Often out-sized, Marcus Colbert runs the show efficiently for MSU
Photo by: Ruth Shellenberg
Running the Point, Marcus Colbert Leads Bobcats
1/28/2015 4:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MSU junior forms dynamic backcourt with Michael Dison
Brian Fish took great care not to make snap judgments when he accepted the Montana State basketball head coach position last April, but there was one he couldn't help.
"I liked him as soon as I watched him play," the well-travelled veteran said of Bobcat junior Marcus Colbert, his new point guard. "I like how he played, I liked how he interacted with his teammates and coaches, I knew he was the kind of point guard you can build around."
Colbert has not disappointed. After starting off and on during his first two seasons at MSU, the Post Falls, Idaho, product has blossomed. He averages 5.6 assists per game, second-best in the Big Sky and one of the 50 best rates in Division I basketball. He remains a solid secondary scoring threat, has defended well, and even chips in more than three rebounds a game.
"Marcus is a baller," Fish says, dealing out a high compliment. "He loves to play basketball. He has great passion for the game, and that is important."
The road to this point, however, hasn't been a straight one for MSU's point guard. In his first two years at MSU he started 52 out of the team's 61 games, but his role was often undefined. Playing with Dison and former Bobcat Antonio Biglow, more comfortable with the ball in his hands than not, Colbert was often asked to serve in a scoring role, but did so surrounded by a strong arsenal of offensive weapons. Last season, Colbert took 7.2 shots a game.
That rate was right in line with his 6.9 shots per game in his career, and the 7.9 attempts through MSU's first seven games this season. He shot 43.5% from the field and 37.1% from the three-point circle in 2013-14, as well.
But when Stephan Holm, MSU's top three-point shooter, missed five games with a head injury, Colbert's offensive role ramped up drastically. From the Utah Valley game in December through the first conference contest, he attempted nearly 14 shots per game, hitting at just a 37.8% clip.
"We needed Marcus to score more" when Holm was injured, Fish said. "To his credit he stepped up. But that's not the role he's best in. Our team is better when Marcus is a pass-first point guard."
Colbert concurs. "When Steph was out I felt like I had to score a little bit more," he said. "But now that he's back I can go back to finding open guys and not worry about scoring. But at the same time I've got to be a player, make (defenses) respect my game and pick my shots."
Sliding in and out of offensive roles has been a challenge, but not as big as stepping into the role of team leader. "Coach is always on me about leading by example and vocally," he said. "Point guard is an extension of the coach on the floor so you've got to know what he wants from all positions. You've got to bring intensity and energy every day, pay attention to details, and try to be confident."
Colbert's running mate the past three seasons, senior guard Michael Dison, appreciates the synergy he shares with Colbert. "We have that kind of connection on the court where we don't have to say much, we just know what (the other is) about to do. We work off of each other."
Dison said Colbert's evolution became complete this winter thanks in large part to one key ingredient. "Maturity," Dison says simply when asked about the biggest difference in Colbert this season. "He's taking a lot better shots this year, and he's definitely doing a great job distributing the ball. He's become a pass-first point guard, and that's really helped his game."
The leadership role, Dison says, is not confined to the hardwood. "Everybody on the team respects him. We joke around and everything, but everyone on the team respects him. I think guys on the team look to him for answers if there's something they want to know if they should do or not."
Colbert, Dison and the Bobcats will see a familiar pairing on Thursday, when the Cats face Sacramento State. Like Montana State, the Hornets are led by the veteran backcourt pairing of Mikh McKinney and Dylan Garrity. Dison says MSU's task is tall. "Those two guys have been playing together – and well – for the last three years. It shows. They're two of the best guards in the league and we're going to have our work cut out for us."
"I liked him as soon as I watched him play," the well-travelled veteran said of Bobcat junior Marcus Colbert, his new point guard. "I like how he played, I liked how he interacted with his teammates and coaches, I knew he was the kind of point guard you can build around."
Colbert has not disappointed. After starting off and on during his first two seasons at MSU, the Post Falls, Idaho, product has blossomed. He averages 5.6 assists per game, second-best in the Big Sky and one of the 50 best rates in Division I basketball. He remains a solid secondary scoring threat, has defended well, and even chips in more than three rebounds a game.
"Marcus is a baller," Fish says, dealing out a high compliment. "He loves to play basketball. He has great passion for the game, and that is important."
The road to this point, however, hasn't been a straight one for MSU's point guard. In his first two years at MSU he started 52 out of the team's 61 games, but his role was often undefined. Playing with Dison and former Bobcat Antonio Biglow, more comfortable with the ball in his hands than not, Colbert was often asked to serve in a scoring role, but did so surrounded by a strong arsenal of offensive weapons. Last season, Colbert took 7.2 shots a game.
That rate was right in line with his 6.9 shots per game in his career, and the 7.9 attempts through MSU's first seven games this season. He shot 43.5% from the field and 37.1% from the three-point circle in 2013-14, as well.
But when Stephan Holm, MSU's top three-point shooter, missed five games with a head injury, Colbert's offensive role ramped up drastically. From the Utah Valley game in December through the first conference contest, he attempted nearly 14 shots per game, hitting at just a 37.8% clip.
"We needed Marcus to score more" when Holm was injured, Fish said. "To his credit he stepped up. But that's not the role he's best in. Our team is better when Marcus is a pass-first point guard."
Colbert concurs. "When Steph was out I felt like I had to score a little bit more," he said. "But now that he's back I can go back to finding open guys and not worry about scoring. But at the same time I've got to be a player, make (defenses) respect my game and pick my shots."
Sliding in and out of offensive roles has been a challenge, but not as big as stepping into the role of team leader. "Coach is always on me about leading by example and vocally," he said. "Point guard is an extension of the coach on the floor so you've got to know what he wants from all positions. You've got to bring intensity and energy every day, pay attention to details, and try to be confident."
Colbert's running mate the past three seasons, senior guard Michael Dison, appreciates the synergy he shares with Colbert. "We have that kind of connection on the court where we don't have to say much, we just know what (the other is) about to do. We work off of each other."
Dison said Colbert's evolution became complete this winter thanks in large part to one key ingredient. "Maturity," Dison says simply when asked about the biggest difference in Colbert this season. "He's taking a lot better shots this year, and he's definitely doing a great job distributing the ball. He's become a pass-first point guard, and that's really helped his game."
The leadership role, Dison says, is not confined to the hardwood. "Everybody on the team respects him. We joke around and everything, but everyone on the team respects him. I think guys on the team look to him for answers if there's something they want to know if they should do or not."
Colbert, Dison and the Bobcats will see a familiar pairing on Thursday, when the Cats face Sacramento State. Like Montana State, the Hornets are led by the veteran backcourt pairing of Mikh McKinney and Dylan Garrity. Dison says MSU's task is tall. "Those two guys have been playing together – and well – for the last three years. It shows. They're two of the best guards in the league and we're going to have our work cut out for us."
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