Here at Greenville University, the Men’s Basketball program has its own unique style of play, which allows them to shoot the ball twice as much as their opponent. This style of play is known as “the system” and is great for shooters. The Panthers were able to welcome a pure shooter who goes by the name of Marvin Bateman into the program in the 2017-2018 recruitment process. After last year’s performance on the court, everyone knew that Bateman could knock down three-pointers from all over the court.
Bateman was born and raised in Belleville, Illinois and grew up playing basketball. Bateman’s friends and classmates know him as Marv. Bateman’s outstanding performances in the regular AAU league allowed him to move on up to the next level of AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball. Bateman later found himself playing for James Ramey United, which is a sponsored AAU team by Adidas and is known for playing in sponsored Adidas tournaments. One of the biggest tournaments Bateman played in was the Adidas Gauntlet. “This tournament was so fun and unbelievable. The amount of competition and fast-paced level of play was completely new to me.” Bateman stated. Bateman attended Althoff Catholic High School and was a four-year varsity player. Bateman said, “I enjoyed my high career the most, especially my junior year when we won state and were ranked fifth in the country. Being recognized on social media by people we didn’t know was something special and me being a big piece in the team was surreal because I really helped us win state.” Bateman loved all of the fame and felt like him and his team had the spotlight shining down on them. One of his biggest challenges was being undersized. Bateman always heard that he was only good for shooting and nothing else. Despite the criticism, he never stopped playing the sport he had a passion for and proved to everyone that he was able to do more than just shoot. There are many basketball experts that Bateman studies to help him learn better ways to score and improve skills. However, in the end, Lebron James is his biggest inspiration.
Bateman stated, “LeBron James inspires me because of how humble he is on and off the court. He does his work in silence and tries to make everyone else around him a better athlete and human.” Bateman also said that he’s very thankful for his parents, Marvin and Paris Bateman. Without them, he feels as if he would be lost in the world and appreciates the love and support they bring behind him and his decisions.
Bateman has a great future here at Greenville University and continues to work harder on and off the court to be the best student-athlete he can be. This year, he plans to help the team out in as many ways as possible and will try his best to help the team bring the school back a national title. Please wish this talented man and his team the best of luck this upcoming season and please come out and support as many games as possible. Go Panthers!
