 "Photo: Graphic by Josh O'Bright")
Titans senior basketball player D.J. Marsh finished his career as the third-best scorer in league history, but he had to follow a tough path to get there.
For those in attendance at the men’s basketball season finale against Silver Lake College, they witnessed more than just a dominating win by the Titans.
They also witnessed the ending of the D.J Marsh era, punctuated by a stellar 37 point, 11 rebound performance in his 105 start.
The road to becoming one of the greatest players in school history began when he discovered basketball during middle school in Milwaukee, after moving north from Chicago.
While growing up in Milwaukee, Marsh had an unstable home life and had to replace his parents with other role models.
One of those role models is Michael Kroeger, the father of one of Marsh’s best friends, who introduced him to basketball.
The other is Lee Shaw, another friend’s father. His family took Marsh in and gave him a place to stay.
“I couldn’t stay at home, so they let me stay with them for the whole year,” Marsh said. “They treated me like I was part of the family. I never felt left out or anything. They made the transition a lot easier for me.”
The transition to Oshkosh proved to be a good environment for Marsh in comparison to the sometimes rough moments in Milwaukee.
“They weren’t the best situations, but they got me ready for life,” said Marsh.
Life and basketball seemed to go hand-in-hand for Marsh, who saw the game as an outlet and a way to keep things in perspective.
“It has given me a lot of structure and has kept me in line,” said Marsh.
Even though basketball may not always be around for Marsh, he sees it as an opportunity to refocus his energy elsewhere.
“I understand that I can’t play forever, and it won’t always be there for me,” Marsh said.
Marsh can potentially continue to play overseas, but a location is yet to be determined.
“I would love to be able to get an opportunity to play overseas,” said Marsh, who will pursue a career in criminal justice if his basketball days are over. “I’m not entirely sure of the process and how it all works, but I would be grateful to play anywhere.”
If playing overseas doesn’t happen, Marsh will still be content with his playing days at Oshkosh, and he said he would do it all again.
“I wouldn’t replace my time here with anything else,” he said. “I’m not where I thought I would be, but I’m definitely happy I came.”
A series of broken ankles took away Marsh’s hopes of playing Division I basketball, but Oshkosh coach Ted Van Dellen saw Marsh’s potential and recruited him anyway.
Even though he once was planning on playing basketball in North Dakota, Marsh is grateful to be where he is at.
“I would have to say my time here was a blessing, and I’m definitely glad I’m here,” Marsh said.
Those who know Marsh are grateful for the persistence of Van Dellen’s recruiting that brought him to Oshkosh, where he was a team-leader and a great example for other players.
“The fact that he puts the team ahead of himself, when he could easily be a ‘me’ player but isn’t, speaks to his character,” senior teammate Luke Miller said. “His presence on the team and on the court is hard to describe, because he does so many things for the team. It is almost reassuring, you feel confident playing with such a talented, poised player.”
Marsh’s talent and poise have carried him through his career, and his final 37 points moved him into third place on the school’s all-time scoring list and 21 st in conference history.
Marsh started his career off on a good note in the 2006-07 season when he averaged 10.4 points and 3.3 rebounds a game.
Marsh said that one of his favorite moments as a Titan was during his freshmen year when the team beat UW-Stevens Point, who was 16-1 going into that game.
“I always heard how good they (Stevens Point) were,” he said. “They seemed unbeatable. It was amazing to knock that team off. It wasn’t the last time we beat them, but it was my first time winning against a good team in such a great and intense environment.”
Marsh’s averages almost doubled in 2007-08 when he put up 17.1 points a game and 6.6 rebounds.
The numbers continued to improve in 2008-09, and Marsh was named the conference Player of the Year, which is something only three other players in school history have accomplished.
Marsh’s final year brought his high point average of his career with 22.3 points a game and he was named to numerous All-American lists including the Sporting News, D3hoops.com and National Association of Basketball Coaches Association teams.
The list of accolades displays the magnitude of what Marsh has done despite the adverse circumstances he has faced, which says a lot about his character.
Within a few years, Marsh went from sleeping on a friend’s couch to recognition as one of the best basketball players in the country, and he wouldn’t change a thing about his journey.
“I couldn’t imagine it any other way,” he said.
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