Watching SUNY Orange men’s basketball over the past year, the word that might cross one’s mind would be: numbers. The team, especially this season, has been putting up numbers offensively, averaging more than 91 points per game. Bringing the ball up the court for the Colts is Marquis Gill, a sophomore guard with a knack for identifying and executing his shots as soon as the ball leaves his fingertips.

This is what drives Gill both on and off the court. Ultimately, this mindset led him to this point and SUNY Orange basketball history.

A Colt family connection

Gill graduated from Our Savior Lutheran School in the Bronx in 2020 after attending Middletown High School until the beginning of his senior year. After graduating, he moved south, attending Wake Tech in Raleigh, N.C. Raleigh is nearly 600 miles from the doors of the Paul Rickard Court, but SUNY Orange was still on his radar. 

“Keon, he was the main reason I knew what was going on with this program.” Gill says as he refers to his cousin, Keon Gill, a starting guard for the Colts’ Final Four team of 2023. “I was always keeping up that year watching what was going on. I knew a lot of those guys because we all grew up around each other. So I knew what the program had.”

While Keon and Marquis never got to share the court at SUNY Orange, when Marquis put on the Colts uniform it was clear he was going to fit in. During his Nov. 7, 2023 Colt debut against Western Connecticut, he scored 30 points, going 8-12 from three-point range and shooting 64 percent from the field. These numbers set the tone for his time at SUNY Orange.

Fast forward to Feb. 19, 2025, when Gill became the all-time 3-point leader at SUNY Orange, passing the record of 176 3-pointers made held previously by Kevin Stein, who was also a member of the 2022-23 team. Gill has gone on to tally 185 career 3-point baskets made.

His strong shooting and floor leadership has helped the Colts to a 27-4 record to date this season and a berth in the National Junior College Athletic Conference (NJCAA) Division II national championship tournament. Gill had a team-high 25 points last Saturday (March 8) as SUNY Orange defeated SUNY Niagara 68-67 in the East A District championship game.

SUNY Orange has earned the 15th seed in the tournament and will face Milwaukee Area Tech in the first round at 4 p.m. ET on Monday, March 17. This is the program’s second national tournament appearance in the past three years, and third overall.

The support to keep going

When you ask Gill about who has been key in getting him to this point, he says it goes back to the people who have pushed him to be better: mom, dad, and coach. For Gill, the support starts at home. “Growing up my mom and my dad put their foot forward to put me in the best position to succeed. They give me the support and resources that I need” says Gill, “My Dad was up at 5 a.m. in the gym with me, and my Mom was helping me with homework at night. They gave me that source of help and that push to always want to be better”

When asking Gill about what SUNY Orange Head Coach Tom Rickard means to him as a leader, it is clear this is not a question he takes lightly. “He wants to put everyone’s best foot forward and see EVERYBODY do better. When you look to the sideline, he is right there with us.”

Attend a men’s basketball game and you’ll notice Rickard, who has led the SUNY Orange program to two consecutive Region XV championship titles and a Final Four appearance. Rickard is a force on the sideline; perpetually moving, pointing, and talking to the team. To Gill, this is all a part of the bigger picture. “There are some coaches you see at games where it’s clear the connection isn’t there. That is not him,” says Gill, “It’s exciting because when you’re doing well you see him pumped up that you’re doing well. He makes you feel like you’re part of a team and when you feel like that it makes you feel like you can do anything.”

“Marquis demonstrates countless qualities that make him an excellent basketball player and an incredible role model off the court,” says Rickard, “His outstanding character as one of our team captains translates to his basketball prowess, which makes him an all-time great at SUNY Orange.”

Finding the Balance

The great athletes, the ones who dedicate themselves to their craft, inevitably find ways to apply that to other aspects of their lives. For Gill, his focus on focus (something his father instilled in him) is what has given him the tools to succeed both on the court and in the classroom.

This balance is something that is common among most student-athletes.

“I think you have to find the balance and that balance is key to making sure you do what you have to to keep up,” says Gill, “You have a little bit more pressure because you have to make sure you’re doing just as well in school as you are on the court/field, I think my teachers have been the best resource for me; getting to know and create a relationship with them so they understand what I’m doing has been really helpful.” 

When asked about what he’s carried from the court to the classroom, Gill’s answer is simple: “The hard work.” Gill continues, comparing it to working on a new move, practicing your jumper, or sharpening any skill in the game, “You have to keep going at it like you do in basketball. If you don’t understand something, keep asking questions, keep working harder every day to do better.”

Looking toward the future.

When asked: “Why SUNY Orange?” Gill’s response touches on three key things for him: the experience, the education, and of course, the push to be better.

For Gill, the student experience and education provided at SUNY Orange is second to none. “You will get the best opportunity that you can coming here.” says Gill, “ Whether it’s coaches or teachers you will get the best education, the best help if you need it, and a great overall experience.”

The same push to be better, the hard work that has brought him to where he is today, is the reason he recommends SUNY Orange. 

“Coming here will push you to do better. It will push you to become a better person. It will push you to want to do more in life and I think that SUNY Orange has all of that piled up into one. They’re still building here, they’re still adding to the college to better serve students but also those around the community who want to come here and have a better education.”

With his name cemented in SUNY Orange’s basketball record books, Gill isn’t done yet. The next chapter—one that includes a four-year program and a continued basketball career—awaits. If history tells us anything, it’s that he’ll be ready, and the numbers will follow.