Marquise Simmons signs professional contract with Dutch League’s Leeuwarden

Courtesy of GoBonnies.com

2014 St. Bonaventure graduate Marquise Simmons has signed a professional contract to play for Aris Leeuwarden of the Dutch Basketball League.

Simmons, a 6-foot-8, 230-lb. forward, enjoyed his best season as a senior, starting all 33 games. The Washington, D.C., native averaged 8.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, both career highs. Simmons finished third in the Atlantic 10 Conference in field goal percentage at .595 (110-185). He recorded two of his four career double-doubles this past season: 15 points and 10 rebounds in a win at Iona on Dec. 14, and 19 points and 11 rebounds in a home win over UMass-Lowell Dec. 3. Simmons scored in double figures 10 times including 15 points, his top conference scoring output, in the A-10 Tournament win over LaSalle.  He helped spark wins over LaSalle and Saint Louis which enabled St. Bonaventure to reach the semifinals of the A-10 Tournament.

For his career, Simmons played in 114 games and totaled 667 points and 488 rebounds. His career field goal percentage of .545 ranks fourth best in St. Bonaventure history.  Simmons overcame a ruptured Achilles tendon in his left foot which he suffered just two minutes into the first game of the 2011-12 season.

Leeuwarden plays in the Ere Division of the Dutch League. The team finished 13-23 last season and lost to Den Bosch in the quarterfinals of the league playoffs.

Simmons, who graduated in May with bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication, is the 13th St. Bonaventure men’s basketball alumnus to sign a professional contract since Mark Schmidt became the Bonnies’ head coach in 2007.  He joins Michael Lee, Zarryon Fereti, Tyler Relph, Jonathan Hall, Ogo Adeboye, D’Lancy Carter, Da’Quan Cook, Chris Johnson, Demetrius Conger, Chris Matthews, Eric Mosley and Andrew Nicholson. Nicholson was a first round NBA draft pick of the Orlando Magic in 2012. In addition, Simmons’ 2014 classmates Charlon Kloof and Matthew Wright are also expected to play professionally next season; both have signed with agents.