Marvin Singleton Talks About Hopkins Highlights and College Future

Marvin Singleton, a 6-foot-5 senior from Hopkins, helped lead the Royals to a with a 64-52 victory over Lake Conference rival Eden Prairie. Singleton, who signed with Northern Iowa in the fall, concluded his high school career this weekend in the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Series. 

Singleton is part of Northern Iowa’s most highly regarded recruiting class in school history. The Panthers used the momentum from knocking off No. overall seed Kansas in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

Singleton talked to Hopkins Patch about winning his third straight title and expectations for his college career. 

Hopkins Patch: You won three championships. Was there one that stands out more than the others?

Marvin Singleton: The last one, because I am going out on top with my last game of my high school career. That is the best way to go out, on top when you are a senior.

Hopkins Patch: There was a lot of pressure for you to win a third straight title, a feat that has only been duplicated three times. Did you feel that during the season as every opponent gives you their best game?

Singleton: That is always what you want, someone to give you their best game. We knew that coming in with back-to-back state titles, that every game we were going to get their best game. That’s what you want, someone playing their hardest. You don’t want someone to back down. You want someone to play their hardest.

Hopkins Patch: Besides the three state titles, what else stands out when you look back at your career at Hopkins?

Singleton: It was just a fun run. My whole high school career, I only lost five games (119-5). Not many people can say that. Not many people can say they won three straight in a row. It was a great run. I loved it all.

Hopkins Patch: You had a chance to meet the fellow recruits at Northern Iowa. Now that the season is over, are you even more excited to play with those players?

Singleton: Now that the season is over, I am getting ready for school next year. Get ready to get in the gym. Keeping working hard, like I always do and keep my work ethic up and get ready for school next year.

Hopkins Patch: Do you know when you are going down to Northern Iowa?

Singleton: I am going down for summer school.

Hopkins Patch: What things are you going to be working on to get ready for college since your game will likely change a little bit as you’ll be more of a perimeter player at the next level?

Singleton: I am working on my ballhandling and shooting, like I have been doing.

Hopksin Patch: Northern Iowa is losing their top scorer from a team that finished 20-14. What are the expectations with what they are calling their best recruiting class ever coming in?

Singleton: We have five freshmen coming in, including me, so we’ll see what happens.

Hopkins Patch: You got the chance to play with and against a lot of players that you played against in high school and AAU this weekend. How was this experience to wind down your career?

Singleton: It is a lot of fun. I wish that we could do this more often. It was a lot of fun to see everybody from out-state and the in-state guys that you sometimes lose contact with because the season gets so busy. It was a great time. I enjoyed it all.

Hopkins Patch: I know that a lot of people are already talking about Hopkins winning a fourth straight title. You and Joe Coleman will be gone, but they will still have Siyani Chambers, Zach Stahl, Demetrius Martin and Andre McDonald coming back. What do you think of their chances next year?

Singleton: If they work hard and listed to Coach Novak, they will have a chance.