In Pennsylvania, High School Football is a pretty big deal. And growing up in Reading, Donyell Marshall was a fan and wanted to play..As a kid, he played football, baseball and basketball...Already at 6' 0" as a freshman when he entered Reading High, he started to grow, where by his junior year, Donyell was a thin 6'8". A good basketball player already was getting better and the letters started coming. After trips to Nike All American and ABCD Camps his mom describes it, a garbage bag full of them...He could have gone anywhere...He first verballed to Syracuse, but his mother nixed that...later it was though Maryland was the choice. But after being named a McDonald's All American and playing in the All Star Game at the Springfield Civic Center, Donyell took a drive to Storrs and visit with Coach Jim Calhoun. On the drive home, Donyell Marshall decided UConn was the right fit and Calhoun would be the right guy to take him to another level...
It may have taken a week or two in the preseason for Marshall to get acclimated, but once he did, his career took off. With Chris Smith leading the way as a Senior, the Huskies went 20-10 in the 1991-92 season..where after a 16-1 start and a ranking as high as 5th, things turned. UConn finished 10-8 in the Big East. By the time the regular season ended, they had slipped out of the rankings. And despite a loss in the Big East Tournament, qualified for the NCAA's...losing to Ohio State in the second round. With Marshall scoring 12pts and 16 rebounds in Chris Smith's last game as a Husky. Donyell averaging a respectable 11 points and 6 boards per game where he added 78 blocks...
A younger UConn Team took to the floor in the 92'-93' season that saw them post a 15-13 record. The Huskies went 9-9 in the Big East and ended the season with a 5 game slide, including losses to Providence in the Big East Tournament and a two point, overtime loss to Jackson St in the NIT...The Highlight for Marshall, a 16p-14r double-double in an 80-76 win before 26,980 at the Carrier Dome...Marshall's numbers better, 50% fg, 83%FT...17.1pts and 8 rpg with 56 blocks...but a stint with USA Basketball in the summer of 1993 took his game to another level.
The 1993-94 Team, more mature and adding Freshman Ray Allen, was ready to take a leap forward. Marshall too, averaging 25.1ppg and scoring a single season record 855pts. 12 double doubles that included a pair of 42 point games against St. John's. In the regular season win at MSG, Marshall went 20-20 from the line and added 13 boards in an 80-76 win. The Big East Tournament game was all UConn 97-77...Marshall had 26 of his 42 by halftime....And in an early February game at BC where the Huskies rallied to win in 2 OT, Marshall dropped 33...He also recorded UConn's first ever triple double in a January win over Hartford..with 23p, 11r & 10 blk....The Huskies 16-2 league record earning them their first ever, outright regular season Big East Crown...But Providence cut their Tourney short in the Semi's at MSG.
Still the #2 seed in the East, where the Huskies finished the season ranked 4th, UConn roared thru Rider and George Washington at Nassau Coliseum. Donyell with 19 against Rider and 18 in the win over the Colonials...Onto Miami Arena and the Florida Gators awaited...Yes, Gainsville is located in Northern Florida, but it's Florida...The Huskies offense struggled despite a 6 point halftime lead. Marshall and his teammates struggling. Donyell just 5 of 13 in a 16p-13r double double...But, Marshall had a chance to extend the season when he was fouled with 3.4 second remaining in a 57-all tie. He missed both free throws and Florida went onto win in Overtime instead of playing BC in the Elite 8...A bitter pill from Marshall who didn't want to leave the bench at games end...Feeling like he let Coach down....
In that 1993-94 season, Donyell Marshall averaged 25.1ppg, a record per season for a UConn Junior. His 855 points was the single season record until Kemba Walker bettered it in 2011. He made 307 FG's (2nd best), added 200 made Free Throws and recorded 111 blocks...In all, Marshall racked up 1,648pts at UConn (18.1ppg) in three seasons. After being named a unanimous All American choice in 1994, Marshall made the difficult choice to leave after three years and enter the NBA Draft..Where Marshall was UConn's first Lottery Pick, going 4th overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
From 1994 to 2009, Marshall played with 8 different NBA Teams. His longest stint with Golden State from 1995-2000. In 2005 as a Toronto Raptor, Marshall hit a then NBA Record 12-3ptrs in a game in March..His final stop was Philadelphia..Scoring 10,716 points along the way..
Since 2010, Donyell has been a Coach...Assisting Karl Hobbs at GW, then Maine of the G-League...before stops at Rider and Buffalo...In April 2016, Donyell Marshall was named the Head Coach at Central CT State University. Where he just completed his 4th season....Marshall is a father of six kids...2 girls and 4 boys...
Donyell Marshall, 1994 All Big East, ECAC and New England....Big East Defensive Player of the Year and Jim Calhoun's first consensus All American......And a UConn Legend..