Print |
E-mail to a friend
MARSHALL SPORTS
Herd future plays now
Marshall's freshman guard Damier Pitts continues to improve and will play a prominent role in the Herd's game Tuesday at home against East Tennessee State.
Purchase this photoHUNTINGTON -- Damier Pitts and Shaq Johnson make up the Marshall men's basketball backcourt of the future. They're also the backcourt of the present, head coach Donnie Jones said.
The freshman guards have started every game.
"They keep getting better," Jones said.
Marshall (2-3) will attempt to build some momentum today in a 7:30 p.m. clash with East Tennessee State (3-3) in Cam Henderson Center. The game time is later than normal because of a 4 p.m. women's game between Marshall and UT-Arlington.
Pitts and senior backup Darryl Merthie shared the point guard position Saturday in a 68-64 victory over Old Dominion.
Although Pitts scored seven points, his best contribution was keeping a grip on the ball. He committed only one turnover while playing 36 of the 40 minutes, and also had seven assists. Merthie was pretty good too, with six points, seven assists and one turnover in 26 minutes.
"We've been talking about taking care of the basketball and getting shots on every possession," Jones said. "Both of those guys did a good job."
Johnson, a 6-foot-3 freshman starter at the shooting guard spot, hit for 10 points and maintained his team lead with a 14.4 average per game. He has been in double figures all five games.
More importantly, Johnson helped save the day with two steals in the final 2:16 of a close contest.
Marshall's depth at the guard positions is short with starter Chris Lutz (hamstring) and freshman Dago Pena (shoulder) out because of injuries, so Pitts and Johnson will be counted on heavily today.
"It will be real important with the way they (ETSU) like to run and push," Jones said. "They have a lot of great individual one-on-one players. They're going to press and run up and down. It will be a tough game."
ETSU senior guard Courtney Pigram scores 19.8 points a game to lead the Buccaneers. Senior forward Kevin Tiggs (17.5) and junior guard Mike Smith (13.5) are the other big scorers. Smith, at 6-foot-6, leads ETSU in rebounding with 7.3 per game. The 6-1 Pigram is second with 6.3 rebounds per game.
Pigram scored 27 in a Saturday loss at Bradley, 82-69. The Bucs have also lost to Temple and Hofstra while beating SIU Edwardsville, Wingate and Tennessee Tech.
Marshall might be able to assert itself inside with 6-6 Markel Humphrey (12.4), 6-6 Tirrell Baines (9.2), 6-8 Tyler Wilkerson (7.8) and 6-10 Marcus Goode (6.6). Wilkerson averages 6.2 rebounds while Humphrey, Baines and Goode all get at least five a game.
The Herd hold a plus-10.4 rebound advantage on its opponents.
Marshall and ETSU split a home-and-home set last season with the Herd winning in overtime at home and losing in Johnson City, Tenn.
An old rivalry dating back to when both schools were Southern Conference members is led by the Bucs, 24-21.
ETSU is now in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
