Topic: Opener against Pikeville shows Herd could use a mobile big man, shooter...

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By Jack Bogaczyk
Daily Mail Sports Editor

Long distance information, give me Memphis, Tennessee

Help me try to get in touch with Coach Calipari

The C-USA race he leads could use some juice, y'all

But it won't happen overnight in Marshall basketball


HUNTINGTON -- Geography aside, it's a long way from Florida for new Marshall Coach Donnie Jones.

The Point Pleasant native is in a different zip code and RPI region, too. It appears it will be a while before his program can keep up with the basketball Joneses.

"I kept looking around for Joakim Noah and Al Horford," Jones said, recalling two of the former stars who won two NCAA Tournament titles with Jones on the bench as a Gators' assistant. "I couldn't find them."

Jones is an assist record holder at Pikeville College, and in Tuesday night's Herd opener and his head coaching debut, Jones gave his alma mater another assist -- a $5,000 guarantee check for the visit.

Then, the Bears gave Marshall a push that perhaps wasn't expected.

The Herd won 60-49 via man-to-man halfcourt defense, some late free throw success and the stellar play of forward Markel Humphrey.

Before 5,162 curious supporters at the Cam Henderson Center, MU scored the fewest points it had in an opening win since the coaching legend himself was on the sideline in 1945-46 -- a 58-36 triumph over Kentucky Wesleyan.

This one wasn't that easy. It was a two-point game with 6:30 left. Jones really only went seven deep in his rotation, and one of those was senior walk-on two-guard Taurean Marshall, who played a career-high 19 minutes.

The Bears, who stand in very good stead in the NAIA Mid-South Conference (there's a message there for WVU Tech), were taller than the Herd. Jones' starting lineup averaged 6-feet-3. He couldn't go big, because Pikeville was too athletic for what would have been a comparatively plodding Herd team.

"We didn't play the way we wanted to play, by no means," Jones said.

"But you know, the sign of a good team is when you can find a way to win. A lot of the night we couldn't make anything, but down the stretch we made our free throws (10-of-12 in the last 7:45), which is important.

"We're still learning a new style. More than anything, we've got to learn to deal with the effort level we need, and translate that from practice to gametime."

Jones has what he needs on his bench.

Problem is, 6-foot-11 former Boston Celtic Darren Tillis and 6-3 former Gators and St. Albans High star Brett Nelson are in street clothes, as assistant coaches.

A quality big man with mobility and a shooter are the Herd's glaring missing pieces. Maybe junior two-guard Darryl Merthie is the latter answer, once he becomes eligible in mid-December -- but not if he shoots 27 percent as he did last winter.

The Herd insiders were getting posted up by Pikeville (2-2) early in the second half. That lack of size among regulars will be an issue in C-USA, where the lone rookie head coach among 12 programs will need all the help he can get against 11 peers who have an impressive 2,418 wins in 129-plus combined seasons.

Marshall's schedule, made by Jones, was constructed for success, with 17 home dates. However, next up is a Tuesday night visit to the Cam by East Tennessee State, the preseason favorite in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Hoopheads know that's the league of recent giant killers Gardner-Webb and Mercer.

Actually, Jones should have felt like he was back at Florida in one fashion.

The Gators' NCAA experience has taught them the tournament is all about two issues -- survival and move on.

Jones' anticipated debut was no song and dance. It was survival before success.

http://www.dailymail.com/story/Sports/MU+Sports/2007111454

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If the herd ever needs a small, slow man who can't shoot, I've got four years of eligibility left!