Hall of Fame Feature | Marcus Denmon
10/16/2018 7:00:00 PM | General, Men's Basketball
One magical night in February, Denmon cemented his status as one of Mizzou Hoops' all-time greatest
Mizzou Arena was silent. With more than 15,000 fans on their feet, Mizzou senior guard Marcus Denmon stepped to the free-throw line with the fourth-ranked Missouri Tigers trailing eighth-ranked Kansas by six with 2:05 showing on the game clock.
The anticipation of the 2012 Border War had been felt in the city of Columbia and the state of Missouri during the week leading up to the primetime matchup. Students pitched tents outside of Mizzou Arena, ESPN's College Gameday crew was on site during the morning of the game, and pregame fireworks left an ominous haze over the playing surface as fans readied for what many believed to be the final saga of decades of battles against the Jayhawks on campus in Columbia. The intense matchup saw two of the nation's top-10 teams battle back-and-forth but Kansas had grabbed control late in the second half, pushing its advantage to eight points with less than five minutes remaining.
Denmon, who had just driven baseline on the right wing and hung in the air through contact to finish a right-handed layup, dribbled three times, spun the ball in his hands and peered at the rim. In a closely contested ballgame that saw Mizzou keeping pace with the Jayhawks in the second half, this was winning time.
The senior sharpshooter sank the free throw and set up full-court pressure on the Jayhawk ball handlers. Denmon and the Tigers weren't going anywhere.
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Marcus Denmon arrived on campus in Missouri in the spring of 2008 after a successful high school career at Hogan Prepatory Academy in Kansas City, Missouri. Denmon had averaged 28.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game during his senior campaign, leading Hogan Prep to the Class 3 State Championships in Columbia. Denmon received the 2008 DiRenna Award as the top high school player in Kansas City. The star two-way guard earned countless accolades during his prep career and headed to Mizzou with a chance to prove himself at the next level.
Denmon was able to make an impact on the court during his first season with the Tigers, earning double-figure minutes in all 38 games during the 2008-09 season.
"Coming in as a freshman, we kind of changed the culture of the basketball program. We did things the right way", Denmon said. "A lot of the guys were coming in and working hard and I felt the fans appreciated that we earned all the success we had on the floor."
Denmon hit 34 triples during his first season and led the squad with a 79.5 percent clip at the charity stripe while ranking among team leaders with 54 assists and 34 steals. Denmon's most memorable play of his freshman campaign came when he drilled a 60-foot buzzer beater to close the first half of Mizzou's 102-91 Sweet 16 win over No. 2 Memphis. The Tigers eventually fell in the Elite Eight against Connecticut, but the 31-win squad had created a winning culture.
As a sophomore, Denmon was one of the Big 12's most-improved players, posting 10.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Denmon scored in double digits in 16 different games and dropped 20 points in four Big 12 contests. Mizzou again earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament where it upset 7-seed Clemson before falling to West Virginia in the round of 32.
By the time he was a junior, Denmon was the focal point of the Missouri offensive attack. Denmon led the team in scoring, propelling the Tigers to 28 total wins, eight of which came in Big 12 play. Denmon earned First-Team All-Conference honors after averaging 16.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Denmon also made his presence felt on defense, ranking third in the Big 12 in steals while locking down opposing guards from across the country.
To begin the 2011-12 season, Denmon's senior season, the Tigers were poised for a season that would put them in the conversation with the nation's best teams. The Tigers rolled to 14 straight wins to start the season while Denmon scored 20 or more points during the win streak. Mizzou moved into conference play at the beginning of 2012 and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the country before losing in Stillwater to Oklahoma State. However, a week and a half later, the fourth-ranked Tigers held a 20-2 record and were set to host the eighth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks in Columbia on February 4 in a matchup that proved to be a spectacle in the Show-Me state.
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After Denmon sank the free throw with 2:05 left, Kansas held a 71-66 advantage. Mizzou set up on defense and forced a turnover thanks to an offensive foul by Kansas big man Thomas Robinson.
On the next Tigers' possession, Denmon came off a screen on the top of the key and drilled a triple from the right side, slicing the deficit to two. Denmon had scored six straight points and had totaled 26 points largely in part to a 5-of-8 clip from distance. Kansas called a time out with 90 seconds left and Mizzou Arena rocking.
The Tigers then forced a turnover on the defensive end, and on the ensuing possession, with just over a minute remaining, Denmon pulled up from the left corner and sank a go-ahead three. Denmon's go-ahead bucket punctuated his personal 9-0 run and gave the senior guard a career-high 29 points.
With Mizzou up by one, Kansas came up empty at the stripe before Mizzou's Michael Dixon sank a pair on the other end. Kansas missed a shot at the horn and the Tigers defeated Kansas in the last game played between the rivals to date at Mizzou Arena. Marcus Denmon had the game of his life, leading the Tigers back in the game's closing minutes to create one of the most memorable moments in Mizzou Basketball history.
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Over the course of his sensational career as a Tiger, Denmon racked up 1,775 points, which places him fifth in program history. Denmon was able to cap his Mizzou career with a Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship in March 2012. Denmon scored 15 points in Kansas City, his hometown, to lead the Tigers past Baylor in a 90-75 victory. The Mizzou guard earned consensus second-team All-American honors and All-Big 12 first team at the conclusion of his senior season.
"My college process was the best four years of my life," Denmon said. "I love the University and it was something that helped me become the person I am today. I just want to be one of those guys that was remembered as a winner and that just left it all on the line for the University."
After his time at Mizzou came to an end, Denmon was selected at No. 59 in the 2012 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs but has only ever played professionally overseas. Denmon continued his career in Europe, putting together a five-year career, playing in France, Italy, Turkey and Greece. Denmon helped lead Panathinaikos B.C. to a Greek League championship in 2018.
Today, Denmon is continuing his basketball career playing for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association, in Zhejiang, China.
Earlier this year, Denmon was one of six former athletes chosen for induction into Mizzou's 2018 Hall of Fame class. Denmon, who will go down as one of the most important figures in Mizzou Basketball history, has earned his recognition as one of Mizzou's greatest athletes.
"(It is) truly an honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the best university in the world," he said when hearing the news. "Thank you to all my coaches and teammates."
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The Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony for the 2018 class will be held this Friday at the Stoney Creek Inn beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tickets to the event are still on sale and can be purchased by clicking here.
