Marcus Hall Q&A: 'I'm probably the biggest Buffs fan there is, man'

 

In the next chapter of our series catching up with Colorado Basketball Alumni who are playing in “TBT” next weekend, we touch base with Marcus Hall.

Hall ranks in the top 10 of both career assists, and career three pointer made at CU.

BSN Denver.com: Just to get started, take us through your career a little since CU?

Marcus Hall: “This is my seventh year, and I played the first six in Europe, in Turkey, Bulgaria, and Italy. I played this past season in the D-League.”

BSN: How would you describe the differences between playing overseas and playing in the D-league?

MH: “The European game is more patient, there’s a lot more passing with the intentions of getting everyone involved. In the NBA it’s more important to be able to get your own shot and create things for yourself, if you aren’t that type of player, it kind of tends to stand out.”

BSN: Which do you prefer?

MH: “The money is far from equal, that part of the equation is lopsided, definitely lopsided, but for me personally, it’s been a dream of mine to play in the NBA. So the D-League is a stepping stone for me, even at 29, 30-years old. You know, we had a former Buff play his first year in the league at 29, so I would prefer the D-League at this point, but I’m never opposed to either.”

BSN: Is Chris Copeland a guy that you can can take inspiration or advice from?

MH: “I don’t know if you know this, but Chris was my roommate in college, one of my best friends from CU, he and [Richard Roby] are. Chris and I talk to each other all the time, we’ve been through it. I was actually in Indiana working out with he and the Pacers before truing camp last year.”

BSN: Best memory from your pro career?

MH: “I just came back from a little tour in China and I scored 60, so that was pretty exciting.”

BSN: How about the weirdest thing that has happened to you, or just something out of the ordinary from playing overseas?

MH: “One of the weirdest things that I’ve always told people about is the shower scene… They kind of like, gang shower… You know, one person goes into a shower, and here comes three or four more guys into the same shower, and they just have a conversation. I don’t know man, in America it’s not going to happen like that.”

BSN: What was your favorite place you’ve lived in overseas?

MH: “I really loved Istanbul, it’s one of the biggest cities in the world, great restaurants, bars, one of the best places in the world for shopping. I’ve actually been to Milan too, and I would take Istanbul over Milan, I love it.”

BSN: What was the hardest adjustment off of the court?

MH: “The manners are a bit different that what we’re used to… You go to Burger King or something, and there’s not really a line formed, it’s kind of get in where you fit in. The airport is the same way, and even when you’re driving on the road its kind of a get in where you fit in type of mentality.”

BSN: Moving back to your days at Colorado, how about a best memory from your playing days?

MH: “My favorite personal memory would probably be senior night when I scored 31… But just playing with Rich [Roby], Chris [Copeland] and Cory [Higgins], I really cherish those moments with them. I talk to Chris pretty much daily, I talk to Rich a lot throughout the season, I talk to Cory throughout the season, and even Xavier Silas, I talk to him as well.”

BSN: Do you still follow the program closely?

MH: “Oh absolutely, absolutely. I’m probably the biggest Buff fan there is, man.”

BSN: What do you think of where the program stands now?

MH: “It’s unbelievable, for one I think the move to the Pac-12 was very beneficial… With that and the add on to the stadium, the facilities, I think they can be a top Pac-12 team for a long time.”

BSN: Do you get back to Boulder much?

MH: “Yeah, I actually live in Cherry Creek in the offseason with my girlfriend, so I get up to Boulder every now and then.”

BSN: Moving to the tournament you have coming up soon, how did you get involved with this TBT team?

MH: “It’s kind of been a dream to get back and play with some of my old teammates, Dwight [Thorne] and I had talked about getting guys back to play some pickup, and get good runs with the guys that are in Colorado in the summer. Luckily Beau [Gamble] is kind of connected to a few generations of CU basketball, and I was one of the first guys he talked to and we were able to get it together.”

BSN: What player are you most excited to play with?

MH: “Definitely Rich, I think because of how my game has changed since being at CU, and I’m sure his game has changed a lot as well from being almost a seasoned veteran, if you will, in professional basketball, compared to being a 21-year old in college.”

BSN: Is there a player that you didn’t play with in college that you’re excited to play with on this team?

MH: “I would have to say [Austin Dufault] and Marcus Relphorde, I think they bothe had great careers at CU. I remember hosting AD when he visited CU, so to see him grow into a good four year player, and now a professional basketball player, is pretty cool. I’ve always liked the way he plays.”

BSN: Any specific memories from that visit?

MH: “*Laughter* I remember he brought his parents on the visit so he was hanging out with them and the coaches a lot, but we just tried to show him how we lived a little bit, you know. I would share some more memories from that visit and other guys visits, but we’ll have to save that for another time.”

BSN: Do you think you guys have a shot at winning the whole thing?

MH: “We’re going to have to come together defensively, and I think with the limited big men that we have, we’re going to have to speed up the game, but small ball has been proven to win a championship now since Golden State just pulled it off. We have a lot of experience, I think that anything can happen.”

BSN: Do you think this tournament help you get exposure with NBA teams?

MH: “Oh absolutely, absolutely. I’ve heard of guys playing in pro-ams and different things like that, getting seen, and turning that into an opportunity to go to training camp. My focus out there is not to try and get an NBA contract, but I do intend to be at my best, to show anyone that’s watching who I am as a basketball player.

BSN: Anything you wanted to talk about that we didn’t already?

MH: “I just want to say go Buffs, and I appreciate the fans who voted us in. We are going to put on a show, we are going to have fun doing so, and we are going to represent CU in the right way.”

Marcus and the best of Team Colorado will take the floor next saturday against the winner of “Team 23” and “West Coast Ronin.” The game will be streamed online at this link.