He has been molding his game into one of college basketball’s finest for the last three years, earning many honors, such as last season’s team MVP. As his senior season nears, Marque Perry is ready to put it all on the line for the Saint Louis University Billikens.
“At the end of last season, my team awarded me MVP honors. From that point, coming into this season, I knew it was my time to lead this team back to the NCAA tournament,” Perry said.
His focus and leadership are just a few attributes of this exceptional young athlete. He is considered by many to be one of the best talents in the game. His team also looks to him as the man who will lead the SLU Billikens back to the glory of an NCAA Tournament berth. Perry, a 6-foot-1-inch, 185-pound guard from Chicago, has been the go-to guy for the Billikens the past two seasons and expects nothing to change in his final campaign.
“Knowing that this is my last season here at SLU, I have dedicated myself to working harder to get better in every aspect of my game. I have a number of goals that I feel, as a team, we can achieve,” Perry said.
Perry was last year’s leading team scorer, averaging an impressive 14.1 points per game. In his three years as a starter for the Billikens, Perry has started in all but three games. Needless to say, he is an important aspect of the Billikens’ basketball program.
Last season, Perry produced astounding statistics. He averaged 3.3 assists per game and 32.8 minutes on the court, shot 75 percent from the free-throw line and had seven games in which he scored 20 or more points. These numbers certainly qualify him as a team leader on the court, but his leadership extends far beyond the painted wood floor.
“I think I am [a team leader]. On the court, my team looks to me to make the big baskets when we need them, and try to make things happen when we need a spark. But off the court, I feel that my leadership is also an important part of this team. I feel that I set a good example for the guys and they know that they can count on me,” Perry said.
According to Conference USA coaches, he has already set a good example–good enough to earn a spot on the preseason All-Conference team. Joining Perry on the impressive list of the conference’s most talented players are Dwayne Wade from Marquette, Reece Gaines from Louisville and Cincinnati’s Jason Maxiell. It may seem like a lot of pressure is being placed on Perry, coming from a team that is projected to end the season in fifth place in C-USA’s American division, but he has found the award more inspiring than anything else.
“I didn’t even know I was up for the award,” Perry explained. “So it was a definite surprise when someone came up to me and congratulated me on being named to the team. I’m not a big headline reader, so I’m not real concerned with what is written about me. But knowing that my name is on the list gives me a lot of motivation and inspiration. It will definitely make me work harder to live up to those expectations.”
With that type of pressure, Perry finds that it is added incentive to step up his performance this season. He hopes to see himself on the same list at the end of the season.
“It is definitely harder to stay on the list than to be named to the preseason team,” Perry explained.
Perry is no stranger to the All-Conference team however. He was selected to the second-team at the end of last season. That award, combined with this season’s honor, puts him in a pretty prestigious class of Billiken greats. Perry is the Billikens’ first returning All-Conference performer since Erwin Claggett and Scott Highmark earned spots on the All-Great Midwest Conference during the 1993-94 season. Perry has definitely made his mark on SLU basketball and his career ranks among the best in the school’s history. While this tag may send many players’ heads into the clouds, Perry’s modesty keeps him focused on improving his game.
“It makes me feel really good to be mentioned among such great players. It is good to know that all my hard work pays off. Being named to these teams is quite an honor, but it is a better feeling to see Saint Louis University get some recognition with my name. I am just happy to be mentioned among the best in this great program,” Perry said.
Although he was recruited out of high school by many top universities, Perry holds no regrets about his choice to come to SLU. It was the convincing effort of former SLU coaching great Charlie Spoonhour that helped turn Perry into a Billiken.
“I have no regrets on my choice of school. The academics here are excellent. It was definitely a wise choice for my future. Playing for SLU and in Conference USA has been so exciting. There are so many good players, great coaches and strong teams. My time at SLU has been a great experience,” Perry said.
Perry’s first experience as a Billiken brought him to the NCAA Tournament under the leadership of shooting guards Justin Love and Jason Ferguson. It is Perry’s goal and inspiration to lead his team back to “The Big Dance.”
“My main goal this season is to make the NCAA Tournament.” Perry said. “Everything just kind of goes from that. That demands that we do well in our conference tournament and in the regular season. This is my final season and it is has been a great experience playing for SLU–that just makes me work harder at leading this team to the NCAA Tournament.”
