Bullock Moves New Hampshire Forward
New Hampshire basketball has gone as Marcus Bullock has the last four years – a little up and down, but at the end, in a better position than at the beginning.
The native of Cherry Hill, New Jersey was one of the first recruits for fifth-year head coach Phil Rowe. He saw Bullock as a key player to build the program around, and he feels like he’s done that. Bullock knew he was coming into a rebuilding process, but liked the coaching staff and the laid-back setting of the school and felt he could play right away.
His freshman year saw him average 9.1 points per game as a key backcourt contributor, and he played better as the season went along. He finished the season with his best game, scoring 22 points against Vermont in their loss in the America East Tournament. It was the last tournament game they would play in Newark, Delaware, as four schools then left the conference for the Colonial Athletic Association.
The next year, Bullock helped lead the team’s improvement to 11-17 overall and 8-8 in the conference, good for fourth place in the conference. Bullock was one of the top shooters in the conference in making 39.5% of his three-pointers, finishing third on the team in scoring with 10.3 points per game and handing out just under 3 assists per game.
Last season was a struggle for him. Defenses focused more on him, but he still got his share of open shots and just missed many of them. He said felt like he needed to do it all and pressed at times, and it led to his struggles, although that wasn’t all.
“His conditioning, quickness, power and strength – all those were gone that year,” Rowe says of Bullock’s struggles.
In the offseason, Bullock made it a point to get back to where he was two years ago, spending a lot of time with the strength and conditioning coaches. He came back this season ready to go, and the team certainly had more talent to help him. He’s been able to let the game come to him, and having a good inside game with juniors Craig Walls and a healthy Ben Sturgill helps. His scoring is down to a career-low 8.4 points this season, but he’s made a career-best 39.6% of his three-pointers.
Bullock has also helped out talented younger guards in the program like sophomore point guard Shejdie Childs and classmate Ronnie Dennis, both of whom have shown good potential. He wants to prepare them for the future, and that’s what the coaches asked him to do.
“He’s instilling in these players what America East is all about, helping them focus on the little things you need to do as a player,” Rowe says.
On Senior Day, Bullock passed 1,000 career points and also had the game-winning field goal in overtime as the Wildcats beat Stony Brook. He was happy that his parents were able to see that, as they haven’t been able to make many of his games over the years. The win also helped the Wildcats move up into seventh place.
Bullock has done a lot of good community work, and Rowe credits him as helping attendance come back. At a school with a national power hockey team, basketball is certainly not the first option for sports fans, especially since cold snaps like what came through the northeast this winter just help keep people home. Rowe says Bullock will come back to help their summer camp one last time this summer, something he has done the last few years.
A humble and friendly young man, Bullock has enjoyed the college experience. He says he’s been around a tremendous group of people at the school that has helped prepare him for the rest of his life. He’s finishing a degree in Health Management and Policy, and has a few options when basketball is done. One he mentions is working behind the scenes in hospital administration, finding ways to save and make money for the hospital. In a day where numerous hospitals have gone through financial difficulties, there is certainly a need for that.
Bullock has a few more chances on the court starting this weekend, and with his supporting cast, the Wildcats won’t be an easy out. Regardless of how they finish, he’s left his mark on the program as Rowe moves forward, and it’s in a better position now than it was when he first arrived.
