Albany, NY — Former Sage Male Athlete of the Year Marcus Patterson (Bronx, NY/Mt. St. Michael Academy) and a four-year letterwinner at Sage on men's basketball, is continuing his basketball career as a professional and team member of Portimonense in the Proliga (Portugal) league. This marks the second time with the program after Patterson first signed with the squad in the summer of 2019.
In December of 2020, Patterson had signed with C.A. Queluz of the Proliga (Portugal) league. In a covid-19 shortened campaign, Patterson played in four games with an 8.2 point per game average. He also added 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game with the team.
Three summers ago, Patterson was on a basketball tour in Portugal and first signed a contract with Portimonense SC, a team in Portugal's Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol (LPB) I Divisão.
As a member of the 2019-2020 team, (Portimonense SC), Patterson averaged 22 points per game, 9 rebounds per game, and chipped in 2 steals a game. He was also named All-Portuguese First Division All-Import Team and All-Portuguese First Division Second Team, all while finishing seventh in the league's MVP voting.
Patterson noted, "I'm really excited about resigning with this team." He added, "I'm big on leadership and feel that I am a good presence in the locker room. Every game is important and every day counts here. I am really looking forward to getting better and accepting all the challenges we will face and feel I bring a lot to the program."
Patterson's journey commenced when he attended the Eurobasket Summer Exposure Camp in New York in 2019 and earned an opportunity to sign after a strong showing at the camp to participate in the Eurobasket Tour. Having worked extremely hard on developing his game the last few years, Patterson's hard work paid off as he earned a spot on the roster of team Portimonense S.C., based in Portimao, Algarve, Portugal. Patterson is once again wearing No. 4 on his back, but this time as a professional, and with his last name and the colors of team Portimonense.
Patterson started his basketball playing journey after attending Sage in the fall of 2017, playing in London, while he attended the University of East London and studied applied psychology and coaching psychology working toward his master's degree. He played for the University Team, which is a member of the British Universities and College Sports (BUCS) league and the National English Club Team. A member of the East London All-Stars, his season spanned September to March and allowed him to pursue his academic endeavors, while also pursuing another of his passions, basketball. He helped lead the team to NBL Division III Regular Season Runner-Up and Finalist, which allowed the team to be promoted to Division II for the 2018-2019 season.
As a senior at Sage, he was named the Gator of the Year as the team's most valuable player and was also tapped as the 2016-2017 Male Athlete of the Year.
Head men's basketball coach Brian Barnes said of Patterson, "Our coaching staff is incredibly proud of all that Marcus has accomplished during his four-year career at Sage." Barnes, added, "He is a great example of a student-athlete reaching their full potential through hard work, commitment and an incredible desire to succeed. Marcus has earned himself a place in our Gator record books and we're forever grateful for his invaluable contributions to our program. We wish Marcus all the best this season as he starts the next successful chapter in his professional career."
Patterson, who was a team co-captain and Skyline Conference All-Star First Team pick, capped his senior season having been ranked in 10 statistical categories nationally in Division III. He was ranked 74th nationally in total field goals attempted (381) after wrapping his stellar athletic career 1,021 career points, the third highest total among all Sage men's basketball players. Patterson also stands second all-time with his 552 rebounds in 102 career games played, which is also tied for second best all-time at Sage. He finished his senior season with 477 points, which is the most points scored in a single-season in the history of the squad. Patterson surpassed the single-season total of 468 points held by All-American Kai Deans (2014-2015). He averaged a team-best 17.7 ppg with a 7.5 rpg average in his 30.5 minutes per game.
He added 30 or more points three times, including a pair of 31-point showings. He earned seven selections to the Skyline Conference Weekly Honor Roll and scored double digits in all but three of his 27 games played and started this past season. He added eight double-doubles and was nationally ranked 111th with his double-doubles.
With the conclusion of the 2016-2017 basketball season, Sage's men's basketball program and several individuals were ranked nationally among the top performers for the season. By year's end, Sage earned a 17-10 record, while also bringing home the 2017 Skyline Conference Runner-up Trophy after winning the league's North Division III regular-season crown.
The Gators were ranked in 32 different statistical categories, while also standing in the Top 100 programs charted in 14 areas. Among the top national rankings for the Gators, Sage was 15th in forced turnovers (18.48), 21st in steals per game average (9.9), No. 22 in total steals (266), 29th in three point field goal percentage defense (31.0%), as well as 34th in both blocks per game (4.7) and field goal percentage defense (40.6%).
