Marshall Thundering Herd men's basketball
Encyclopedia
The Marshall Thundering Herd
men's basketball
team is a basketball team from Marshall University
in Huntington, West Virginia
New head coach Tom Herrion
will lead the Thundering Herd starting the 2010 season.
Marshall has advanced to the NCAA Tournament
five times through the years. The Thundering Herd has also played in the NIT
in 1967-1968-1973-1988. Marshall won the NAIA
National Championship in 1947
, and is 7-2 all-time in the first collegiate basketball tournament, one year older than the NIT and four years older than the NCAA Tournament.
Notable former Marshall basketball players include NBA and Marshall Hall of Famer Hal Greer
who was named as one of the NBA's 50 best players of all time. Greer was selected to 10 consecutive NBA All-Star games. Also from Marshall were Mike D'Antoni
, formerly of the Denver Nuggets
and Phoenix Suns
(NBA Coach of the Year for 2004-05) and now the new head coach of the New York Knicks
. Greer was named NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1968, one year after leading the Philadelphia 76ers
to the NBA title.
. Henderson, acknowledged as the creator of the modern zone defense, won 358 games against just 158 losses between 1935–1955. Henderson led Marshall to three consecutive Buckeye Conference titles from 1936–39, but his greatest team was the 1946–47 team. They set a Marshall school record with 32 wins in a season; a 17–0 start to the season; a 35-game home winning streak; and won the National Championship in the National Association for Intercollegiate Basketball (today's NAIA) in Kansas City in 1947, sweeping five games in six days. Marshall also played in the NAIB Tournament in 1938 and 1948, losing in the quarterfinals. His 1947–48 team won the Helms Foundation Los Angeles Invitational with a 46–44 win over Syracuse
, the same year Henderson coached the Marshall football team to the second-ever Tangerine Bowl
.
Andy Tonkovich
, who played on that team, was the first draft pick of the 1948 BAA Draft
by Providence. Center Charlie Slack
set a still NCAA record of 25.6 rebounds per game for Henderson's final team in 1954–55. Tonkovich, Gene "Goose" James, Bill Hall were First Team NAIB All-Americans in 1947, joined by Bill Toothman on the second team and Marvin Gutshall on honorable mention, meaning all five starters were on the All-American team. Tonkovich repeated on the second team in 1948. Walt Walowac was a first team Helms Foundation Small College All-American for Henderson in 1953, and was third team on the Helms squad in 1954.
Henderson recorded wins over such marquee programs as Syracuse, Virginia
, Memphis, Virginia Tech
, Pepperdine
, Xavier
, Dayton
, Louisville
(No. 19 in the nation in 1950, a 96–72 Marshall win), Indiana State
(Henderson was 2–1 versus John Wooden
, when the UCLA legend was coaching the Sycamores), BYU
, Idaho
, Hawaii
, Cincinnati
, Tennessee
, Western Kentucky, Loyola, Maryland, Miami-Florida, Denver, St. Francis, Wichita State, Colorado, Cal, CCNY, Long Island Univ., South Carolina and St. Louis. His 1954-55 team was second in the Mid-American Conference
, but was denied a berth in the NIT by the league in the wake of the cheating scandals in New York and other college spots in the early 1950s.
Henderson's first basketball All-American, Jule Rivlin, led the 1955–56 Herd to its only MAC title and first-ever NCAA Tournament. Rivlin's 1958 Herd led the nation in scoring, with Hal Greer and Leo Byrd
, scoring 88.1 points per game and topping the Jerry West
-led Mountaineers of West Virginia University
who averaged 88.0 points per game. Byrd was an All-American in 1959, first team on the Chuck Taylor/Converse team and second team on UPI and Helms Foundation. Henderson and Tonkovich are both members of the Helms Foundation NAIA Hall of Fame.
(the first All-American for legendary Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp
) in 1967, advancing to the Final Four thanks in part to George Stone scoring 46 points versus Nebraska before his five-years in the ABA, and back in 1968 behind point guard Dan D'Antoni
.
coached the Herd to a 23–4 season in 1971–72, losing to Southwest Louisiana, 112–101 in the NCAA Tournament. Marshall was ranked at high at No. 8 in the nation that season, and finished 12th in the nation. Russell Lee was a Converse All-American in 1972, and was selected in the first round of the ABA Draft and second round by the Milwaukee Bucks
of the NBA, playing for that team for a couple of seasons.
wore No. 8 his first few seasons in the NBA because that's the number D'Antoni wore when he played with Kobe's father in Italy.
led Marshall to four Southern Conference
titles, three NCAA Tournaments and an NIT berth from 1983-89. John Taft and Skip Henderson were both recruited by Huckabay and are one-two in scoring at Marshall all-time.
basketball coach Billy Donovan
coached the Thundering Herd from 1994–96. West Virginia native Jason Williams started his college career at Marshall after originally signing with Providence, being part of the Herd basketball team for two seasons (sitting out one as a transfer) for the Thundering Herd before transferring to Florida to play a season for Donovan. Donnie Jones was an assistant for first Dwight Freeman, then Donovan at Marshall and followed Donovan to UF as an assistant until taking the Marshall job in 2007 after the Gators won back-to-back NCAA Titles. Other assistants from the Florida/Marshall pipeline included Anthony Grant, who was head coach at VCU, now coaching at Alabama, and John Pelphrey, formerly head coach of South Alabama and current second-year head coach at Arkansas.
set an NCAA record with 15 three-pointers in Marshall's Henderson Center arena against Morehead State University
on December 14, 1996, for new head coach Greg White, who was Marshall's point guard from 1977–81. White followed in the great Marshall tradition of outstanding players from the Mullens, West Virginia
, area including both Mike and Danny D'Antoni and their uncle, Andy D'Antoni, a Marshall quarterback for Henderson in 1938–40.
White's freshman team advanced to the school's first conference title game in 1978, falling to Furman in the title game under charismatic coach Stu Aberdeen. Bob Zuffelato
took the Herd to the SC finals in 1979-80, falling again to Furman, after Aberdeen died during the summer of 1979 while on vacation. White's senior season saw Marshall post its first-ever win over West Virginia University at the WVU Coliseum
in Morgantown, West Virginia
. Marshall won the first game played in Huntington in 1982–83 and was 5–0 versus the Mountaineers in Huntington before the series moved permanently to the Charleston Civic Center
in the state capital.
White coached his first Marshall team to its final SC Tournament title game in 1996–97, falling to UT-Chattanooga on a last-second stick-back. Marshall joined the Mid-American Conference for the second time in 1997–98, and the Herd was 21-9 in 1999-2000 under White, falling the MAC semi-finals to Miami, Ohio. Ron Jirsa
coached Marshall from 2003–07 after White stepped down to become head coach at Division II University of Charleston
(West Virginia), as well as a special assistant to the President of UC. He is currently overseeing a new basketball building for the Golden Eagles.
for 11 years and helped Billy Donovan coach the Gators to consecutive national championships in 2006 and 2007. Jones got Marshall to a winning record for the first time since 2001 with a 16–14 mark in his first season
In 2010, Jones coached Marshall to the CIT, which was their first post-season tournament since 1988. Marshall fell to Appalachian State
in the CIT quarterfinals
.
Following the 2010 season, and amid growing fan concern over Marshall's performance in the 2010 CUSA and CIT tournament, Donnie Jones left Marshall to coach conference rival UCF
. Considering Jones' success at Marshall and his local ties to the Huntington area, many Marshall fans considered his departure a betrayal, further fueling the Marshall-UCF rivalry.
Marshall Thundering Herd
The Marshall Thundering Herd are the intercollegiate athletic teams that collectively represent the Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Thundering Herd athletic teams compete in Conference USA, which are members of the NCAA Division I...
men's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team is a basketball team from Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
in Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
New head coach Tom Herrion
Tom Herrion
Tom Herrion is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach for the Marshall Thundering Herd men's basketball team...
will lead the Thundering Herd starting the 2010 season.
Marshall has advanced to the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
five times through the years. The Thundering Herd has also played in the NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
in 1967-1968-1973-1988. Marshall won the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
National Championship in 1947
1947 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1947 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 10th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format . It would be the first time since 1945 the NAIA Semifinalist would feature...
, and is 7-2 all-time in the first collegiate basketball tournament, one year older than the NIT and four years older than the NCAA Tournament.
Notable former Marshall basketball players include NBA and Marshall Hall of Famer Hal Greer
Hal Greer
Harold Everett Greer is a retired American professional basketball player.He attended Douglass Junior and Senior High School in Huntington. He played college basketball at Marshall University and was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals of the NBA in 1958...
who was named as one of the NBA's 50 best players of all time. Greer was selected to 10 consecutive NBA All-Star games. Also from Marshall were Mike D'Antoni
Mike D'Antoni
Michael Andrew "Mike" D'Antoni is an Italian-American former basketball player and is currently the head coach of the NBA's New York Knicks. While head coach of the Phoenix Suns, he won NBA Coach of the Year honors for the 2004–05 NBA season after the Suns posted 33 more wins than the previous...
, formerly of the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
and Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
(NBA Coach of the Year for 2004-05) and now the new head coach of the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. Greer was named NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1968, one year after leading the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
to the NBA title.
Cam Henderson Era
The legendary coach of the Thundering Herd was Cam HendersonCam Henderson
Eli Camden "Cam" Henderson was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach in the United States. He served as the head football coach at Muskingum College , Davis & Elkins College , and Marshall University , compiling a career college football record of 163–91–13...
. Henderson, acknowledged as the creator of the modern zone defense, won 358 games against just 158 losses between 1935–1955. Henderson led Marshall to three consecutive Buckeye Conference titles from 1936–39, but his greatest team was the 1946–47 team. They set a Marshall school record with 32 wins in a season; a 17–0 start to the season; a 35-game home winning streak; and won the National Championship in the National Association for Intercollegiate Basketball (today's NAIA) in Kansas City in 1947, sweeping five games in six days. Marshall also played in the NAIB Tournament in 1938 and 1948, losing in the quarterfinals. His 1947–48 team won the Helms Foundation Los Angeles Invitational with a 46–44 win over Syracuse
Syracuse Orange men's basketball
The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
, the same year Henderson coached the Marshall football team to the second-ever Tangerine Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
.
Andy Tonkovich
Andy Tonkovich
Andrew Edward "Andy" Tonkovich was selected first in the 1948 NBA draft by the Providence Steamrollers. He attended Marshall College.-External links:*...
, who played on that team, was the first draft pick of the 1948 BAA Draft
1948 BAA Draft
The 1948 BAA Draft was the second annual draft of the Basketball Association of America , which later became the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on May 10, 1948 before to the 1948–49 season. In this draft, eight BAA teams along with four teams who moved from the National...
by Providence. Center Charlie Slack
Charlie Slack
Charles E. "Charlie" Slack is an American former college basketball standout from the Marshall University. He holds the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I record for the highest single-season rebound average when he grabbed 25.6 rpg in 1954–55.Considered the greatest...
set a still NCAA record of 25.6 rebounds per game for Henderson's final team in 1954–55. Tonkovich, Gene "Goose" James, Bill Hall were First Team NAIB All-Americans in 1947, joined by Bill Toothman on the second team and Marvin Gutshall on honorable mention, meaning all five starters were on the All-American team. Tonkovich repeated on the second team in 1948. Walt Walowac was a first team Helms Foundation Small College All-American for Henderson in 1953, and was third team on the Helms squad in 1954.
Henderson recorded wins over such marquee programs as Syracuse, Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball
The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball program represents the University of Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the NCAA's Division I. The team is coached by Tony Bennett.-Statistics:-Retired numbers:-Retired jerseys:...
, Memphis, Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball
The Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Home games are played at Cassell Coliseum, located on Virginia Tech's campus in Blacksburg.-History:...
, Pepperdine
Pepperdine Waves
Pepperdine Waves is the name given to the sports teams of the Pepperdine University.-See also:* Pepperdine Waves alumni* 2011-12 Pepperdine Waves men's basketball team...
, Xavier
Xavier Musketeers men's basketball
The Xavier Musketeers team is the basketball team that represents Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference...
, Dayton
Dayton Flyers men's basketball
The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Ten Conference representing the University of Dayton. They are known for a rivalry with Xavier University, playing for the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy each year.-History:The...
, Louisville
Louisville Cardinals men's basketball
The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA...
(No. 19 in the nation in 1950, a 96–72 Marshall win), Indiana State
Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball
The Indiana State Sycamores basketball is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
(Henderson was 2–1 versus John Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
, when the UCLA legend was coaching the Sycamores), BYU
BYU Cougars men's basketball
The BYU Cougars men's basketball team represents Brigham Young University in NCAA Division I basketball play. Established in 1902, the team has won 30 conference championships and 2 NIT Tournaments , and competed in 26 NCAA Tournaments. It currently competes in the West Coast Conference...
, Idaho
Idaho Vandals men's basketball
The Idaho Vandals men's basketball team represents the University of Idaho, located in Moscow, Idaho, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Western Athletic Conference...
, Hawaii
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors basketball
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors basketball team represents the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in NCAA men's competition. The school's team currently competes in the Western Athletic Conference. The team's most recent appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was in 2002...
, Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball
The Cincinnati Bearcats basketball team is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. They currently compete in the Big East Conference and are coached by Mick Cronin. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in...
, Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers basketball
The Tennessee Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA men's basketball competition. The Volunteers currently compete in the Southeastern Conference...
, Western Kentucky, Loyola, Maryland, Miami-Florida, Denver, St. Francis, Wichita State, Colorado, Cal, CCNY, Long Island Univ., South Carolina and St. Louis. His 1954-55 team was second in the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
, but was denied a berth in the NIT by the league in the wake of the cheating scandals in New York and other college spots in the early 1950s.
Henderson's first basketball All-American, Jule Rivlin, led the 1955–56 Herd to its only MAC title and first-ever NCAA Tournament. Rivlin's 1958 Herd led the nation in scoring, with Hal Greer and Leo Byrd
Leo Byrd
Leo Byrd was an NCAA All-American basketball player for Marshall College whose career spanned from 1956–57 to 1958–59. He also won a gold medal at the 1959 Pan American Games for Team USA after the squad finished with a 6–0 record...
, scoring 88.1 points per game and topping the Jerry West
Jerry West
Jerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...
-led Mountaineers of West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
who averaged 88.0 points per game. Byrd was an All-American in 1959, first team on the Chuck Taylor/Converse team and second team on UPI and Helms Foundation. Henderson and Tonkovich are both members of the Helms Foundation NAIA Hall of Fame.
Ellis Johnson Era
Marshall was coached to the NIT by Ellis T. JohnsonEllis T. Johnson
Ellis T. Johnson was an American football, basketball, baseball, and track and field player and coach in the United States...
(the first All-American for legendary Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp
Adolph Rupp
Adolph Frederick Rupp was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American college basketball. Rupp is fourth in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching...
) in 1967, advancing to the Final Four thanks in part to George Stone scoring 46 points versus Nebraska before his five-years in the ABA, and back in 1968 behind point guard Dan D'Antoni
Dan D'Antoni
Dan D'Antoni is an Italian-American former basketball player and is currently an assistant coach under his younger brother, Mike D'Antoni, with the NBA's New York Knicks...
.
Carl Tacy Era
Carl TacyCarl Tacy
Carl Tacy is a former college basketball coach at Wake Forest, a university in North Carolina, USA. He served as the head coach from 1972 to 1985 where he compiled a 222-149 record, the second winningest record at that time. In 1985, he was inducted into the Wake Forest Hall of Fame...
coached the Herd to a 23–4 season in 1971–72, losing to Southwest Louisiana, 112–101 in the NCAA Tournament. Marshall was ranked at high at No. 8 in the nation that season, and finished 12th in the nation. Russell Lee was a Converse All-American in 1972, and was selected in the first round of the ABA Draft and second round by the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
of the NBA, playing for that team for a couple of seasons.
Bob Daniels Era
Bob Daniels was the Herd coach beginning in the 1972–73 season for the NIT appearance. Mike D'Antoni was the point guard for the NCAA Tournament team in 1972 and the NIT team in 1973, and was a CoSIDA Academic All-American both seasons and awarded an NCAA post-graduate scholarship. He was drafted by the Royals, played four seasons in the NBA before moving to greater glory in the Italian League, winning titles as a player and coach. Kobe BryantKobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
wore No. 8 his first few seasons in the NBA because that's the number D'Antoni wore when he played with Kobe's father in Italy.
Rick Huckabay Era
Rick HuckabayRick Huckabay
Rick Huckabay, Sr 1946-2006 was a basketball coach, best known for his years with Marshall University.Huckabay was born in Louisiana where he played college baseball at Louisiana Tech University. He later became a high school coach in that state...
led Marshall to four Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
titles, three NCAA Tournaments and an NIT berth from 1983-89. John Taft and Skip Henderson were both recruited by Huckabay and are one-two in scoring at Marshall all-time.
Billy Donovan Era
University of FloridaUniversity of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
basketball coach Billy Donovan
Billy Donovan
William John "Billy" Donovan, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and a former college and professional basketball player. Donovan is the current head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team of the University of Florida...
coached the Thundering Herd from 1994–96. West Virginia native Jason Williams started his college career at Marshall after originally signing with Providence, being part of the Herd basketball team for two seasons (sitting out one as a transfer) for the Thundering Herd before transferring to Florida to play a season for Donovan. Donnie Jones was an assistant for first Dwight Freeman, then Donovan at Marshall and followed Donovan to UF as an assistant until taking the Marshall job in 2007 after the Gators won back-to-back NCAA Titles. Other assistants from the Florida/Marshall pipeline included Anthony Grant, who was head coach at VCU, now coaching at Alabama, and John Pelphrey, formerly head coach of South Alabama and current second-year head coach at Arkansas.
Greg White Era
Keith VeneyKeith Veney
Keith Veney is an American former college basketball standout from the Marshall University. He holds the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I record for the most three-point field goals made in a single game with 15...
set an NCAA record with 15 three-pointers in Marshall's Henderson Center arena against Morehead State University
Morehead State University
Morehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S...
on December 14, 1996, for new head coach Greg White, who was Marshall's point guard from 1977–81. White followed in the great Marshall tradition of outstanding players from the Mullens, West Virginia
Mullens, West Virginia
Mullens is a city in Wyoming County, West Virginia. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 1,769.Located in a valley along the Guyandotte River within a mountainous region of southern West Virginia, the town was nearly destroyed by flash flooding in July 2001...
, area including both Mike and Danny D'Antoni and their uncle, Andy D'Antoni, a Marshall quarterback for Henderson in 1938–40.
White's freshman team advanced to the school's first conference title game in 1978, falling to Furman in the title game under charismatic coach Stu Aberdeen. Bob Zuffelato
Bob Zuffelato
Bob Zuffelato is currently a scout for the Toronto Raptors with more than four decades of basketball experience at the NBA. He has served with the Raptors since September 1994, when he became the director of scouting. He managed the club's scouting network and was responsible for evaluating...
took the Herd to the SC finals in 1979-80, falling again to Furman, after Aberdeen died during the summer of 1979 while on vacation. White's senior season saw Marshall post its first-ever win over West Virginia University at the WVU Coliseum
WVU Coliseum
The WVU Coliseum is a 14,000-seat multi-purpose arena which is located in the Evansdale campus of West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. The circular arena features a poured concrete roof....
in Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area...
. Marshall won the first game played in Huntington in 1982–83 and was 5–0 versus the Mountaineers in Huntington before the series moved permanently to the Charleston Civic Center
Charleston Civic Center
The Charleston Civic Center is a municipal complex located in the downtown area of Charleston, West Virginia. Originally completed in 1959 at the cost of $2.5 million, the Charleston Civic Center has undergone numerous renovations and expansions...
in the state capital.
White coached his first Marshall team to its final SC Tournament title game in 1996–97, falling to UT-Chattanooga on a last-second stick-back. Marshall joined the Mid-American Conference for the second time in 1997–98, and the Herd was 21-9 in 1999-2000 under White, falling the MAC semi-finals to Miami, Ohio. Ron Jirsa
Ron Jirsa
Ron Jirsa is an American college basketball coach. He has previously been the head coach at the University of Georgia and Marshall University....
coached Marshall from 2003–07 after White stepped down to become head coach at Division II University of Charleston
University of Charleston
The University of Charleston is a private university in Charleston, West Virginia, United States of over 1,300 students.-History:The school was founded in 1888 as the Barboursville Seminary of the Southern Methodist Church...
(West Virginia), as well as a special assistant to the President of UC. He is currently overseeing a new basketball building for the Golden Eagles.
Donnie Jones Era
Before Donnie Jones came to coach Marshall from 2007–2010, he was an assistant with the Florida GatorsFlorida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
for 11 years and helped Billy Donovan coach the Gators to consecutive national championships in 2006 and 2007. Jones got Marshall to a winning record for the first time since 2001 with a 16–14 mark in his first season
In 2010, Jones coached Marshall to the CIT, which was their first post-season tournament since 1988. Marshall fell to Appalachian State
Appalachian State Mountaineers men's basketball
The Appalachian State Mountaineers basketball team is the college basketball team at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. The Mountaineers have competed in the Southern Conference since 1972, and are currently a Division I member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ....
in the CIT quarterfinals
CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament
The CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament created in 2009 by College Insider.com. It now hosts 24 participating teams.-Champions:-2009:...
.
Following the 2010 season, and amid growing fan concern over Marshall's performance in the 2010 CUSA and CIT tournament, Donnie Jones left Marshall to coach conference rival UCF
UCF Knights men's basketball
The UCF Knights men's basketball team represents the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida. The Knights compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Eastern Division of Conference USA . They play their home games in the UCF Arena located on the...
. Considering Jones' success at Marshall and his local ties to the Huntington area, many Marshall fans considered his departure a betrayal, further fueling the Marshall-UCF rivalry.
NCAA Tournament results
Marshall has been to the tournament five times. Their combined record is 0–5.| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result/Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 1956 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament -Midwest Region:-West Region:-Far West Region:-Final Four:-Notes:* Canisius's first-round victory over the second-ranked North Carolina State Wolfpack, considered by many to be among the top ten upsets in tournament history, set a record for most overtime periods in a Division I Men's tournament... |
N/A | First Round | Morehead State Morehead State University Morehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S... |
L 107–92 |
| 1972 1972 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1972 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA University Division college basketball. It began on March 11, 1972, and ended with the championship game on March 25 in Los Angeles, California... |
N/A | First Round | Southwestern Louisiana University of Louisiana at Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana... |
L 112–101 |
| 1984 1984 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1984 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 53 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1984, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in Seattle, Washington. A total of... |
#10 | First Round | #7 Villanova Villanova Wildcats men's basketball This is the article about the men's basketball team from Villanova University. The team has competed since the 1920–21 season. Nicknamed the "Wildcats", Villanova is a member of the Big East Conference and the Philadelphia Big Five. The Villanova Wildcats have appeared in the NCAA... |
L 84–72 |
| 1985 1985 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1985 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. This was the first year the field was expanded to 64 teams, from 53 in the previous year's tournament. It began... |
#15 | First Round | #2 Virginia Commonwealth | L 81–65 |
| 1987 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1987, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in New Orleans, Louisiana... |
#13 | First Round | #4 TCU Texas Christian University Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ... |
L 76–60 |
Home venues
- Veterans Memorial FieldhouseVeterans Memorial FieldhouseThe Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse is a 8,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Huntington, West Virginia. It was built in 1950. Prior to the completion of the Huntington Civic Center in 1976, it was the only large arena in the city.The Fieldhouse was the home of the Marshall University basketball teams...
(1950–1981) - Cam Henderson CenterCam Henderson CenterThe Cam Henderson Center is the primary indoor athletics complex at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, USA. The first basketball game played in the facility was a varsity match between Marshall and Army on November 27, 1981...
(1981–present)