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SPORTS
W. Carolina a familiar foe for Miller
Marshall's Camden Miller takes a jump shot during their exhibition game against West Virginia Wesleyan on Nov. 10 at the Cam Henderson Center.
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HUNTINGTON -- Cam Miller isn't looking to even the score or get revenge.
He only wants to help Marshall's Thundering Herd win its games in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, although he could have some extra motivation playing against his old team.
Marshall plays Western Carolina at 7 p.m., Tuesday, in Cam Henderson Center. Marshall is top-seeded in the 16-team men's basketball tournament and has home-court advantage throughout. The tournament doesn't have a bracket format. Matchups are determined by geography and an attempt is made to keep it balanced.
Miller, a 6-foot-8 sophomore for the Herd, left Western Carolina after playing in 16 games as a freshman.
"Just overall, I wasn't happy," said Miller, who averaged 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds for the Catamounts in the 2007-08 season. "It's nothing personal against anybody there. It just wasn't right."
This is just another game, he said.
However, the forward from Wheelersburg, Ohio, said it was a shock when he learned what team Marshall was facing on the opening night of the tournament.
Marshall received the CIT invitation late Sunday and assistant coaches called the players.
"I heard from a few old teammates," Miller said. "Thank goodness Coach (Tim) Thomas told us first."
Miller grew up about 15 miles from Western Carolina senior guard Brigham Waginger, who is from South Webster, Ohio. Waginger played at Ironton High School as a junior and at South Webster on a Division IV state championship team in 2006.
The 6-foot-2 Waginger was tied for fifth on the last NCAA statistics report with 2.7 steals per game. He holds Catamounts' record for steals in a season (89) and in a career (271). He also scores 8.5 points a game.
Miller remembers games against Waginger in high school and as a former teammate.
"He's a great defensive player," Miller said. "He's slapping the floor and getting on you."
Marshall (23-9) was hoping to play in the National Invitation Tournament after losing in the Conference USA quarterfinals. The NIT took Memphis, UAB and Tulsa from the conference.
Head coach Donnie Jones said the Herd did all the right things he thought would merit NIT consideration. Marshall has a Ratings Percentage Index of No. 67, which is higher than 18 teams in the NIT field of 32; Marshall won eight of its final 10 games; and Marshall finished tied for third place in C-USA with an 11-5 record.
"The team wanted to play in the NIT, but we're excited for the chance to play in the postseason and play in front of our great fans," Jones said. "It's been 22 years since were invited to anything."
Jones said the CIT has a good group of teams such as Southern Miss from C-USA, Creighton, Louisiana Tech, Portland and Missouri State.
Marshall practiced Monday and watched a lot of Western Carolina video tape.
"It's more mental now than physical," Jones said.
On the physical side, Marshall is hurting a bit. Senior guard Chris Lutz missed practice because of a groin injury and is questionable for the game, Jones said. Six-foot-10 sophomore center Nigel Spikes has bursitis in one of his shoulders, but could play.
Lutz scores 9.1 points a game and is a 42.6 percent 3-point shooter.
Marshall will send three double-figure scorers at the Catamounts -- 6-8 senior forward Tyler Wilkerson (14.0), 7-foot freshman center Hassan Whiteside (13.6) and 5-10 sophomore point guard Damier Pitts (10.0). Whiteside also averages 9.4 rebounds and the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year leads the nation with 5.4 blocked shots a game.
Dago Pena, a sophomore guard, averages 6.9 points and 6-3 sophomore guard Shaq Johnson (9.7) might start if Lutz isn't available.
"We're all excited," said Miller, who averages 3.7 points and 1.3 rebounds. "It's the CIT and everybody expected the NIT, but nobody wants to lose.
"No one expected to play at home again this year."
Marshall and Western Carolina, a Southern Conference school in Cullowhee, N.C., met many times as conference rivals and last met on Dec. 20, 2002, in a non-conference game won by the Herd, 83-68, in Cam Henderson Center. Marshall leads the all-time series, 29-13.
Western Carolina (22-11) lost to Wofford in the Southern Conference semifinals, 77-58. Wofford beat CIT participant Appalachian State in the finals
Head coach Larry Hunter on the Catamounts' bench should be familiar to Marshall fans from his 12 seasons at Ohio University (1989-2001). Assistant coach Wade O'Connor was on the Marshall staff from 1994 to 1996.
Hunter has a 71-83 record in five seasons at Western Carolina and is 580-308 in his 30th season overall.
The Catamounts average 73.8 points and eight 3-pointers per game.
"They're a mismatch team because all their guys can shoot," Jones said. "They go up and down and fire them up. We've got to do a good job guarding the 3-point line."
Western Carolina's scoring is balanced with six players getting at least eight a game.
Brandon Giles, a 6-6 senior guard, leads with an 11.8 average, 6-8 senior forward Jake Robinson scores 11.4 and 6-2 junior guard Mike Williams scores 10.0.
Sophomore guard Harouna Mutombo, the nephew of former NBA player Dikembe Mutombo, averages 9.4 points.
CollegeInsider.com Tournament
Western Carolina (22-11)
at Marshall (23-9)
Tip-off: 7 p.m., Tuesday, Cam Henderson Center
Tickets: $20 reserved; $11 reserved; $10 general admission; $4 MU students with a valid ID. Ticket office opens at 8:30 a.m., Tuesday
Radio: WDGG 93.7-FM, WMUL 88.1-FM, WRVC 930-AM, 94.1-FM
