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MARSHALL SPORTS
Chance at winning season creating excitement
HUNTINGTON -- Marshall men's basketball has created a buzz.
Taurean Marshall said he feels it on campus where in recent seasons hardly anyone seemed to care.
"People ask me how we're doing and what place are we in," the Thundering Herd senior guard said. "People ask if we can move up to fourth place. I say yes, if we win our games."
Marshall, 15-11 overall and 7-6 in Conference USA, is guaranteed of finishing with at least a .500 record, which Taurean Marshall never has experienced.
And, the Herd can still rise from a fifth-place tie to fourth place and earn a first-round bye in the conference tournament beginning March 12 in Memphis. The stretch run of three regular-season games begins today when Marshall visits Tulsa (15-11, 6-7) for an 8 p.m. contest in the Donald W. Reynolds Center.
"A lot of times teams just want it to end," first-year Marshall head coach Donnie Jones said. "The great thing is we're still playing for something."
Having something to play for in March is what college basketball is about.
The month culminates with 65 teams playing in the NCAA tournament, 32 more going to the National Invitation Tournament and 16 others getting invitations to the new College Basketball Invitational.
Taurean Marshall said the possibilities are exciting.
Marshall has ended its streak of five consecutive losing seasons. One more victory would give Marshall its first winning season since 2000-01.
"It's pretty much everybody buying into Coach Jones' system," Taurean Marshall said. "We're hustling on the court, nobody is arguing during games. We're a unit. We have a lot of togetherness."
The Herd had a week off between games, which Jones said was a good break because it allowed some time to rest and work on things.
It also was needed time off for injured players such as Taurean Marshall who has a torn ACL in his right knee. He will have surgery following the season.
"It just bothers me after games," he said.
Taurean Marshall played 12 minutes last weekend in a 71-66 victory over UCF in his longest court appearance since getting injured in the opening minute of a Jan. 5 game against Winthrop.
He had six points, went 4-for-4 at the foul line, and handed out three assists.
"Taurean Marshall is a valuable asset to our team," Jones said. "He runs our show. He runs our offense. He makes free throws. He does all the little things that are hard to coach."
Marshall and Tulsa is a rematch of a Jan. 30 game the Herd won in overtime, 72-65. Tulsa recovered to win six of its next seven games before Wednesday's game at No. 2 Memphis, an 82-67 defeat.
Tulsa guard Ben Uzoh is the only player ranked in the top 10 of C-USA for scoring (15.2) and rebounding (6.0). Glenn Andrews adds 10.2 points a game and forward Calvin Walls averages 8.7 points and 7.5 rebounds.
Jerome Jordan, a 7-foot sophomore, contributes 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds and has 85 blocked shots.
Marshall players Mark Dorris (13.8) and Markel Humphrey (13.0) are ranked 10th and 11th respectively among conference scorers. Freshman forward Tirrell Baines averages 11.2 points and 6.0 rebounds.
The Herd's Tyler Wilkerson, a 6-8 sophomore, rang up his fourth double-double of the season against UCF with 22 points and 15 rebounds.
