October 19, 2019,  Basketball  No comments

Herd Opens the Season against Glenville State

By Michael Morgan

The Thundering Herd begins the 2019-2020 season Oct. 29 at home against Glenville State in an exhibition game.

“We’re going to play hard. They’ll put on a show,” head coach Dan D’Antoni said about his team.

The Pioneers finished last season with a record of 11-17 (6-16 Mountain East Conference), and return their leading scorer, senior Phil Bledsoe, a former member of the Herd.

“I loved the opportunity I got while playing in Huntington, but I just felt a change of scenery would be best for me,” Bledsoe said. The senior averaged 19.9 points per game last season, and said he wants to lead them to a victory over Marshall in their exhibition game coming up.

Along with Bledsoe, Ot Elmore, an assista...

November 6, 2018,  Basketball  No comments

Marshall Defeats West Virginia Wesleyan

By Michael Morgan

Marshall on Thursday defeated West Virginia Wesleyan College 83-65, due to proficient inside scoring.

The Herd scored 56 of their 83 points (67 percent) from inside the paint.

The Thundering Herd’s leading scorers were senior C.J. Burks and freshman Taevion Kinsey, scoring 10 points in the win in front of 5,721 spectators.

Senior Fred Bronsted led Wesleyan in scoring with 24 points, 21 coming from shooting 7-for-14 from three.

Defense was the focus of the week in preparation for the game against Wesleyan, likely due to the fact that Marshall gave up 108 points in their previous game against Glenville State on Sunday, also in the Cam Henderson Center.

“That was our first look at a zone (defense), so that helped us out,” Marshall he...

November 1, 2018,  Basketball  No comments

Hillybilly Ball Taking Over West Virginia

By Michael Morgan

The Marshall Thundering Herd men’s basketball head coach Dan D’Antoni began wearing his iconic t-shirt and blazer attire when official practice started last week with a certain message on the shirt: Hillbilly Ball.

“I call our style of play ‘hillbilly ball.’ When I grew up, you either made the shot or it was going to run down the hill,” D’Antoni said on Jan. 23 of last year describing the Herd’s style of play.

The Herd coach is entering his fifth season for Marshall and the run-and-gun style that he and his brother Mike D’Antoni (head coach of the Houston Rockets) used in their NBA careers is more successful than ever for the Thundering Herd.

Marshall scored 83...

October 31, 2018,  Basketball  No comments

Thundering Herd Defeat the Pioneers

By Michael Morgan

The Marshall University men’s basketball team defeated the Glenville State Pioneers 113-108 in an exhibition game in the Cam Henderson Center on Sunday.

The Thundering Herd’s leading scorer was senior C.J. Burks, scoring 25 points on 10-for-13 shooting. Sophomores Darius George and Jarrod West scored 19 and 16 points respectively, and senior Jon Elmore had 16 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds.

Glenville State featured new head coach Justin Caldwell and assistant coach Ot Elmore, the older brother of Herd senior Jon Elmore, and a member of the Herd’s NCAA tournament and Conference USA champion team last season...

October 24, 2018,  Basketball  No comments

2018 Herd Madness

By Michael Morgan

Herd Madness took place on Friday in the Cam Henderson Center on the Marshall University campus and featured a dunk contest, t-shirt giveaways, and a three-point shooting contest.

Taevion Kinsey, the freshman Herd basketball player from Columbus, Ohio, partook in the dunk contest during Herd Madness and was regarded as the crowd favorite for the event based on surveying some of the spectators. Kinsey took the microphone before performing and told the roughly 4,000 people to, “pull out your cameras.”

The contest featured Kinsey, freshman Cam Brooks-Harris, sophomore Mikel Beyers, redshirt freshman Iran Bennett, and senior Rondale Watson.

Kinsey faced Beyers in the final matchup...

October 17, 2018,  Basketball  No comments

Herd Madness Storms the Cam Henderson Center

By Michael Morgan

Herd Madness, formerly known as Rock the Rec is being held Friday in the Cam Henderson Center.

This event is free and provides spectators a first look at the men’s and women’s basketball teams as well as multiple giveaways according to Herd Zone.

The event used to be later in the evening and called Rock the Rec, due to it taking place in the Marshall Recreational Center. “We changed the event to Herd Madness just to give it a little shot in the arm,” said Marshall Associate Athletic Director Aaron Goebbel. “With it being homecoming we thought a move to Friday night would encourage better attendance from the general public, especially moving it to earlier in the evening,” Goebbel said.

The doors open at 6:00 p.m...

September 26, 2018,  Basketball  No comments

Local Basketball Player Looking to make an Impact for the Herd

By Michael Morgan

The Marshall Thundering Herd men’s basketball team got a big scoring upgrade with the signing of a local high school athlete, who may provide a replacement for the nation’s leading shot-blocker Ajdin Penava.

Luke Thomas, a freshman guard from Proctorville, Ohio, signed with the Herd this past offseason as a walk-on. Thomas had scholarship offers from smaller schools such as Urbana University, the University of Akron, and Marietta College, but decided on the Herd for his collegiate career. Thomas noted the Herd’s success in the NCAA Tournament as a big reason for his signing to play there in 2018...

September 24, 2018,  Basketball  No comments

Herd Fans’ Favorite Basketball Player

By Michael Morgan

The 2018 Marshall Thundering Herd Men’s basketball team will finish the season having perhaps the greatest player in the school’s history according to fans.

This fan favorite, senior guard Jon Elmore returns to the Herd for his senior season. Elmore led the Herd and Conference USA in points per game and assists last season, resulting in consideration for being the C-USA player of the year, just slightly being edged by Middle Tennessee forward Nick King.

The Charleston, West Virginia native declared for the NBA draft after the 2017 season with teammates C.J. Burks and Ajdin Penava. Herd fan Taylor Perry was sad about the three leaving Marshall, but wished for their success...

September 19, 2018,  Basketball  No comments

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Land Questionable Recruit

By Michael Morgan

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers landed the No. 9 overall recruit in college basketball according to RSCI Hoops, after he reclassified from the 2019 class into 2018.

In the 2018-19 season, Charles Bassey and Western Kentucky will be seeking revenge on the Thundering Herd, who beat the Hilltoppers 67-66 in the Conference USA championship last season, says Hilltopper fan Taylor Pennington. “I was mad that they lost by just 1 point last season but I think they’ll be better, thanks to the five-star recruit that we (WKU) got. Look out Marshall,” Pennington said.

Bassey may very well be the key piece for WKU in their pursuit of a Conference USA title...

September 18, 2018,  Basketball  No comments

From Fairland High School to the National Championship

By Michael Morgan

Fairland High School, located in Proctorville, Ohio, has 5 alumni currently playing college basketball.

These alumni include, Emily Chapman and Kollin Van Horn (Cedarville University), Isaiah Howell (Kentucky Christian University), Ty Staten (Ohio Northern University), and Luke Thomas (Marshall University). The former members of the Fairland Dragons men’s and women’s basketball team represent the highest amount of signees in a single school year for Fairland.

The Dragons finished the previous season as conference champs, which instills a sense of succeeding and winning within their athletes, that comes with them to college.

The athletes’ motivations began at a young age, and intensified when high school came aroun...