Townes Receives National Honor

Editor: The following is part of a press release from loyolaramblers.com.

(Chicago, IL) – Marques Townes, a redshirt senior guard at Loyola University Chicago, has been named Associated Press Men’s Basketball Honorable Mention All-America it was announced today. Townes, who was selected as the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, is the second Rambler in as many seasons to earn AP All-America accolades, joining Clayton Custer, who was an honorable mention honoree in 2018.

In helping Loyola to a share of the MVC regular season championship and a National Invitation Tournament berth in 2018-19, the 6-foot-4 Townes averaged 15.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He also collected National Association of Basketball Coaches First Team All-District 16 accolades and was a First Team All-MVC selection.

Townes scored in double figures 28 times this season, seven times netting 20 or more points, including a career-best 32-point effort in a victory over MVC co-champion Drake February 5.

A year ago, Townes helped Loyola to an unforgettable March as the Ramblers rolled all the way to the Final Four in their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1985. He hit one of the biggest shots in the tournament, knocking down a three-pointer in the closing seconds to seal a 69-68 victory over Nevada in the NCAA Sweet 16.

Loyola finished the 2018-19 season with a 20-14 overall record and a 12-6 mark in Valley play. This marked the program’s first consecutive 20-win seasons in 34 years and the first time since 1963 and 1964 that the Ramblers reached the postseason in back-to-back years.