HUNTINGTON — For seven years, Cornelius Jackson sat on the bench and watched the Marshall men’s basketball team create momentum and energy on the floor with its offense.
In his first year as the coach, that might not be the case. Or, at least he hopes it’s not.
“I was here with Jon [Elmore] and CJ [Burks] and Andy [Taylor] and [Ajdin] Penava and all those really talented players,†Jackson said. “I told our guys, I said, Taevion [Kinsey] is not walking in the door, right? So let’s figure out a way to do it a different way.â€
“I think with this team, the physicality, the toughness, the grit, it overpowers what we really can do on the offensive end,†Jackson said. “We want our offensive start with the defense. That was my mentality as a player. That’s what I want my teams to be about.â€
In its two years in the Sun Belt Conference, the Thundering Herd has been 10th and 13th in scoring defense and had the worst perimeter defense in the league, allowing opponents to convert 36% of the time. Those numbers never sat well with Marshall’s first-year coach.
“We had 90 points last night, so obviously we still want to score,†Jackson said Monday, the day after the Herd beat Pikeville in an exhibition. “But we just want to start it a little different.â€
Marshall won its only exhibition matchup, 90-73, against the Bears and played without its projected starting point guard Jalen Speer and starting forward Obinna Anochili-Killen, both of which will add to the efficiency on that end.
Anochili-Killen, Nate Martin and Wyatt Fricks were key defensive cogs for Marshall last year, finishing in the top 20 in the Sun Belt in blocks, paced by Martin’s 44, which were fifth in the league. The Herd must replace Kevon Voyles, who was tied for third in the league in steals with 58.
But Jackson is confident he has the pieces to do so and said he saw a team on Sunday that was eager to hit the floor with something to prove after being picked to finish 10th in the Sun Belt this year.
“I watched a little bit of warmups, and I could just tell they had a different pep in their step,†Jackson said. “That’s always important.â€
The Herd opens the regular season Monday evening against Davis and Elkins. The Senators, a member of the Mountain East Conference in Division II, are led by coach Daniel Harris. He is also in his first season at the helm after former coach Daniel Mondragon stepped down in April after five seasons.
Luke Creasy is a sports reporter for HD Media. He can be reached by phone at 304-526-2800.
