Markelle Fultz

Markelle Fultz
Fultz in 2018
No. 20 – Philadelphia 76ers
Position Guard
League NBA
Personal information
Born (1998-05-29) May 29, 1998
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight 200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school DeMatha Catholic
(Hyattsville, Maryland)
College Washington (2016–2017)
NBA draft 2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Playing career 2017–present
Career history
2017–present Philadelphia 76ers
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA Americas U18 Championship
2016 Chile National team

Markelle N'Gai Fultz (born May 29, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Washington Huskies before joining the NBA. Termed the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA draft, Fultz—‌at point guard and shooting guard—‌played one season for an underperforming Washington team in 2016, where his scoring and athleticism were widely recognized. Fultz was selected to the third-team All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 during that period. He entered the draft the following year, and was selected first overall by the 76ers.

High school career

Fultz at the 2016 McDonald's All-American Game.

Fultz was born in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, a community about 23 miles (37 km) from Annapolis, the youngest of two children; his father abandoned the family and he relied heavily on his mother, Ebony.[1][2] Excitable and impassioned by basketball, in his early years Fultz was mentored by local instructor Keith Williams. In 2012, he began attending DeMatha Catholic High School, an athletically renowned, all-boys college-preparatory private school, but as a freshman he was ineligible from trying out for the varsity team, the Stags.[1][3] As a 5-foot-9-inch (1.75 m) sophomore, Fultz was overlooked for his unusual gait—‌having the appearance of "Bambi", assistant coach Cory McCrae said, "He was long and lanky, and he’d walk and his knees would be hurting"; subsequently, Fultz was cut and returned to junior varsity, where he outplayed the competition.[3]

Assistant coach Raphael Chillious of the Washington Huskies was the first to notice Fultz and described him as an athlete with the potential to be an NBA All-Star-caliber player if he continued to grow; at the start of his junior season, he measured 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m).[1][4] While a starter for DeMatha's varsity team, Fultz averaged 16.8 points (PPG), 7.9 rebounds (RPG), and 4.3 assists (APG) and was named Player of the Year in the highly-competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.[5] Among his junior year highlights were his game-winning foul shots in a 16-point performance against Chaminade—‌all while guarded by Jayson Tatum—‌and a triple-double in a matchup with Roselle Catholic at the Hoophall Classic.[6] His recruiting stature soared: Rivals.com ranked Fultz as No. 24 in the Class of 2016 and over 20 college programs offered him scholarships.[5]

Prior to his senior season, Fultz made a verbal commitment to Washington Huskies basketball on August 21, 2015.[7] He concluded his high school career with breakout numbers—‌recording the Stags' single-season record for assists (278) and leading the team to their second consecutive conference championship.[5][7] On March 31, 2016, Fultz posted 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists at the McDonald's All-American Game.[8] At the Jordan Brand Classic in April, he accumulated 19 points in a 131-117 East team victory.[9] During the summer, he was selected to Team USA's FIBA Americas Under-18 roster. With Fultz as the leading scorer, the team progressed to the gold medal championship game—‌and in dominating fashion, Fultz scored 23 points, which earned him the tournament's MVP award.[10]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Markelle Fultz
SG		 Upper Marlboro, MD DeMatha Catholic High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Aug 21, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 96
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 3   Rivals: 5  ESPN: 7
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

    College career

    The Huskies anticipated opening the 2016-2017 season with Dejounte Murray and Marquese Chriss; Fultz predicted in such a scenario: "I think we would be No. 1 in the country. We would have gone to the (NCAA) tournament and won the tournament".[11] Instead, both freshmen were selected in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft.[11] Without any proven talent and only one returning starter, Fultz took charge as a leader and scorer.[11] Starting at point guard, he debuted in a home game against Yale, posting 30 points in a 98-90 loss.[12]

    Though the remainder of the Huskies' year was disappointing—‌finishing with a 9-22 record—‌Fultz had one of the best freshman seasons in Pac-12 Conference history.[11] In 25 games, his 23.2 points per game was the highest mark in the Pac-12 in 20 years and second in Huskies history, behind Bob Houbregs' 25.6 points per game in 1952-1953.[11] He also led the team in minutes played (35.7), assists per game (5.7), and was second in rebounds per game (5.9). By the time Pac-12 honors were awarded, Fultz—‌the lone Husky selected—‌was named to the First-team All-Pac-12 and Third-team All-American.[11][13] A player who "jumps off the page athletically and possesses creative scoring instincts and playmaking skills", the consensus among sports analysts was that Fultz would be the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft.[14]

    Professional career

    Philadelphia 76ers (2017–present)

    Rookie season

    Fultz was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers, as the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft; they finalized his four-year rookie contract on July 8.[15][16][17] The 76ers, after years of obscurity, had lofty expectations entering the season: with a core consisting of Fultz, Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons, they had potential for a return to the playoffs for the first time since 2012.[17] In his first regular season game, on October 18, Fultz posted 10 points, three rebounds, and an assist in 18 minutes of play coming off the bench.[18] However, a shoulder injury—‌termed a "scapular muscle imbalance"—‌hindered Fultz's shooting early in the season—‌to such a degree that he posted only a 33% field goal percentage (FG%) and did not attempt a single three-pointer in four games. The 76ers decided to sit him indefinitely until he recovered.[19][20] It was later revealed by a trainer of his that he managed to get the yips during the majority of the rookie season.[21]

    During his absence, Fultz's shooting mechanics—‌which were altered by a trainer outside the 76ers organization months before the season—‌and lengthy recovery time were heavily scrutinized.[22] The team's president of basketball operations, Bryan Colangelo, suggested that the rookie may not play again during the season, but on March 26, 2018, it was announced that Fultz would return for a game against the Denver Nuggets.[23] Despite some missteps, including an air-ball and shots blocked, Fultz posted 10 points and eight assists in 14 minutes of playing time.[24] On April 11, he recorded his first triple-double at 19 years old, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to do so–a record previously held by fellow rookie Lonzo Ball earlier that season.[25]

    Career statistics

    Legend
      GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
     FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
     RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
     BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

    NBA

    Regular season

    Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
    2017–18 Philadelphia 14018.1.405.000.4763.13.8.9.37.1
    Career 14018.2.405.000.4763.13.8.9.37.1

    Playoffs

    Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
    2018 Philadelphia 307.7.143–.7501.01.7.7.01.7
    Career 307.7.143–.7501.01.7.7.01.7

    College

    Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
    2016–17 Washington 252535.7.476.413.6495.75.91.61.223.2

    References

    1. 1 2 3 Babb, Kent (June 22, 2017). "Markelle Fultz Never Forgets". Washington Post. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
    2. ↑ Sharp, Andrew (April 18, 2017). "Meeting Markelle Fultz: A Day With The NBA's (Likely) No. 1 Pick". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
    3. 1 2 Himmelsbach, Adam (June 16, 2017). "The Transformation of Markelle Fultz". Boston Globe. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
    4. ↑ Greenberg, Steve (December 20, 2016). "Long Overlooked, Washington Star Markelle Fultz Has Everyone's Attention Now". Bleacher Report. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
    5. 1 2 3 "Markelle Fultz". NBA.com. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
    6. ↑ Pompey, Keith (June 22, 2017). "Markelle Fultz proved his mettle at famed DeMatha High School". Philly.com. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
    7. 1 2 Johnson, Chris (August 21, 2015). "chooses Washington in recruiting coup for Lorenzo Romar". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
    8. ↑ Parker, Brandon (March 31, 2016). "Markelle Fultz, VJ King and Kaila Charles shine in McDonald's All-American Game". Washington Post. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
    9. ↑ Halley, Joe (April 15, 2016). "East takes a bruising victory in Jordan Brand Classic boys game". USA Today. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
    10. ↑ "Washington signee Markelle Fultz leads U18 team to gold at FIBA Americas Championship". USA Today. July 24, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
    11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Allen, Percy (March 7, 2017). "Markelle Fultz lived up to the hype for UW. So why did Huskies fail to deliver?". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
    12. ↑ Dauster, Rob (November 13, 2016). "Markelle Fultz shines but Washington loses opener to Yale". NBC. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
    13. ↑ "Markelle Fultz". Go Huskies.com. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
    14. ↑ Chavez, Chris (June 22, 2017). "Who is Markelle Fultz? Scouting report, bio, analysis of top NBA draft prospect". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
    15. ↑ "Celtics, 76ers finalize blockbuster deal to swap top picks". ESPN. June 19, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
    16. ↑ Whitaker, Lang (June 22, 2016). "Markelle Fultz goes No. 1 to Sixers while Lonzo Ball realizes dream of playing for hometown Lakers". NBA.com. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
    17. 1 2 Nathan, Alec (June 8, 2017). "Markelle Fultz agrees to rookie contract with Philadelphia 76ers". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
    18. ↑ Nelson, Owen (October 20, 2017). "Markelle Fultz showed positive signs in NBA debut". The Sixers Sense.com. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
    19. ↑ Winfield, Kristian (October 25, 2017). "What the heck is going on with Markelle Fultz's shoulder?". SBNation.com. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
    20. ↑ Barnewall, Chris (October 29, 2017). "Sixers rookie Markelle Fultz shut down with shoulder injury; reevaluated in three weeks". CBS. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
    21. ↑ https://www.slamonline.com/nba/trainer-markelle-fultz-yips-last-season/
    22. ↑ Wiggins, Brandon (February 15, 2018). "More details on the bizarre case of Markelle Fultz's lost shooting form have emerged". Business Insider. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
    23. ↑ Singer, Michael (March 26, 2018). "76ers say No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz is available vs. Denver". USA Today. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
    24. ↑ Gelston, Dan (March 27, 2018). "What Markelle Fultz and the 76ers had to say about his return to the court". Boston.com. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
    25. ↑ "76ers win 16th straight, earn 3 seed in romp over Bucks". ESPN.com. April 11, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
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