In the upcoming season, Marquise Tolson will have a lot to prove on the basketball court. Off the court, he has endured quite a few personal setbacks. When Tolson was young, he was diagnosed with cancer symptoms but they proved to be negative. Before the start of his junior year, he was declared academically ineligible. As a result, he did not play last season which was part of the reason for Menlo Atherton's 15-13 record that ended with a 60-44 loss in the playoffs to Homestead High. And finally, the head coach of the Menlo Atherton High Bears left the team in June.
Despite all these setbacks, Tolson has the mental fortitude to persevere and to overcome. Tolson with the aid of a mentor has gotten his grades back up to where he was able to participate in organized basketball this past June. Despite the change in the coaching staff, Tolson is optimistic about his team's senior season.
On the basketball court, Tolson plays basketball with the utmost efficiency. At 6-foot-5 and 165 pounds, he is athletic, lean and can run 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash and has a 33-inch vertical. At the 30th Annual High School Basketball Tournament at Skyline College in San Bruno during the summer, Tolson displayed an effective mid-range shot, 3-pt shot, and ability to take the ball to the basket. In addition, his quickness and size allowed him to defend against the opposing team's guards and forwards effectively.
Tolson started playing organized basketball in 6th grade and considers his basketball strengths to be his ability to shoot and to score from anywhere on the court. Tolson can hit the pull up jumper, he can create his own shot off the dribble, and he has a consistent free throw shot. As a result, he compares his offensive game to that of Kevin Durant, 2008 NBA rookie of the year. Defensively, due to his length and quickness, Tolson can guard most of the opposing team's opposing players. He compares his defensive flexibility to that of current Los Angeles Laker, Lamar Odom.
During this past summer, Tolson played with his high school team. He has been primarily working on his defense and strength conditioning. Tolson wants to develop his basketball skill set to allow him to be both an effective finesse and power player. As a sophomore, Tolson averaged 4.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.
Since Tolson was ineligible as a junior last year, he has not been on most college lists. As a result, he a big senior year both as an individual and as a team will yield more recognition from college scouts. As part of an academic program called College Bound, Tolson visited several colleges in California during the summer. With his size and skills, Tolson should have a big year for Menlo Atherton that should generate interest from the college programs.
Tolson would like to major in Business or Journalism in college. He would like to attend a college that has a diverse campus that would allow him to play basketball and earn an education. After overcoming his health problems, Tolson has a better appreciation for life. After being academically ineligible last year, Tolson has a better appreciation and respect for both basketball and academics. Due to his past life experiences, Tolson's maturity should shine through in Menlo Atherton's upcoming season.
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