ALBANY — At 22 years old, Marcus Merchant is the youngest member of the Albany Patroons and the only one who didn’t play any level of college basketball.
Merchant, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound center, is still leading the Patroons (15-3) in rebounding and blocked shots entering their 7 p.m. Friday game against the Reading Rebels (15-3) in a battle for first place in The Basketball League’s Northeast Division at Washington Avenue Armory.
“I’m very grateful,” Merchant said. “It’s a great opportunity. It’s way better than working a real job. I come out here and do what I love every day in front of fans. Got a good team around me. It’s amazing.”
Merchant knows something about a “real job.” After graduating from Cypress Creek High School in Houston in 2018, Merchant said he spent about a month at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. He never played a game there.
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Washington Avenue Armory, Albany
“It didn’t really work out, so after that, I kind of stopped and got a job,” he said. “I was working and just played pickup basketball at the park and stuff.”
He worked in construction, mainly laying foundations.
“It wasn’t that bad, once you get used to it,” he said. Nevertheless, Merchant was happy to get a call from the TBL’s Dallas Skyline asking him to try out last year. He averaged 12.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game for Dallas.
There he caught the attention of Derrick Rowland, who was then coach of the TBL’s Potawatomi Fire, who played in the same division as Dallas. Rowland tried to trade for him but was unsuccessful.
When Rowland returned to Albany to coach the Patroons this season, he made sure to sign Merchant, who is averaging 9.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game…
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