Herd Insider Magazine - Official website. Cover Marshall Sports since 1998

By Woody Woodrum,

Herd Insider Senior Editor --

TULSA, Okla. - Marshall finds itself in a new position in Conference USA in more than being somewhere other than the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.

For four years, the Herd has travelled to Western Tennessee and had a disappointing turn in the C-USA tourney which was absolutely dominated by the Tigers, the Memphis fans and their head coach, John Calipari. The “Memphis Invitational,” however, is no more and the Herd not only finds itself getting a first-round bye after finishing tied for third with UAB and the No. 4 seed, Marshall has been tabbed as the “team to watch” outside of UTEP, Memphis and the Blazers by the Tulsa World newspaper.

That is a bit interesting because most observers expect the Herd’s first opponent to be the Golden Hurricane, a five-seed expected to dispatch No. 12 Rice with relative ease tonight at the BOK Center in Tulsa.

“The Thundering Herd has some special parts that can provide a matchup problem for several teams. Center Hassan Whiteside is a special player…Tyler Wilkerson compliments Whiteside well and is a proven scorer. If the perimeter shooters, led by Chris Lutz, are hitting shots, the Herd is a dangerous team,” the World said in this morning’s edition.

“We are excited to be here,” said Donnie Jones on Wednesday morning at a press conference with Marshall’s media contingent. “We have been focusing on ourselves for a few days, not sure who we will play yet, either Tulsa or Rice.

“We played Tulsa twice and Rice once. We will keep ourselves sharp, then scout the game tonight and go back and show the team video of the winner.”

Chris Lutz (#14) will be one of three seniors for the Herd looking to pickup a win Thursday against the winner of Wednesday night's Tulsa-Rice contest - Herd Insider file photo by Greg Perry.

Marshall will not shoot at the BOK (Bank of Oklahoma) Center until Thursday before the game, practicing on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon at nearby Oral Roberts University’s Mabee Center, then hitting the floor at the BOK for Thursday night’s game just 60 minutes before tip-off.

Jones had a shooting time today, but it was not to his liking.

“We had a 7 a.m. shooting time this morning, but that would have meant we would gotten our team up at 6 a.m. and gone to shoot without any breakfast,” said Jones. “I did not think that was the proper thing for our team’s focus.”

Then Jones firmly lodged his tongue in his cheek.

“I went out in the arena before this press conference,” said the third-year coach of the Herd, “and found it to be 94-foot long and the basket ten feet high,” the regulation measurements of all collegiate courts.

Jones is excited about the new venue as well, as he has seen the Herd take two quick first round exits in Memphis the last two years.

“I think everyone is excited to not be in Memphis, because they have been so dominating,” said Jones of the Tigers. “Maybe it gives everyone new hope in our league. You are still going to have to play the games where ever you are.

“This seems to be a great place to hold the tournament and we are excited to be here. The top four or five teams, anybody can win it. Momentum can create crazy things in tournaments.”

Wilkerson echoed his coach about the chance to compete for the title in this year’s tournament.

“We are excited to be here, and its big to play in the tournament because we have played so hard this year to get here,” said the 6-foot-8 senior from Lexington, Ky. “We don’t want to come in and just play one game in the tournament and go home and that’s why we have to keep our focus.”
Sharpshooter Lutz, who has shot nearly 60 percent from three since January 2, also sees this team coming to the tournament with more confidence that the last two years.

“Especially getting the bye, with the possibility of playing only three games, it’s like Tyler said, our focus is better this year,” said the 1,000-point scorer in two seasons at the Big Ten’s Purdue and two seasons after sitting out one at Marshall. “Based on our games in the league, where we had to grind it out some, it will be the same way in the tournament.

“We will carry over grinding from the regular season to the tournament.”

East Carolina and Houston kicked off action with the 10-7 seeded games. Game two is No. 6 Southern Miss versus No. 11 Tulane later in the afternoon.

Tulsa, the No. 5 seed and picked by many to win the league in the pre-season, will attempt to get to the finals for the third-straight year starting with No. 12 Rice to start the evening session. SMU and UCF meet in the nightcap’s 8-9 game.

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