Millersville

Some athletes are elevated by their circumstances, but Jamal Palmer elevated his teams and basketball career despite his circumstances. During a tumultuous four seasons at Millersville in which he played for four different head coaches, Palmer became one of just four Marauders to win the PSAC East Athlete of the Year award.  

The 6-foot-9 center controlled the interior as a scorer and rim protector from 1995-1999. He was named All-PSAC East First Team three times, and at the time he was one of only five Marauders to hold that distinction. Palmer is one of two Marauders to score 1,000 points and rank in the top 10 in rebounds and blocked shots.  

Palmer’s 1,434 points ranks 15th all-time, and his 15.1 points per game scoring average ranks 13th. He blocked 149 shots, placing him fourth in the career rankings, and his 1.6 average is third-best all-time. Palmer also ranks eighth in rebounding average (8.1).

Palmer carried teams to the postseason during his junior and senior seasons, and he made an immediate impact as a freshman. On a team that ranked as high as No. 5 in Division II, he started 19 games and averaged 10.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He continued to increase his production as a sophomore, as he averaged 15.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, leading the team in rebounds, blocks and steals. 

As a junior in 1997-98, Palmer tallied 17.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while again leading the team in steals and blocks. He was voted the division’s athlete of the year and also earned a spot on the Daktronics All-East Region Second Team. As a senior captain in 1998-99, Palmer steadied the Marauders’ ship by averaging 15.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while also swatting 56 shots and totaling a team-high 39 steals. He led the upstart Marauders to a surprising 18-9 record and a near-upset of top-seeded Bloomsburg in the PSAC Tournament. His presence in the paint keyed Millersville to the No. 1-ranked defense in the PSAC. He scored All-East Region recognition for the second year in a row as well.  
His senior season coach, Fred Thompson, once called Palmer the most unselfish player he ever coached. 

After graduating with a degree in social work, Palmer went on to a successful professional career in Europe. He won MVP awards in two leagues. Palmer continued his career in basketball as a coach and is currently the head coach at Madison College in Wisconsin. Since earning his bachelor’s degree from Millersville, Palmer has also earned a master’s degree in social work from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in athletic administration from the American Public University. Palmer’s wife, Sasha, is also a successful basketball coach, now as the head coach of a top AAU program. The couple has a daughter, Payton.