Every Day Guys Exclusive | Playing the Right Way: Domask Makes Most of Lone Season at Illinois, Impacts Winning in Final Collegiate Campaign

Marcus Domask knows how to make an impact.

His first season at Waupun High School: He guided the Warriors to their first-ever state title and was named most valuable player in the championship game.

His first season at Southern Illinois: He was earned Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors.

His first season at Illinois: He scored a career-high 33 points at Madison Square Garden against the then-11th-ranked team in the country in his eighth game with the Fighting Illini.

Domask has not skipped a beat in his first and only season of Big Ten basketball. With the sport ingrained in his DNA, he has shined under the brightest lights and starred on some of the biggest stages in the sport in his final year at the collegiate level.

“Coming in, I knew that I was going to be one of the hardest workers on the team,” Domask said. “I just think when you put in the work and live life the right way, you get rewarded for it.”

Born and raised in Waupun, Wisconsin, Marcus has been around basketball for as long as he can remember. Growing up in the gym, he would often play up to be on his older brother Mason’s team despite being four years younger than the rest of his teammates and opponents. Coached by his dad, Dan, Marcus would get subbed in for the last 30 seconds if their team was up big.

It came as no surprise that Marcus would start playing the sport. The Domasks were known as “the basketball family,” and for good reason. His three older siblings – Morgan, Maiah, and Mason – all played hoops at Waupun High School, where Dan served as the varsity boys basketball coach.

Marcus has always been close with his brother, and basketball was typically at the center of their relationship. Sticking to their basketball brand when building their house, the Domask family dug an extra two stories deep so they had enough room to add a basketball court in their basement. 

The boys would spend hours playing against each other, often setting up a trampoline so they could try to dunk. Their games typically lasted for hours almost every day, and they would try to be the first to surpass the 100-point mark before being declared the victor.

“Mason would always let Marcus be in the game, so it was always a good game. That's one of those good older brother things. They would play and play and play,” Dan Domask said. “They'd be dunking, Marcus not so much at that age, but he just really had a lot of support from his siblings throughout that time.

“When we built our house, people in the neighborhood had no clue of what we were doing. They thought we were building a pool because we were below the water level, but we were able to dig through the bedrock low enough so we could put the court. I always thought that was a great idea for young kids growing up in Wisconsin to have a place to play like that, so I made sure that we got that done when we finally built our house.”

Marcus tried to replicate everything his older brother did, whether it was playing on the same team, going through the same routines, or sharing a passion for the game of basketball.

“He made it fun for me. I think he's a big reason why I really fell in love with it,” Marcus said.

When Mason entered middle school, he began competing in state championships, which meant Marcus would come along for the ride. Serving as an extra player in practice as a member of the scout team, Marcus fulfilled his role to the best of his ability, and he eventually earned an opportunity he did not expect.

In a jam-packed weekend tournament that featured several games in the span of only a few days, Mason’s team was up big, and Dan did not want to run up the score. Instead, he opted to bring in Marcus, who was there to help with warmups and support his brother and the team from the bench.

Well, Marcus wanted to make the most of the opportunity. As a third-grader on a team full of middle-schoolers, he was not expecting to see the court. But, he took advantage of the moment and made a play Dan still remembers to this day.

“The ball went to him on the wing, and I'm like, ‘No,’ because it's my kid, he's young, and I didn't want him to go in and make a mockery of things,” Dan said. “I didn't really expect him to shoot, but on the second touch, he just jacks it and swishes that. He turns around and does this shrug. That one is memorable to me due to the theatrics of it.”

It was in middle school that Marcus recognized his potential to play at a higher level. Seeing his siblings compete in high school and eventually in college, Marcus knew he wanted to reach that level one day as well. He had high hopes for himself, but he also was certain he had the skills to achieve those dreams.

“When I was in middle school, I thought I was going to be an MVP in the NBA. I've always thought that I was gonna be an all-star in the NBA,” Marcus said. “That's when you have those young dreams. Realistically, I've always expected to play college basketball.”

After taking part in soccer, baseball, football, and golf growing up, Marcus opted to focus solely on basketball once he entered high school. Experiencing a growth spurt that saw him increase three inches in height, Marcus arrived as a freshman at Waupun High School in 2015, but it was far from the first time he stepped foot in that gym.

With his dad serving as the team’s head varsity coach, Marcus had started practicing with the team as a seventh-grader. As one of the scout-team players, he learned the team’s standards and bonded with the high-schoolers, some of whom would eventually become his teammates.

Before Marcus even played his first high school game, Dan knew the impact his son could have on the team. Possessing the fundamentals and intangibles, Marcus had what it took to succeed.

“He never shied away from the moment,” Dan said. “He was able to see the whole court, see the game, and just recognize how to manage the flow of the game and where the ball should go when.”

Marcus immediately earned a spot in the starting lineup as a freshman, and he took on a central role in the team’s run to its first-ever state championship. Named the most valuable player in the title game, Marcus appreciated the support from around town throughout their historic run.

Just how invested was the Waupun community? They sent 12 fan buses to the final four, which was played one hour away in Madison. The town celebrated with a parade once the team arrived back in Waupun, and Marcus remembers the program’s bus constantly getting stopped due to the sheer number of people in the streets.

For Dan, who has lived in Waupun since 1993, the title-winning season was even more special, with the school was making the trip to state for the first time since 1927. The championship was larger than Dan and Marcus; it was for the entire town of Waupun.

“It was a crazy cool story, and it was treasured by a lot of people who have played basketball in Waupun for all those previous generations,” Dan said. “Our kids did a good job of recognizing that it was more than just their victory; it was the community's.”

Marcus continued to build his legacy over the course of his high school career. A two-time conference player of the year and 2016 state champion, he set the program’s all-time scoring record, a mark previously held by his older brother, Mason.

After guiding the Warriors back to the state championship game in 2019, a contest in which Waupun ultimately came up short, Marcus secured one of the biggest honors of his career: He was named Mr. Basketball for the state of Wisconsin following his senior season.

“It was a goal my senior year, once I understood the potential I had for that season. I knew I had a chance at it, so it was a goal in the back of my mind,” Marcus said. “It means a lot just because when you look at the people who won it before me and after me, there are a lot of really good names. It's cool to be in that category. There are a lot of Wisconsin legends who have won that before.”

For Dan, as both a coach and a parent, seeing Marcus win Mr. Wisconsin Basketball far exceeded his emotions and reactions after seeing his youngest son earn all-conference recognition or set school records. This was way bigger and more rewarding than everything else.

“That is a different level of accolade. After about two-thirds of the season, I would have been disappointed if he didn't get it based on the body of work that he had displayed,” Dan said. “That's one of those awards that goes into the permanent record books. That one doesn't get surpassed by someone else coming up and breaking your record. That's it. You're Mr. Wisconsin Basketball forever, so it was a cool honor for sure.”

Marcus opted to begin his college basketball career at Southern Illinois, where he immediately stepped into a starting role for the Salukis. After winning a state title as a high school freshman, Marcus knew what he needed to do to take on a big role as a first-year college basketball player.

He did not skip a beat in his debut campaign in Carbondale, securing the MVC’s Newcomer and Freshman of the Year awards after starting all 32 games and averaging 13.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists.

The following year, he expected to take on a similar workload, but his season came to an end far sooner than expected. After making it through the first four games of his sophomore campaign without any issues, Marcus’ left foot started bothering him. With SIU playing games on back-to-back days due to the COVID-19-shortened season, the increased workload and limited rest took a toll on Marcus’ body. He soon learned that he had suffered a stress fracture in his foot and would be unable to play the remainder of the season.

The injury was the first time he had ever experienced anything of the sort, but he turned it into a positive as it made him more appreciative of his time on the court once he returned. He did not initially require surgery, instead resting in a boot and using a scooter to avoid putting any added pressure on his left foot.

Missing the final 16 games of the 2020-21 season, Marcus made his comeback on Nov. 9, 2021, returning to the starting lineup after his extended absence. He picked up right where he left off by starting all 31 games as a junior, earning second-team all-conference honors, and averaging 15.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, all of which were team-high marks.

Getting through almost the whole year without any recurring problems, Marcus started feeling a nagging pain in his foot again with five games left in the season. He sat out of practice and only played in games to give him some rest, but by the end of the campaign, the pain was unbearable.

Marcus decided to get surgery on his left foot, which kept him on the sidelines for the entire offseason. Once he recovered, he no longer had any issues, and he subsequently put together his best season yet as a senior. Setting career-high scoring and rebounding marks with 16.7 points and 5.8 boards per game, he secured first-team All-MVC status for the first time in his Salukis career.

From MVC Freshman of the Year to a first-team all-conference selection, Marcus never expected to put together such a successful four-year career in Carbondale. But, like he emphasized throughout his high school journey, he was more focused on the team’s success than individual accolades.

“My freshman year, I just wanted to help win a little bit,” Marcus said. “I just wanted to play a couple minutes and try to help us win. As I found my role, I knew I could have a big impact. I never really looked at the record book and thought I could get my name in there or any of that stuff, so that was cool.”

After four seasons at Southern Illinois, Marcus Domask decided to enter the transfer portal in search of a place where he could win, go to the postseason, and make a deep run while also developing and growing as a person and as a basketball player.

That program ended up being Illinois, where he quickly connected with the coaching staff and enjoyed the role the coaches envisioned for him to take on. Dan knew the resources and competitive environment with the Fighting Illini was too good to pass up, and he was ecstatic when Marcus announced his intentions to transfer 200 miles north to Champaign.

“The goal was to elevate the level of play that he was surrounded by so he could push off, test himself, and see how he compares so he's better suited for the next stage of his basketball career,” Dan said. “He had a great career at SIU, fulfilled every obligation, and got his degree. We have nothing but good relations and memories with SIU and departed on a high note.

“We wanted to basically up the environment that he was playing in and then develop accordingly. We also had to feel like, physically, he would be worked with and trained to elevate his speed and his mobility. That was a piece, along with playing at a guard spot. The other piece was we wanted to go to a place that had the possibility of playing for a championship and making a good run. Those were the three major criteria that we used, and Illinois had all of them.”

Trusting his lifelong commitment to working hard and putting in the time to improve, Marcus never doubted his abilities to transition from the MVC to the Big Ten.

After all, he finished his SIU career with top-10 all-time program marks in minutes per game (35.2, first), free-throw percentage (84.3%, sixth), assists (356, eighth), 3-pointers (165, ninth), and points (1,615, ninth). He also is one of only two Salukis in program history to total 1,600 points, 500 rebounds, and 300 assists.

Ready to make the jump to the high-major level, Marcus was extremely confident in himself and excited for the opportunities ahead of him.

“I just trusted my ability to put in the work,” Marcus said. “I knew that there were going to be some struggles, and there was some adjustment period for sure, but I think if you put in the work, it's going to translate. I just had to trust that.”

Every time Marcus steps foot in State Farm Center, he makes sure to look into the stands and soak in the moment. From a young kid from Wisconsin who idolized basketball stars, to now being a hero and an inspiration for young kids in the community, Marcus knows it is a big responsibility to step up and serve as a role model for the next generation of basketball players.

“It means a lot. I think every kid needs someone who they look up to who plays and lives life the right way. To be able to be that person for a lot of kids is cool,” Marcus said. “The fan support sometimes doesn't feel real to me with the way that the kids and the fans look at us, how much they care, and the celebrity figure that they see in us. I remember looking at players like that when I was younger, and it doesn't really seem real to me that I'm kind of turning into one of those players.”

Dan knows this season will not last forever, so he has prioritized attending every Illini game during Marcus’ lone campaign with the Orange and Blue. He also wants to give everyone who has played a part in his son’s basketball journey the opportunity to attend games and see Marcus continue to live out his childhood dreams.

The season is far from over, but Marcus has undoubtedly made quite the lasting impact in his few months with the Fighting Illini men’s basketball program.

“What he's doing is pretty cool. It's pretty special,” Dan said. “We want to take it all in, and we're trying to share the wealth. We're spreading the love so all the people who have been in Marcus' life get a chance to see him play in person. It's been fun. 

“I've been in the game long enough to know how fast it goes by, so I'm trying as best I can to take it all in.”