— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — A much-anticipated Marshall men’s basketball season begins Wednesday night in Richmond, Kentucky as the Herd takes on regional rival Eastern Kentucky at 7 p.m.
The game marks the start of Herd head coach Dan D’Antoni’s fifth year coaching at his alma mater. D’Antoni has a 73-62 career mark.
Marshall is coming off a season in which it went 25-11 and won its first Conference USA Tournament title as well as recorded the first NCAA Tournament victory in school history, an 81-75 upset of Wichita State.
The Herd’s first opponent, EKU, is led by a new head coach in Marshall grad A.W. Hamilton. Hamilton starts the job after serving as an assistant last season at North Carolina State and a long-time head coach at Hargrave Military Academy.
Marshall is expecting big things from its senior-dominated backcourt, led by state natives Jon Elmore and C.J. Burks.
Elmore is on several preseason player of the year watch lists after averaging nearly 23 points per game last season. Burks was also a 20-point per game scorer a year ago.
Sophomore guard Jarrod West will likely assume an even bigger role on the team this season after the Clarksburg native played over 32 minutes per game as a freshman and averaged nearly eight points.
Other veterans expected to contribute include senior Rondale Watson, redshirt sophomore Jannson Williams, sophomore Darius George and junior college transfers Ante Sustic and Mikel Beyers.
Newcomers could also have a big impact for the Herd, specifically 6-foot-9, 340 pound redshirt freshman Iran Bennett and athletic freshman swingman Taveion Kinsey.
D’Antoni announced Monday he’s redshirting two freshmen — forward Cam Brooks-Harris and guard Jeremy Dillon, a former standout at Mingo Central.
The Colonels’ top returnee is 6-9 senior forward Nick Mayo, a three-time all-Ohio Valley Conference player, and sophomore guard Jacquess Hobbs, who led the Colonels in assists last season.
EKU also has a player who grew up near the Marshall campus—freshman guard Chase Villers from Ashland, Kentucky’s Paul Blazer High School.
Marshall beat Eastern Kentucky last season 91-71 at the Cam Henderson Center.
The Colonels lead the all-time series, 22-20.
After Wednesday’s game, Marshall will make its home debut Sunday afternoon against the Hofstra Pride. Tip-off for the home opener is 2:30 p.m.