15) April 15, 1980
Syracuse, New York
Nationality American / Filipino
Listed height 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight 233 lb (106 kg)
Career information
High school Notre Dame Prep
(Fitchburg, Massachusetts)
College Providence (2000–2004)
NBA draft 2004 / Round: 2 / Pick: 56th overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
Playing career 2004–present
Position Center
Career history
2004–2005 Verviers-Pepinster
2005 Spirou Charleroi
2005–2006 Albuquerque Thunderbirds
2006 Champville SC
2006–2007 Albuquerque Thunderbirds
2007 Daegu Orions
2007–2009 Antalya Büyükşehir Belediyesi
2009 Cangrejeros de Santurce
2009 Marinos de Anzoategui
2009–2010 Krasnye Krylya Samara
2011–2012 Foshan Dralions
2012 Air21 Express
2015 Blackwater Elite
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Philippines
FIBA Asia Championship
2013 Manila Team
FIBA Asia Cup
2014 Wuhan Team
William Jones Cup
2011 Taipei Team
2012 Taipei Team
Southeast Asian Games
2013 Naypyidaw Team
2015 Singapore Team
SEABA Cup
2012 Chiang Mai Team

Marcus Eugene Douthit (born April 15, 1980) is an American-Filipino basketball player. He last played for Blackwater Elite of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He graduated from Providence College.[1] After his stint with the Providence Friars, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 NBA draft.[2] Born in Syracuse, New York, he became a naturalized Filipino citizen on March 11, 2011, thus allowing him to play for Smart Gilas, the Philippines' men's national basketball team.[3]

Early life

Douthit was born in Syracuse, New York to his mother, Melody Douthit. He played high school basketball at Notre Dame Preparatory School, a private, co-educational Roman Catholic high school located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The school is primarily known for its basketball program, which has produced notable players such as Michael Beasley, Paul Harris, Lazar Hayward, and Derrick Caracter, to name a few. Before transferring to Notre Dame Prep for his senior year, Douthit played at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Britain, Connecticut, the same school that produced Lamar Odom, where he averaged 18 points, 15 rebounds, and four blocks per game.[4]

College basketball career

In November 18, 1999, Providence Friars head coach Tim Welsh announced that Douthit has signed a national letter-of-intent to attend Providence College for the 2000–01 school year.[5] Eventually, Douthit would stay at Providence for four consecutive years, taking up a bachelor's degree in Social Science. During his freshman year, he was able to record his first career double-double against Brown University by scoring a career-high 22 points and collecting 11 rebounds.

As a junior in Providence, Douthit finished 11th in the NCAA Men's Division I with an average of 3.0 blocks per game. The following year as a senior, he improved to seventh with an average of 3.2 blocks per game, third in the Big East Conference. He finished his college career ranking second all-time in blocks at his school with 295.

Douthit spent four years playing for the Friars. Along with teammate Ryan Gomes, a former member of the Los Angeles Clippers, he was a member of the 2003–04 Providence Friars team that finished with an 11-5 conference record, 20-9 overall. During his junior and senior years playing for Providence, Douthit was awarded the team's Marvin Barnes Defensive Player Award.

Professional basketball career

National Basketball Association

Douthit was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round, 56th overall, of the 2004 National Basketball Association draft along with Slovenian basketball player Sasha Vujacic, who was drafted in the first round, 27th overall.[6] However, Douthit decided to play ball in Belgium instead since the Lakers already had 15 players on the roster, and it was still awaiting the decision of Karl Malone if he would join the team.[7] Although he never played in the NBA, Douthit had several close stints in signing with a couple of ball clubs, specifically the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Los Angeles Lakers

During the 2006–07 NBA season, the Lakers announced that they would sign Douthit after playing professional ball in Europe.[8] Shortly after, the team placed him on waivers.[9] Douthit along with other aspirants such as J. R. Pinnock, Mamadou N'diaye, and Devin Green were all cut by the Lakers before the start of the regular season.[10]

Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers, on the other hand, signed Douthit and Jamaican professional basketball player Kimani Ffriend in the 2007–08 NBA season, including them in the team's training camp roster.[11] After not playing in the first two preseason games of the team, Douthit was waived by the Clippers.[12]

NBA Development League

Douthit played for the Albuquerque Thunderbirds in the NBA Development League, the official minor league organization of the National Basketball Association, during the 2005–06 season. Playing under coach Michael Cooper, he was part of the team's starting lineup along with Tony Bland, T. J. Cummings, Andreas Glyniadakis, and Tierre Brown, who was the league's MVP during the 2003–04 season.[13]

While playing for the Thunderbirds, Douthit averaged 16.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest.[14] Douthit also helped the team defeat the Fort Worth Flyers, 119-108, to win the 2005–06 NBA Development League Championship, scoring 11 points and collecting 15 rebounds during the championship game.[15]

European career

Belgium

Before playing in the NBA D-League, Douthit played in the Basketball League Belgium, also known as the Ligue Ethias, which is the highest professional basketball league in the country.[16] In Belgium, he played for RBC Verviers-Pepinster and Spirou Charleroi, and averaged 7.9 points and 6.0 rebounds while playing for these ball clubs.

Turkey

Douthit has played for basketball club Antalya Büyükşehir Belediyesi in Turkey during the 2007-08 season. That year, the team finished sixth in the league with a total 18 wins, qualifying them to the playoffs. The club was eventually eliminated by Turkish team Fenerbahçe Ülkerspor. While playing for Antalya in Turkey's top men’s professional basketball league, Turkish Basketball League, Douthit averaged 13.2 points and 6.5 rebounds.[17]

Russia

After several stints in a number of professional leagues in Europe, Douthit suited up for BC Krasnye Krylya Samara in Russia. Based in the city of Samara, the club plays in the Russian Basketball Super League. During the 2009-10 season, the club also participated in the 2010 EuroChallenge, organized by FIBA Europe. Douthit averaged 11.5 points and 7.6 rebounds in 11 games in that year's EuroChallenge.[18]

Asian career

South Korea

To cap the 2006-07 season, after playing in the NBA D-League, Douthit joined the Daegu Orions in the Korean Basketball League, which is the professional basketball league of South Korea.[19]

Philippines

In May 2010, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas announced that Douthit has been invited to try out for a spot in the Philippines men's national basketball team, Smart Gilas. He suited up for the team, spearheaded by former Iran national team head coach Rajko Toroman, in the 2010 MVP Invitational Champions' Cup.[20]

Douthit joins notable Filipino basketball players Marcio Lassiter, J.V. Casio, Japeth Aguilar, Dylan Ababou, and Chris Tiu, who are members of the Gilas squad.[21] In February 25, 2011, he scored 16 points and collected 26 rebounds in his debut game with Gilas in the Philippine Basketball Association against the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters.[22] He played for the Air21 Express as an import during the 2012 PBA Commissioner's Cup.[23]

China

In October 2011, it was reported that Douthit has come to terms on a five-month contract to play for the Foshan Dralions, a club based in Foshan, Guangdong that plays in the Chinese Basketball Association.[24] The team is coached by former NBA player Jay Humphries.

Back to the Philippines

In January 2015, he signed for Blackwater Elite as an import and replaced Chris Charles who was injured. His team got their first win for the 2015 PBA Commissioner's Cup against the defending champions, San Miguel Beermen, in a score of 88-77.

In September 2016, Douthit was signed in by Mighty Sports to play for the club in the 2016 Merlion Cup in Singapore where the team finished second.[25]

Basketball career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played  MPG  Minutes per game  FG%  Field-goal percentage
 3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game
 PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Correct as of 10 May 2012 [26]

Regular season

Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2010–11 Smart Gilas 12 39.25 .540 0.000 .521 17.67 2.17 0.92 3.25 22.33
2011–12 Air21 Express 9 42.00 .365 0.000 .639 20.33 3.78 1.22 2.22 20.33
2011–12 Foshan Dralions 29 29.40 .522 0.000 .751 10.70 2.00 1.50 1.60 19.80

International tournaments

Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2012 Jones Cup Smart Gilas 8 29.13 .630 0.000 .725 10.87 1.75 1.38 1.38 16.13
2012 FIBA Asia Cup Smart Gilas 6 31.00 .655 1.000 .581 11.30 1.20 0.83 1.66 15.20
2013 FIBA Asia Championship Philippine National Basketball Team 8 25.62 .432 0.000 .758 9.38 1.62 0.5 2.0 11.80

International basketball career

Philippine national team

Douthit first suited up as an import for Gilas at the 2010 MVP Invitational Champions' Cup, which was held from June 24 to 27 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.[27] He helped the nationals beat the Jordan national basketball team in the championship game, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Toroman, a former assistant coach of the national squad of Yugoslavia from 1991–95, was impressed with Douthit's performance and recommended him to be Gilas’ top prospect for naturalization.[28]

In June 2010, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas announced that Douthit agreed to sign a one-year contract and undergo the naturalization process.[29] After the process, he would be allowed to represent the Philippines as a full-fledged Filipino in international competitions such as the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship, a qualifying tournament of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Douthit's represented the Philippines at the 2010 William Jones Cup, an international basketball tournament held from July 14 to 22 in Taipei, Taiwan. Smart Gilas finished third in the tournament, improving the country's sixth-place finish from the previous year. In the tournament, Douthit was named a member of the All-Tournament Team along with Yuta Tabuse (Japan), Lee Hsueh-lin (Taiwan), Samad Nikkhah Bahrami (Iran), and Takuya Kawamura (Japan).[30]

Because he and Gilas teammate Chris Lutz have not secured a Filipino passport in time for the competition, Douthit did not suit up for the team at the FIBA Asia Stanković Cup 2010, held from August 7 to 15 in Beirut, Lebanon.[31] Douthit first represented the Philippines as a naturalized Filipino in the 2011 FIBA Asia Champions Cup, which was held in Pasig, Philippines from May 28 to June 5, 2011.[32][33]

Douthit also represented the Philippines in both the 2011 William Jones Cup and 2011 FIBA Asia Championship.[34][35] In that year's FIBA Asia Championship, he averaged 21.9 points and 12.2 rebounds for Smart Gilas, which finished fourth overall in the tournament.

Filipino naturalization

Douthit at SM Aura Premier
“ I'll never have Filipino blood, but as far as becoming a Filipino, I'll always have it in my heart."[36] ”
— Marcus Eugene Douthit

In February 2011, former Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Noli Eala announced that Douthit's application for Filipino naturalization has already been transmitted for signature to the office of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III. Thirty days after February 9, the day the application reached the president's office at Malacañan Palace, Douthit would secure his Filipino citizenship with or without Aquino's signature.[37]

In March 11, 2011, Republic Act No. 10148 [38] introduced by Antipolo Second District Congressman Robbie Puno, which grants Filipino citizenship to Douthit, lapsed into law after President Aquino failed to sign it.[39]

Douthit's eligibility to play for the Smart Gilas Pilipinas national basketball team was confirmed by FIBA Sport and Eligibility committee head Ivanka Toteva in June 2011.[40] With the confirmation, Douthit will be allowed to represent the Philippines as a naturalized player in all FIBA sanctioned events.

Player profile

Douthit is 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) tall, and is usually tasked to play the center and power forward positions. He is often described as a versatile big man who loves to crash the boards and score off garbage points, with a steady perimeter shot. With his 7-4 wingspan, Douthit has incredible reach as well, which makes him a prolific shot blocker. Tim Welsh, Douthit's former coach at Providence, once said that, "Marcus runs the court very well and handles the ball well for a big man. He's not a back-to-the basket player, he's a face-up player which is what makes him perfect for our style of play... He's also a tremendous shot blocker who has great timing and makes it difficult for people to score over him." [41] Douthit is also often compared to Haitian Canadian professional basketball player Samuel Dalembert.

Awards and honors

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Douthit now a naturalized Filipino". ABS-CBNNews.com. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Former Friar Marcus Douthit selected in the NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers". Providence College Official Athletics Site - Men's Basketball. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Douthit chasing Olympic dream". Philippine Star Online. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Marcus Douthit player profile". Providence College Official Athletics Site - Men's Basketball. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
  5. ↑ "UMass badly needs a victory". UMassHoops.com. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Busy Lakers draft insurance for Malone". NBC Sports. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Marcus Douthit heads to Belgium". Basketball Forum - Los Angeles Lakers. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Lakers sign Mamadou N'Diaye and Marcus Douthit". NBA.com - Los Angeles Lakers news. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Mitch Kupchak - Los Angeles Lakers transactions". HoopsHype.com. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Los Angeles Lakers transactions". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Clippers add free agents Marcus Douthit and Kimani Ffriend to training camp roster". NBA.com - Los Angeles Clippers news. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Clippers waive Douthit". NBA.com - Los Angeles Clippers news. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  13. ↑ "D-League 2005-2006 basketball". USA Basket Inc. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  14. ↑ "D-League down low - Roster review". D-League.com - News. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Albuquerque wins 2006 D-League championship". D-League.com - Game Recap. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  16. ↑ "Ural Great 103 vs. RBC Verviers-Pepinster 79". FIBA Europe Website - Game report. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Antalya Büyükşehir Belediye re-signed with Marcus Douthit". Basketball Lover. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
  18. ↑ "Smart Gilas checks out another import prospect". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Barangay Ginebra, Talk n'Text to play in MVP Cup". Inside Sports. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  20. ↑ "Another US player tries out for Smart-Gilas". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  21. ↑ "Smart Gilas to test new import". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  22. ↑ "Douthit dazzles in Smart-Gilas' PBA debut". Arab News Online. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Douthit joins Air 21 in Commissioner's Cup". InterAKTV. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  24. ↑ "McGrady to join Douthit in China?". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
  25. ↑ Terrado, Reuben (6 September 2016). "Marcus Douthit 'glad to be back home' as he reinforces Mighty in Merlion Cup". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  26. ↑ Player Profile at PBA-Online!
  27. ↑ "MVP Invitational Tourney: Gilas tests Chinese in opener". The Philippine Star. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  28. ↑ "Gilas five keeps Douthit for Jones Cup campaign". GMA News and Public Affairs. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  29. ↑ "Gilas signs up Douthit as 'import'". The Philippine Star. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  30. ↑ "Gilas 5 ends Jones Cup bid with loss to Lebanon". TeamPilipinas.info. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  31. ↑ "Gilas joins Stankovic Cup minus key men". The Philippine Star. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  32. ↑ "Manila to host Champions Cup; Urumqi, Ho Chi Minh to host U16 events". FIBA Asia. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
  33. ↑ "Marcus Douthit to take part in FIBA-Asia Championship for Phl". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
  34. ↑ "Jones Cup: Douthit towers as SMART-Gilas beats Chinese Taipei for 3rd". InterAKTV. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  35. ↑ "Douthit leading the Philippines Olympic challenge". FIBA. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  36. ↑ "The Filipinization of Douthit: How do people know which jeep to ride?". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  37. ↑ "Douthit nears naturalization". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  38. ↑ Republic Act No. 10148 of the Philippines
  39. ↑ "Douthit turns naturalized Phl citizen". The Philippine Star. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  40. ↑ "'Import' Douthit gets FIBA OK". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
  41. ↑ "Friars sign Marcus Douthit to national letter-of-intent". Providence College Official Athletics Site - Men's Basketball. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
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