Hall of Fame
A three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection – first-team in 2004 and 2005 and second-team in 2006 – Marcellus Sommerville led the Braves in scoring in all three seasons, culminating with a magical run to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2006. Sommerville was the only player in the league to finish among The Valley’s top five in both scoring and rebounding during each of his three seasons.
During his three-year Bradley career, Sommerville averaged 16.2 points per game, the ninth-best average in Bradley history, finishing 12th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,493 points. The 6-foot-7 forward also finished fifth in program history with 153 career 3-pointers and he was the first-ever MVC men’s basketball student-athlete to record at least 600 rebounds (662) and 150 3-pointers during a 3-year period (seven others had reached those numbers over 4-year careers).
He averaged 19.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg during Bradley’s three NCAA Tournament games in 2006 – 21 points/7 rebounds vs. #12 Kansas, 18/6 vs. #16 Pittsburgh and 18/8 against #3 Memphis.
The 2004 MVC Newcomer of the Year, he earned the MVC Newcomer of the Week six times during the 2003-04 season.
Following his career at Bradley, Sommerville enjoyed a 14-year professional career overseas, including eight seasons in the France Pro-A League.
Additionally, he has suited up for Bradley alumni team Always A Brave during each of the team’s four years of TBT participation and was named to the 5-man All-Tournament team in 2016, leading the squad to the national, winner-take-all tournament semifinals by averaging 21.2 ppg. Sommerville led Always A Brave to the TBT Super 16 in three of the squad’s four years of participation – 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021.
Since retiring from professional basketball, Sommerville has returned to his hometown as the CEO of Peoria Friendship House of Christian Service (https://www.friendship.house/) and has become a prominent figure in the Peoria community. Located in Peoria’s near north-side community, Peoria Friendship House of Christian Service’s vision is to empower families with hope and faith to grow beyond life circumstances and the organization provides programming in education, cultural support, health and fitness, financial stability, parent mentoring, food support and citizenship preparation.
He also has launched the Marcellus Sommerville Next Generation Academy and the Marcellus Sommerville Foundation to further support the Peoria community.