2007-2008 Marshall Thundering Herd Basketball Preview

Marshall Thundering Herd - Conference USA
2006-07: 13-19, 7-9, 8th (t)
2006-07 postseason: none

New coach Donnie Jones hopes to bring his winning experience as an assistant at Florida to Marshall. He also wants to bring the up-tempo, three-point shooting style to Huntington. The problem is the Thundering Herd were horrible, horrible shooters last year, connecting on just 29.3 percent of their attempts from long range. His incoming class has some answers and the future looks promising with a trio of transfers heading in that will be eligible in the fall of 2008, but this year may be more of the same for Marshall.

Who’s Out:
The backcourt has lost three capable scorers. Travis Aikens epitomized Marshall’s shooting woes. The 6-4 wing took nearly four three pointers a game and connected on just 22.5 percent of his attempts. When he was inside the arc, Aikens was an effective scorer averaging 9.7 points per game. Fellow starter Chris Ross ran the point and averaged 4.1 assists per game, while Tre Whitted was one of the few somewhat effective shooters from behind the arc and spent the majority of his senior season coming off the bench.

Who’s In:
Pierre-Marie Altidor Cespedes will immediately bolster the point guard position. The former Gonzaga Bulldog started 49 games for the Zags during his three year career in Spokane and his speed and quickness will create opportunities for the Herd that did not exist last season. Altidor Cespedes is immediately eligible to play for Marshall despite playing last year for Gonzaga since he completed his degree in three years. Matt Walls’ reputation as a shooter will give him the opportunity to make a big impact off the bench as a freshman, but it is Tirrell Baines who will make the biggest impact on the wing. Baines is a great athlete and very tough. He will need to be since he is 6-6 and could see a majority of his minutes at the four spot for now. Developing an outside shot would be a bonus, but Baines will do most of his damage above the rim. Adam Williams, a transfer from Kentucky, and walk-on forward Bruce Senior will add some depth to the team.

Who to Watch:
Markel Humphrey and Mark Dorris return after leading the team in scoring last season. Humphrey is most dangerous inside the arc, but he can hit the outside shot on occasion. The 6-5 All-C-USA Third Team member led the team in rebounding as well, averaging 6.5 per contest. Humphrey’s versatility will be invaluable and big things are expected from the Atlanta, Georgia native as an upperclassman. Despite all the outside shooting woes, Dorris put up decent numbers from long range, shooting 35.6 percent. It is not great, but it is compared to the rest of the team. After averaging 13.6 points per game, Dorris has the potential to be a spark for the team as a senior. He came on strong late last season and if that continues, Marshall has a decent backcourt that could surprise in the conference. If Darryl Merthie can find his jump shot and cut back on the turnovers, the junior will be a decent backup point guard, but the starting job should belong to Altidor Cespedes.

Final Marshall Projection:
Humphrey is listed as a forward, but he is practically a guard and that means Marshall ran a four guard offense last season. The one man they centered around was Jean Francois Bro-Grebe. He started 26 games as a junior, but only averaged 18.8 minutes per contest. On the offensive end, Bro-Grebe will not do much, but he is a solid defender who averaged 2.0 blocks per game last season. Those limited minutes were in large part due to his knack for picking up fouls. Without too many options up front, Marshall will need Bro-Grebe to stay on the floor. Seven-footer Robbie Jackson returns and will once again provide important depth in the paint. Jackson started five games as a freshman and could develop into another solid post defender, but expecting a big offensive presence is asking a bit much. If Coach Jones wants to move Humphrey to the three and Baines is not yet ready to start, Tyler Wilkerson is a candidate to start as a more traditional power forward. Wilkerson, a 6-8 Lexington, Kentucky native, is a good rebounder and a decent defender and will at least be in the game when the team needs an extra big guy on the floor.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

• Pierre-Marie Altidor Cespedes, Senior, Guard, 3.2 points per game

• Mark Dorris, Senior, Guard, 13.6 points per game

• Tirrell Baines, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season

• Markel Humphrey, Junior, Forward, 14.0 points per game

• Jean Francois Bro-Grebe, Senior, Forward, 4.0 points per game

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