— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Barring an unexpected invitation to a lower-level postseason tournament, the basketball season has ended for Marshall.
After being picked to finish 10th by Sun Belt Conference coaches in a preseason poll, the Thundering Herd surprised many by finishing fifth in the league.
A team led by a first-time head coach in Cornelius Jackson featuring 10 new players progressed throughout the season to finish 20-13, including 12-6 in league play.
“I was proud of these guys because they kept getting better each day,” Jackson said. “They stayed connected and stayed the course. It was a blessing coaching these guys all year.”
Two returning Herd players, senior forwards Obinna Anochili-Killen and Nate Martin, provided leadership and strong performances throughout the year.
Anochili-Killen was Marshall’s top scorer at 14.4 points per game and racked up a nation-leading 102 blocks. Martin added just south of 10 points per game and led the Herd in rebounds at 8.3.
Newcomers also made big contributions to the Marshall cause. Junior guard Dezayne Mingo was an unheralded transfer who took over point guard duties, scoring 12.6 points on average with a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Huntington native Mikal Dawson transferred in from Akron and successfully ended his collegiate career by being the Herd’s second leading scorer at 12.6 points, while shooting almost 36 percent from the three-point line. Another long range bomber for Marshall was Florida A&M transfer guard Jalen Speer, who averaged nearly 11 points and shot almost 35 percent from long range.
The bench was aided by brothers Jakob and Cade Gibbs, third-year player Wyatt Fricks and Alabama transfer Kai Spears, the son of Marshall Director of Athletics Christian Spears.
Cade Gibbs became a perimeter threat late in the season and Spears was often inserted into games in the final minutes to provide reliable ball-handling and free-throw shooting.
Highlights of the season included a nationally-televised win over Sun Belt preseason favorite Arkansas State, a home win over rival James Madison and season sweeps of Old Dominion and Appalachian State.
The team showed improvement after the start of 2025 and that grew fan interest. The final two home games drew more 5,000 fans each and were near sellouts.
Jackson sent message to Herd faithful earlier this week and thanked them.
It read:
“This team is special and the brotherhood we built will last a lifetime. We love each other, we fight for each other and through every challenge, our guys showed unmatched resiliency, heart and determination.
“Keep believing, keep supporting and, remember Herd Nation, we’re better together.”
Anochili-Killen highlights a list of six players that have exhausted their eligibility, a group that also includes Martin, Dawson, Speer and the Gibbs brothers.
Retaining the likes of Mingo will be pivotal for Jackson and Marshall, which went 12-5 after splitting its first 16 games this season.
🦬💚🦬 pic.twitter.com/O0We2Mv23F
— Cornelius (Corny) Jackson (@Coach_CJackson) March 10, 2025