marcus dove to oklahoma state

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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Around The Nation: Marcus Dove Signs
NLI With Oklahoma State--(Nov. 16, 2002)

Yet another signing of a local player to a National Letter of Intent at a major program. Marcus Dove (6'-7" Sr. F) from Long Beach Millikan has signed a National Letter with Oklahoma State. Here's the official press release:

Cowboy Basketball Signs Two California Standouts
Marcus Dove, Tremaine Fuqua ink letters of intent with OSU.

Nov. 15, 2002

Stillwater, Okla. - Marcus Dove, a 6-7 senior at Millikan High School in Long Beach, Calif., and Tremaine Fuqua, a 6-9 sophomore at Skyline College in Oakland, Calif., have signed letters of intent to play with the Oklahoma State Cowboy basketball program, it was announced today.

Dove, considered one of the top prospects at forward on the west coast and a consensus top-100 player nationally, averaged 20 points and seven rebounds per game last season. He also averaged five blocks and three assists per contest, helping the Rams advance to the CIF Southern Section Division I-AA semifinals.

"We're excited about Marcus' decision to join the Cowboy basketball family," said OSU Associate Head Coach Sean Sutton. "He's an outstanding young man. He's a very gifted and talented athlete who has his best basketball ahead of him. He's an extremely athletic player. He's got very good perimeter skills, and has a chance to be a very good player in our program."

Dove was recruited by a host of schools, including USC, Oregon, UCLA, Washington, Marquette, Cincinnati, Wake Forest and Boston College. He narrowed his choices to Kansas, Arizona State and Oklahoma State, and chose OSU over the Sun Devils.

"How can you go wrong playing for someone like Coach Sutton?" questioned Dove. "He's going to be in the hall of fame. And, OSU is like the pro basketball team of Stillwater. They sell out every game, and its the loudest arena in the country. Its going to be great to play in an environment like that, in a conference like the Big 12."

"They're (OSU) getting a pretty special talent," Millikan coach Kelly San Jose said of Dove, who is on pace to break Millikan's all-time scoring mark this season. "(Marcus) could arguably be the best player ever out of the Moore League. There have been some great players to come out of Long Beach, and I definitely put him in the same class with those guys."

Fuqua (pronounced "FEW-kwa"), at 6-9, 240 pounds, is ranked as the fifth-best junior-college center prospect in the country according to The Sporting News College Basketball Preview and one of the top-five overall prospects nationally according to the Littlefield JUCO Report. He averaged 12.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game last season for Skyline College.

"Tremaine is a big, skilled player that can really shoot the basketball facing the basket, but can put it on the floor and is a great passer," said OSU Assistant Coach Glynn Cyprien. "He's going to be a great asset. We obviously need that type of player with Andre (Williams) graduating this season. But, if there's one thing we can say about him, he is very, very skilled."

Fuqua had a career-high 28 points in a 91-74 victory over the Community College of San Francisco last season, and led his team to the semifinals of the California Community College tournament, losing to eventual 2002 champion Saddleback College, 89-88, in overtime.

"Tremaine is very unique in the junior college ranks, because he's a very skilled athlete for a big man," said Tony Raffetto, head coach at Skyline College. "He has a good shot, and works hard and prides himself on becoming a better basketball player. He can step out and hit the three, and is a good passer. Its like having three-man (wing forward) skills in a five-man (center) body. He's a terrific steal for OSU."

Fuqua was recruited by several schools, including Southeastern Conference powerhouses Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn and Georgia.