— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Having taken care of business twice on the road to start the season, it’s time for Marshall’s men’s basketball tam to see if it can repeat the feat at home.
The Thundering Herd welcome Elon at 7 p.m. Wednesday for the home opener, which can be seen on ESPN+.
Marshall won at Massachusetts 78-72, and at Toledo 85-73 to open the season. The Herd overcame a 10-point halftime deficit in the victory against the Rockets.
Jalen Speer had 20 points to lead MU against the Rockets, while 7-foot-4 center Matt Van Komen added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Through two contests, Marshall leads the Sun Belt Conference with 23 assists and 17 turnovers forced. At 6.5 assists per game, Marshall’s Noah Otshudi leads the league while adding 11.5 points on average.
“These guys come to work every day ready to work,” Marshall head coach Cornelius Jackson said. “They come with energy and they’re caring for each other because they’re a close-knit group. We’re sharing the basketball and learning from each other every day.”
Elon is coming off of a 92-90 overtime win at UNC-Greensboro on Saturday. The Phoenix (2-0) opened the season with a 99-51 win over Belmont Abbey.
Billy Taylor is in his fourth season as Elon head coach and has recorded a 40-59 record. Taylor was previously head coach at Lehigh, Ball State and Belmont Abbey.
The Phoenix rank fifth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.5 because they’ve turned it over only 10 times.
Chandler Cuthrell is averaging a team-high 20.5 points, with Kacper Klaczek averaging 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds.
“They’re a good team, similar to Toledo,” Jackson said. “They have shooters all over the floor and their bigs are good. They’re physical and experienced. Their guards are really quick.”
The teams met for the first time last year and the Phoenix came away with a 73-59 win.
Van Komen played at Elon last season and totaled six points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots against the Herd.
After Wednesday, Marshall returns to the road Saturday against Virginia at John Paul Jones Arena.