Marques Whippy

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Marques Whippy
No. 44 – Canterbury Rams
Position Power forward
League NBL
Personal information
Born (1986-05-02) May 2, 1986 (age 37)
Suva, Fiji
Nationality Fijian
Listed height 193 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Listed weight 113 kg (249 lb)
Career information
High school LDS Church College (Suva, Fiji)
Woods Cross (Woods Cross, Utah)
College BYU–Hawaii (2007–2011)
NBA draft 2011 / Undrafted
Playing career 2011–present
Career history
2011–2012 Bàsquet Mallorca
2012 Brisbane Spartans
2013 Northside Wizards
2013 CD Universidad Católica
2014 Otago Nuggets
2015–present Canterbury Rams
Career highlights and awards
  • Pacific West Player of the Year (2011)
  • 2× First-team All-Pacific West (2010, 2011)
  • Second-team All-Pacific West (2009)

Marques Reid Whippy (born May 2, 1986) is a Fijian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Canterbury Rams of the National Basketball League (NBL). The 193 cm power forward played college basketball for Brigham Young University in Hawaii before playing professionally in Spain, Australia, Chile and New Zealand.

Early life and college

Born in Suva, Fiji to parents Paul and Olive, Whippy was the third eldest of six children. Despite growing up in a rugby dominated country, Whippy started playing basketball at a young age due to family influence – both his parents played and coached basketball at some level in Fiji. He quickly learned the skills and tactics of the game, and at the age of 14, he represented Fiji with the national basketball team.[1] With the national team, he won gold medals at the 2002 Oceania Youth Tournament in Tonga and the 2007 South Pacific Games in Samoa.[2]

Whippy attended LDS Church College in Tamavua, Suva before moving to the United States in 2003 to finish his senior year at Woods Cross High School in Woods Cross, Utah.[1] There, he played 4A state basketball and competed against fellow Fijian Tai Wesley.[3]

After serving a two-year Mormon mission with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Whippy joined the BYU–Hawaii Seasiders men's basketball team for the 2007–08 season. His size and physical abilities became an instrument for the Seasiders. During his junior year in 2009–10, he was awarded first team all-conference and led his team to the Division II National Championship held in Springfield, Massachusetts.[1] He improved further as a senior in 2010–11 as he earned the Pacific West Player of the Year award and finished his four-year career at BYU–Hawaii with a school-record of 245 steals.[4] In 31 games (30 starts) as a senior, he averaged 14.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.8 steals, 1.3 blocks in 31.2 minutes per game.[5]

Professional career

Spain

In August 2011, Whippy signed a one-year deal with Bàsquet Mallorca of the LEB Oro.[6] In 31 games for Mallorca in 2011–12, he averaged 8.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.[7]

Australia

In April 2012, following the conclusion of the LEB Oro season, Whippy moved to Australia and joined the Brisbane Spartans for the 2012 SEABL season. However, his season was interrupted by an ankle injury that sidelined him for three weeks during May.[8][9] In 20 games for Brisbane, he averaged 10.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

Whippy returned to Australia in June 2013 and joined the Northside Wizards of the Queensland Basketball League.[10] In his first game for Northside in Round 5 against the Brisbane Capitals, he dominated on the boards with 14 rebounds and also put up seven points and five assists.[11][12] He appeared in 14 games for Northside in 2013, averaging 12.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and a league-leading 3.1 steals per game.

Chile

In September 2013, Whippy moved to Chile and joined CD Universidad Católica of the Liga Nacional de Básquetbol de Chile. In 13 regular season games with Católica, Whippy averaged a league-leading 2.8 steals per game.[13] After Católica was knocked out of the playoffs with a 2–1 semi-final series loss to CD Liceo Mixto, Whippy departed Chile in December 2013.[14]

New Zealand

In January 2014, Whippy signed with the Otago Nuggets for the 2014 New Zealand NBL season.[15][16] He made his debut for the Nuggets in their season opener on April 4 against the Southland Sharks. In 33 minutes of action, he recorded 8 points, 17 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks to help the Nuggets to an 83–77 win.[17] His great start to the season was shattered three days later on April 7 when he ruptured his Achilles while training; he was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the season.[18]

On September 29, 2014, Whippy signed with the Canterbury Rams for the 2015 New Zealand NBL season.[19][20] In 18 games for Canterbury, he averaged 7.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game.[21] In July 2015, he helped Fiji win silver at the South Pacific Games.[22]

In December 2015, Whippy re-signed with the Rams for the 2016 season.[23][24]

Personal

Whippy and his wife, Valmene,[25] have two daughters.[26] Whippy plays alongside his brothers, Leonard and Waymann, with the Fijian national basketball team.[25]

Whippy is one of six children to father Paul and mother Olive: older sister Majori, older brother Leonard, younger brother Waymann, and younger twin brothers Jared and Joshua. He also has an adopted sister, Jodie.[27] Both Jared and Joshua are on rugby scholarships in the United States at Brigham Young University (BYU).[28]

References

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External links