Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #2 St. Thomas on March 5, 2026 , Loss , 67, to, 80
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FINAL
Men's Basketball
67
vs #2 St. Thomas
80
South Dakota State University Athletics
Photo by: Aris Leeuwarden
#ProJacks: George Marshall
6/28/2017 8:20:00 AM | Men's Basketball
In the first of a four-part series on South Dakota State Men's Basketball #ProJacks, GoJacks.com dives into George Marshall's first season in professional ball, and what's next.
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One of two Jackrabbit rookies in Europe this season, George Marshall spent his 2016-17 season in the Netherlands with Aris Leuwaarden of the Dutch Basketball League.
Marshall spent time in Holland before as a youth Global Sports Academy competitor, making the transition to a foreign country easier.
"Nothing really made me go, 'wow' over there," Marshall said when talking about the culture adjustment. "It's a pretty wide mix of cultures over there, so nothing is crazy different. The biggest thing was probably learning how to drive a stick-shift car to get around."
With the transportation being his chief hurdle to overcome outside the court, it was easier for Marshall to direct his attention between the lines as he wowed the league with 13.85 points per game as the DBL's eighth best scorer.
"I was really just able to focus on practice and getting better as a professional," Marshall said. "There was a lot less stress, where I wasn't worried about school or grades, and instead it was just my job to play basketball full-time. That allowed me to come into all of the workouts with a clear mind and give it all I had every time."
The efforts paid off, as Marshall noticed an uptick in his game, specifically in growing his playmaking ability and getting to the basket.
"I knew I had a pretty good career at SDSU, but had things to improve on," Marshall said. "I really went in wanting to focus on those areas (mentioned above) and get better at getting to the spots I wanted to be at on the floor."
Those drives into the lane increased Marshall's opportunities at the charity stripe, where he thrived by knocking down 81.73 percent of his attempts - good enough for the third best percentage in the league.
Additionally, the guard scored 10 or more on 17 occasions, as five times put up 20 or more points in game.
It wasn't all basketball, all the time, for Marshall, however, as the first-year pro took advantage of his location to travel and soak up the experience.
"We did a little of everything off the court," Marshall, who was one of two Americans on the team, said. "We did the tourist-type stuff and went out when we could. The downtown Holland area was really nice with restaurants and just amazing architecture, so we soaked up what the city had to offer."
Beyond that, he spent time reading, following America's news and the most recent Jackrabbit campaign.
Marshall's season ended in April, and the Chicago native returned home for an offseason of training and hitting up local eateries.
"The first thing I did was go to my favorite restaurants back in Chicago," Marshall. "Overseas, I cooked a lot, and ate a lot of the same things over and over, so to get back and enjoy some local food spots was big."
As for what's next, Europe's free agent market doesn't begin to materialize until mid- to late-summer, meaning the waiting-game has begun for Marshall, who will look for guidance from his agent after putting his best foot forward during the rookie campaign.
"This year was a great experience," Marshall said. "I was fortunate to be in a nice country as a rookie and grow my game. I think that obviously helped us on the court this year, but also helped my marketability going forth."
Look for part two of #ProJacks, featuring Kai Williams, July 3.
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One of two Jackrabbit rookies in Europe this season, George Marshall spent his 2016-17 season in the Netherlands with Aris Leuwaarden of the Dutch Basketball League.
Marshall spent time in Holland before as a youth Global Sports Academy competitor, making the transition to a foreign country easier.
"Nothing really made me go, 'wow' over there," Marshall said when talking about the culture adjustment. "It's a pretty wide mix of cultures over there, so nothing is crazy different. The biggest thing was probably learning how to drive a stick-shift car to get around."
With the transportation being his chief hurdle to overcome outside the court, it was easier for Marshall to direct his attention between the lines as he wowed the league with 13.85 points per game as the DBL's eighth best scorer.
"I was really just able to focus on practice and getting better as a professional," Marshall said. "There was a lot less stress, where I wasn't worried about school or grades, and instead it was just my job to play basketball full-time. That allowed me to come into all of the workouts with a clear mind and give it all I had every time."
The efforts paid off, as Marshall noticed an uptick in his game, specifically in growing his playmaking ability and getting to the basket.
"I knew I had a pretty good career at SDSU, but had things to improve on," Marshall said. "I really went in wanting to focus on those areas (mentioned above) and get better at getting to the spots I wanted to be at on the floor."
Those drives into the lane increased Marshall's opportunities at the charity stripe, where he thrived by knocking down 81.73 percent of his attempts - good enough for the third best percentage in the league.
Additionally, the guard scored 10 or more on 17 occasions, as five times put up 20 or more points in game.
It wasn't all basketball, all the time, for Marshall, however, as the first-year pro took advantage of his location to travel and soak up the experience.
"We did a little of everything off the court," Marshall, who was one of two Americans on the team, said. "We did the tourist-type stuff and went out when we could. The downtown Holland area was really nice with restaurants and just amazing architecture, so we soaked up what the city had to offer."
Beyond that, he spent time reading, following America's news and the most recent Jackrabbit campaign.
Marshall's season ended in April, and the Chicago native returned home for an offseason of training and hitting up local eateries.
"The first thing I did was go to my favorite restaurants back in Chicago," Marshall. "Overseas, I cooked a lot, and ate a lot of the same things over and over, so to get back and enjoy some local food spots was big."
As for what's next, Europe's free agent market doesn't begin to materialize until mid- to late-summer, meaning the waiting-game has begun for Marshall, who will look for guidance from his agent after putting his best foot forward during the rookie campaign.
"This year was a great experience," Marshall said. "I was fortunate to be in a nice country as a rookie and grow my game. I think that obviously helped us on the court this year, but also helped my marketability going forth."
Look for part two of #ProJacks, featuring Kai Williams, July 3.
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