Kids learn from The Herd

HUNTINGTON -- Guest speakers are an added bonus at summer sports camps.

Tirrell Baines from the Thundering Herd men's basketball team stopped by the Little Herd Day Camp on Tuesday and gave the campers a treat.

Baines, a member of last season's Conference USA All-Freshman Team, answered questions from the group of about 100 boys and girls age 6 to 10 gathered on the Cam Henderson Center court. The questions ranged from "How tall are you?" to "Where did you go to high school?" to "How many points do you average?" and "Do you make straight As?"

Baines said he's 6-foot-6 and went to The Patterson School in North Carolina. He wasn't certain about his scoring average.

Marshall assistant coach Brett Nelson said Baines averaged about 11 or 12 points a game (11.5 actually) and was working on the straight As part.

But, Nelson offered something else to the campers.

"The best thing about Tirrell is he's not only a good player, he's a good person and teammate. He's a good role model," Nelson said.

The Herd coaching staff doesn't hit the recruiting trail until July 6, but head coach Donnie Jones said the process never really ends.

Camps are about getting kids and their parents on campus.

"It's a chance to share Marshall basketball with everyone," Jones said.

Basketball skills are stressed at the Marshall camp with drills for ball handling, shooting and individual improvement.

This week's session continues through Thursday, followed by other camps.

"We're teaching the fundamentals of the game and having fun," Jones said.