After an electrifying season, basketball phenom and college team prospect Marlon Calhoun is leading his team into playoffs that promise to further cement KIPP DC Legacy College Preparatory Public Charter School’s reputation as a top-notch varsity basketball program.
However, as Calhoun, senior point guard for the KIPP DC Legacy Prep Bulldogs, explained, he has more immediate concerns.
“I’m just worried about all that after the season,” said Calhoun, 18. “We got playoffs, so I’m really locked in on trying to get a championship. I try to be more vocal with my teammates because they look at me, so I just try to lead by example.”
The Bulldogs’ home playoff game on Feb. 17 against E.L. Haynes Public Charter School took place just days after the Bulldogs (22-2) defeated the KIPP College Prep Panthers (7-15).
Weeks prior to that matchup, Calhoun broke KIPP DC Legacy Prep’s scoring record by surpassing 2,000 career points during a Jan. 17 home game against Coolidge High School. He said the significance of that milestone didn’t dawn on him until well after the matchup.
“I knew I got my 2,000 points, but I still had a game going on,” he told The Informer. “I had to finish. I had to still win a game, and we won a game. It was a good accomplishment.”
A Match Made in Basketball Heaven
In the fall of 2022, Calhoun joined the Bulldogs during his freshman year. He made the transition after spending a summer as a point guard on The District Sports AAU Program.
Jimmie Jenkins, president of that organization and coach of the Bulldogs varsity boys basketball team, said he encouraged Calhoun to join his squad at KIPP DC Legacy College Preparatory PCS. As Jenkins recounted, he and Calhoun’s relationship blossomed after a rocky AAU season during which he had to briefly remove Calhoun from his team.
“Sometimes when you’re a leader, everyone is quick to be around you and we are rebellious to authority,” Jenkins told The Informer. “I saw that and I wanted to break that..so he could go further than me.”
Jenkins said that Calhoun’s development represents what’s possible for any young person who picks up a basketball.
“The game will take you to places that you’ve never been before and heights you’ve never seen. It will take you on a journey that prepares you for life,” Jenkins said. “Adversity [like] tough losses, running into people who may be slightly better than you or people getting attention right now and you may get the attention later. So many different things that the game will bring before younger men and women.”
Calhoun has channeled that energy into a challenge that often eludes young people in his position: balancing his obligations on the court and in the classroom. These days, he counts statistics among his hardest, but most fulfilling courses.
“That class gives me a little bit of struggle, but I’m working on it,” Calhoun told The Informer. “It’s math-based and all about percentages. I love math. That’s my favorite subject.”
A Young Father on a Mission, and More to Come for KIPP DC Legacy Prep
Though Calhoun has flourished as a player, Jenkins said the young baller really embraced his voice as a team leader, especially after the birth of his son.
“I think having a baby and just getting older and getting tired of hearing me has made him more vocal,” Jenkins said. “At the same time, I see the humility within him. He’s not complacent with the 2,000 points. He’s not complacent with the championship or the accolades.”
Calhoun said his now-1-year-old son inspires his daily movements, which mostly include school, practices, and time spent at home.
“I don’t want to be locked up,” he said. “I got to be there for him… because I don’t have a father in my life. I just want to just do the right thing to stay in this life and be with him.”
Calhoun said that Jenkins, in his fourth year as head coach of the KIPP DC Legacy Prep Bulldogs, stands as his primary influence.
“A lot of coaches don’t do a lot of things for you,” Calhoun said. “He gives me rides and everything [but other] coaches make you go on the bus. With all these other things going on in D.C., he makes sure we’re good. Not just me, all the players, so I’m thankful for him.”
As Jenkins explained, Calhoun is not a one-off.
“What you’re seeing right now with Marlon Calhoun is what you’re going to see for the future of KIPP Legacy Basketball,” Jenkins said. “We have so many great young men who will be coming through this program…next year, the year after that, and many years to come. We’re recruiting student athletes. We’re recruiting great families. We’re recruiting people who want to be students first.”