Marcus Santos-Silva
Marcus Santos-Silva (born June 7, 1997) is an American college basketball player for the Texas Tech Red Raiders of the Big 12 Conference.
No. 14 – Texas Tech Red Raiders | |
---|---|
Position | Power forward |
League | Big 12 Conference |
Personal information | |
Born | Boston, Massachusetts | June 7, 1997
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | |
College |
|
Early life and high school career
Growing up, Santos-Silva played tight end on the gridiron and preferred football to basketball. During his freshman season at Taunton High School, he decided to focus on basketball after he had a growth spurt and defenders began targeting his knees. Following his sophomore season, Santos-Silva transferred to Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School. He transferred again to Vermont Academy and repeated his junior year.[1] As a senior, Santos-Silva was named to the Lakes Region all-conference team, helping the team finish 19-11.[2] He committed to VCU over offers from Kansas State, Boston College and Temple, among others.[1]
College career
As a freshman at VCU, Santos-Silva averaged 3.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.[3] During the offseason, he greatly worked on expanding his game, particularly his shooting and conditioning and lost 30 pounds over the summer.[4][3] In the Atlantic 10 Tournament, Santos-Silva contributed 26 points and 22 rebounds in a quarterfinal victory over Rhode Island, VCU's first 20-20 game since Kendrick Warren in 1991.[3] He was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team and helped the Rams reach the NCAA Tournament.[1] Santos-Silva averaged 10 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore.[5] During the summer, Santos-Silva focused on his rebounding and adding a mid-range shot.[4] On January 5, 2020, he tied his career high with 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 72-59 win against George Mason.[6] As a junior, Santos-Silva averaged 12.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, while shooting 56.9 percent from the floor. Following the season, he decided to transfer to Texas Tech as a graduate transfer.[7] He finished his bachelor's degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness in the summer of 2020, and was eligible for Texas Tech immediately.[8]
Santos-Silva was named the preseason Big 12 Conference newcomer of the year. In his Texas Tech debut on November 25, Santos-Silva finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds in a 101-58 win against Northwestern State.[9]
Personal life
Santos-Silva is the son of Louie Silva and Jackie Santos-Silva. [1] He is a fan of the Boston Celtics.[10]
References
- Sanchez, Steve (March 21, 2019). "Former Taunton Tiger roars onto national stage at NCAA tournament Friday". Taunton Gazette. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- Silva Jr., Carlos; Williams, Don (April 29, 2020). "VCU power forward Santos-Silva pledges to Texas Tech". Amarillo Globe-News. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- DeShazo, Steve (January 5, 2020). "STEVE DESHAZO: Slimmed-down Santos-Silva is stepping up for VCU". The Free Lance–Star. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- Epps, Wayne (October 31, 2019). "Work ethic not a problem for VCU's Marcus Santos-Silva". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- Epps, Wayne (April 21, 2020). "VCU's Marcus Santos-Silva pursuing other opportunities with an eye on the future". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- "Santos-Silva scores 26 to lift VCU past George Mason 72-59". ESPN. Associated Press. January 5, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- Borzello, Jeff (April 29, 2020). "Ex-VCU big man Marcus Santos-Silva transferring to Texas Tech". ESPN. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- Silva, Carlos (September 3, 2020). "VCU transfer Santos-Silva shows team-first attitude early to Tech teammates, coaches". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- "No. 14 Texas Tech opens with 101-58 win over Northwestern St". ESPN. November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- Wetzler, Jessica (February 19, 2018). "Ram in Action: Marcus Santos-Silva". The Commonwealth Times. Retrieved October 28, 2020.