Tigers look to make it 10 straight against struggling Herd

To say the 2012-13 campaign has been a disappointment for 9-10 (2-2) Marshall would be an understatement. In the preseason, the Thundering Herd were picked by most to finish second in C-USA. Forward Dennis Tinnon was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA, standout DeAndre Kane was back for another year and the Herd looked to build on their conference runner-up performance from a year ago.

Just when the future was looking bright, freshman point guard Kareem Canty was declared ineligible by the NCAA. Canty was supposed to fill the void left by Damier Pitts’ departure. And without him, Marshall would be left with a gaping hole in an already thin guard rotation.

DeAndre Kane has done his best to make things work, but even the dynamic guard has had issues. In December, Kane suffered a right hand injury that left him sidelined for a handful of games. Regardless, Marshall’s top playmaker is averaging 14.5 points, 7.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Marshall enters this game following one of the worst losses in school history, a 102-46 drubbing at Southern Miss. Southern Miss exploited the Herd’s weakness in the backcourt to the tune of 31 turnovers. It didn’t help that Marshall shot an abysmal 33% from the field, while Southern Miss connected at a scorching 63% rate.

As a result of this drubbing, many will write off Marshall and expect Memphis to run away with it. But if the Tigers don’t win this one in blowout fashion, have no worries. Despite their record and play of late, the Herd roster is still a talented one and they’ll likely get better as the season progresses. Either way, you should expect win number 16.

Marshall Thundering Herd
TV: FSN
Radio: WREC-600
Conference: CUSA
Head Coach: Tom Herrion
2011-12 Record: 21-14 , Conference: 9-7
2012-13 Record: 9-10, Conference: 2-2
2012-13 RPI: 209
Kenpom: ranked 227 in offensive efficiency, in 216 defensive efficiency, 219 overall

Road vs. Home:

Marshall 0-6 vs. Memphis 11-1

Common opponents:

• Ohio – Marshall lost on road 94-57, Memphis won at home 84-58
• ECU – Marshall won at home 77-56, Memphis won at home 67-54

Probable Starters:

• DeAndre Kane – 6’4″ 195 Jr. G averaging 35.9mpg, 14.5ppg, 4.5rpg, 7.3apg, 26.9% 3pt
• D.D. Scarver – 6’4″ 200 Jr. G averaging 26.8mpg, 13.3ppg, 2.1rpg, 36.6% 3pt
• Elijah Pittman – 6’9″ 220 Jr. F averaging 30.8mpg, 14.8ppg, 4.2rpg, 39.2% 3pt
• Dennis Tinnon – 6’8″ 230 Sr. F averaging 29.8mpg, 10.5ppg, 8.8rpg, 40.9% 3pt
• Nigel Spikes – 6’10″ 230 Sr. C averaging 24.7mpg, 5.7ppg, 8.2rpg

Reserves:

• Robert Goff – 6’9″ 240 Sr. F averaging 16.1mpg, 3.7ppg, 3.3rpg
• Chris Martin – 6′ 185 So. G averaging 17.3mpg, 3.6ppg, 1.1rpg, 1apg, 26.4% 3pt
• Jamir Hanner – 6’8″ 210 So. F averaging 11.3mpg, 4.4ppg, 3.2rpg, 40% 3pt

Scouting:

• Marshall is a very good offensive rebounding team. With their size inside, they manage to get to the free throw line with high frequency. The problem is, they just can’t hit them once they get there. The Herd are dead last in the NCAA in FT%, shooting .568 from the charity stripe
• Statistically speaking, Marshall does just about everything else poorly. They are very turnover prone. They don’t shoot the ball well from three-point range or from the field in general.

Keys to the game:

• In the past few games that Memphis has pounded the ball inside. But with Marshall’s lack of quality guards, the key to this game will be guard play. Joe Jackson has been on a tear lately. If he comes out hot, the Tigers should look for him to lead the way.
• Pace will be important. If the Tigers can rack up the steals, push the tempo and covert easy buckets, it should be smooth sailing. A slow-paced, half-court game could make it a long afternoon at FedEx Forum
• On defense Memphis has to keep Marshall off of the offensive boards. Easy buckets increase the Herd’s chance of keeping it close.

About the Author

Ben Rainwater

Ben is a recent graduate from the University of Memphis. He earned his B.A. in broadcast journalism, with a concentration in sports. Ben has spent time in radio at Sports 56 WHBQ, 91.7fm WUMR The Jazz Lover and 92.9fm ESPN while also spending time in television during the Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 semesters as a sports intern for WREG News Channel 3.

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