Marques Whippy

Marques Reid Whippy (born February 5, 1986) is a Fijian professional basketball player who last played for the Canterbury Rams of the National Basketball League (NBL). The 192 cm power forward played college basketball for Brigham Young University in Hawaii before playing professionally in Spain, Australia, Chile and New Zealand.

Marques Whippy
Personal information
Born (1986-02-05) February 5, 1986
Suva, Fiji
NationalityFijian
Listed height192 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Career information
High schoolLDS Church College (Suva, Fiji)
Woods Cross (Woods Cross, Utah)
CollegeBYU–Hawaii (2007–2011)
NBA draft2011 / Undrafted
Playing career2011–present
PositionPower forward
Career history
2011–2012Bàsquet Mallorca
2012Brisbane Spartans
2013Northside Wizards
2013CD Universidad Católica
2014Otago Nuggets
2015–2017Canterbury Rams
Career highlights and awards
  • Pacific West Player of the Year (2011)
  • 2× First-team All-Pacific West (2010, 2011)
  • Second-team All-Pacific West (2009)

Early life and college

Born in Suva, Fiji to parents Paul and Olive, Whippy was the third eldest of six children. Despite growing up in a rugby dominated country, Whippy started playing basketball at a young age due to family influence – both his parents played and coached basketball at some level in Fiji. He quickly learned the skills and tactics of the game, and at the age of 14, he represented Fiji with the national basketball team.[1] With the national team, he won gold medals at the 2002 Oceania Youth Tournament in Tonga and the 2007 South Pacific Games in Samoa.[2]

Whippy attended LDS Church College in Tamavua, Suva before moving to the United States in 2003 to finish his senior year at Woods Cross High School in Woods Cross, Utah.[1] There, he played 4A state basketball and competed against fellow Fijian Tai Wesley.[3]

After serving a two-year Mormon mission with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Whippy joined the BYU–Hawaii Seasiders men's basketball team for the 2007–08 season. His size and physical abilities became an instrument for the Seasiders. During his junior year in 2009–10, he was awarded first team all-conference and led his team to the Division II National Championship held in Springfield, Massachusetts.[1] He improved further as a senior in 2010–11 as he earned the Pacific West Player of the Year award and finished his four-year career at BYU–Hawaii with a school-record of 245 steals.[4] In 31 games (30 starts) as a senior, he averaged 14.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.8 steals, 1.3 blocks in 31.2 minutes per game.[5]

Professional career

Spain

In August 2011, Whippy signed a one-year deal with Bàsquet Mallorca of the LEB Oro.[6] In 31 games for Mallorca in 2011–12, he averaged 8.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.[7]

Australia

In April 2012, following the conclusion of the LEB Oro season, Whippy moved to Australia and joined the Brisbane Spartans for the 2012 SEABL season. An ankle injury sidelined him for three weeks during May.[8][9] In 20 games for Brisbane, he averaged 10.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

Whippy returned to Australia in June 2013 and joined the Northside Wizards of the Queensland Basketball League.[10] In his first game for Northside, in round five against the Brisbane Capitals, he recorded 14 rebounds to go with seven points and five assists.[11][12] He appeared in 14 games for Northside in 2013, averaging 12.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a league-leading 3.1 steals per game.

Chile

In September 2013, Whippy moved to Chile and joined CD Universidad Católica of the Liga Nacional de Básquetbol de Chile. In 13 regular season games with Católica, Whippy averaged a league-leading 2.8 steals per game.[13] After Católica was knocked out of the playoffs with a 2–1 semi-final series loss to CD Liceo Mixto, Whippy departed Chile in December 2013.[14]

New Zealand

In January 2014, Whippy signed with the Otago Nuggets for the 2014 New Zealand NBL season.[15][16] After debuting with 17 rebounds against the Southland Sharks, a ruptured Achilles suffered at training ruled him out for the rest of the season.[17]

On September 29, 2014, Whippy signed with the Canterbury Rams for the 2015 New Zealand NBL season.[18][19] In 18 games for Canterbury, he averaged 7.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game.[20] In July 2015, he helped Fiji win silver at the South Pacific Games.[21]

In December 2015, Whippy re-signed with the Rams for the 2016 season.[22][23] He helped the Rams finish the regular season in first place with a 13–5 record. It marked the Rams' first playoff appearance since 2002 and their first regular season title since 1993. In their semi-final match-up with the fourth-seeded Super City Rangers, the Rams were defeated 104–85.[24][25] He appeared in all 19 games for the Rams in 2016, averaging 9.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game.[20]

On October 17, 2016, Whippy re-signed with the Rams for the 2017 season.[26] The Rams finished the regular season in fourth place with a 10–8 record,[27] and lost in the semi-finals to the Wellington Saints. He appeared in all 19 games for the Rams in 2016, averaging 6.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game.[28]

In August 2017, Whippy was retained by the Rams for the 2018 season.[29] However, he was re-classed as an import under new league rules, where Oceania players are no longer permitted to play as locals.[30] The Rams opted to move in a different direction with their imports late in pre-season,[31] with Whippy and the Rams controversially parting ways in April 2018.[32][33]

Personal

Whippy and his wife, Valmene,[34] have two daughters.[35] Whippy plays alongside his brothers, Leonard and Waymann, with the Fijian national basketball team.[34]

Whippy is one of six children to father Paul and mother Olive: older sister Majori, older brother Leonard, younger brother Waymann, and younger twin brothers Jared and Joshua. He also has an adopted sister, Jodie.[36] Both Jared and Joshua are on rugby scholarships in the United States at Brigham Young University (BYU).[37]

Whippy is a basketball coach at Christchurch's Hillmorton High School.[38]

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References
  1. "Biography – MARQUES WHIPPY 's Arena". marqueswhippy.weebly.com. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  2. "Career History – MARQUES WHIPPY 's Arena". marqueswhippy.weebly.com. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  3. Franchuk, Jason (March 3, 2004). "FIJI REPRESENTED WELL IN UTAH". HeraldExtra.com. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  4. "Marques Whippy". LatterDaySports.com. April 26, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  5. "2010-11 PacWest Men's Basketball". ThePacWest.com. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  6. "ADECCO ORO: Logitravel Mallorca Bàsquet ficha a Marques Whippy". FEB.es (in Spanish). August 3, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  7. "Marques Whippy – Spanish Basketball Federation". FEB.es (in Spanish). Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  8. Alston, Josh (May 11, 2012). "Brisbane Spartans import Marques Whippy fails fitness test for Nunawading SEABL clash". CourierMail.com.au. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  9. Alston, Josh (May 25, 2012). "Star player Marques Whippy will miss his third game for the Spartans with an ankle injury". CourierMail.com.au. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  10. O'Neill, Brent (July 24, 2013). "Giant goes against grain". Northside Chronicle. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  11. "Round 5 Previews: Men". QABL.basketball.net.au. June 5, 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  12. "Round 6 Previews: Men". QABL.basketball.net.au. June 13, 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  13. "Todo de cero: Tinguiririca espera debutar con un triunfo en la Fase Nacional". DiarioViRegion.cl (in Spanish). November 14, 2013. Archived from the original on May 30, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  14. "Thank you Chile! Thanks to all the people there who helped us make our..." Facebook.com. December 3, 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  15. Seconi, Adrian (January 22, 2014). "Basketball: Progress on new coach". ODT.co.nz. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  16. Seconi, Adrian (April 1, 2014). "Basketball: Whippy eager to taste success with Nuggets". ODT.co.nz. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  17. Seconi, Adrian (April 9, 2014). "Basketball: Achilles injury puts Whippy out for season". ODT.co.nz. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  18. Anderson, Niall (September 29, 2014). "Whippy Signs With Rams". NZhoops.co.nz. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  19. Egan, Brendon (September 30, 2014). "Marques Whippy joins the Canterbury Rams". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  20. "Player statistics for Marques Whippy". FoxSportsPulse.com. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  21. "Guam break Pacific Games hoodoo to win men's basketball gold". PortMoresby2015.com. July 12, 2015. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  22. Egan, Brendon (December 14, 2015). "Former Tall Black Jeremy Kench retires from National Basketball League after 12 years". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  23. "RAMS SIGN FOUR". Rams.org.nz. December 18, 2015. Archived from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  24. Egan, Brendon (June 3, 2016). "Canterbury Rams coach rules out semi-final nerves after NBL exit". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  25. "Rams vs Rangers". FIBALiveStats.com. June 3, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  26. van Royen, Robert (October 17, 2016). "Canterbury Rams lock in core of squad for next year's National Basketball League". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  27. Egan, Brendon (June 15, 2017). "Canterbury Rams heavy underdogs for NBL semi-final against unbeaten Saints". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  28. "Player statistics for Marques Whippy". SportsTG.com. October 31, 2017.
  29. Egan, Brendon (August 29, 2017). "Canterbury Rams lose Marcus Alipate as NBL import rule alters landscape". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  30. Egan, Brendon (October 31, 2017). "Canterbury Rams co-captain Ethan Rusbatch not returning in 2018". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  31. Egan, Brendon (April 27, 2018). "Marques Whippy and family leaving Christchurch after Canterbury Rams axing". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  32. "CANTERBURY RAMS PRESS RELEASE- 8/4/2018". Rams.org.nz. April 8, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  33. NZhoops (April 9, 2018). "The Rams have also signed 6'8" Kiwi..." Twitter. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  34. Egan, Brendon (May 29, 2015). "Canterbury Rams aim to bounce back with victory in National Basketball League". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  35. "Congratulations to the Whippy family on the birth of their gorgeous new..." Facebook.com. December 28, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  36. Mickelson, Bob (February 16, 2014). "Fijian dominates court for Wildcats". DavisClipper.com. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  37. Egan, Brendon (March 16, 2016). "Basketball a family affair for Canterbury Rams' Fijian Marques Whippy". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  38. van Royen, Robert (May 26, 2017). "Ram forward Marques Whippy fed up with slow starts crippling team". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
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