CAA Under the Radar: Marcus Damas (Towson)

Towson did not enjoy the results of a 1-31 season in 2011-12.  They were in the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons as winning became a insurmountable task on a weekly basis.  The Tigers set a NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball record by losing 41 games in a row from Dec. 2010 to Jan. 2012.  Despite the turmoil, a bright spot was the play of forward Marcus Damas.

The 6-8 junior from Bay Shore, N.Y. had one of the best seasons among forwards in the CAA last year.  He had 22 double-digit scoring games and led the team in scoring with 12.5 per game.  That positioned him 15th in the conference.  His 5.3 rebounds per game ranked second on the team.  He posted a season-high 26 points against CAA regular season champion Drexel, dropped 25 against George Mason and had a double-double–18 points and 10 rebounds–against Oregon State.  So, he is no stranger to performing against the tougher competition in college basketball.

Damas is athletic and can play multiple positions on the wing.   Just check out his YouTube archive if you need confirmation.  He has all the skill sets and intangibles you want from a scoring wing player.

“Marcus surprised us a little last year, in a good way,” said Towson head coach Pat Skerry.  “He’s a guy who puts it on the deck pretty good. He has a long reach and we love his energy and enthusiasm. He has improved his skills significantly.”

Damas is the team’s returning leading scorer and rebounder.  He also ranked seventh in the conference in minutes played, a number that will most likely increase this season.  The Tigers will lean heavily on the skills and energy of Damas to redeem some pride from last season’s blunders.