— By Bill Cornwell
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall third-year head men’s basketball coach Cornelius Jackson is mixing a bit of old and new on the 2026-27 Thundering Herd squad.
Marshall returns only four players from last season’s team that finished with a 19-13 record and 11-7 in Sun Belt Conference play.
Fans will get their first look at this season’s version of the Herd Thursday when Division II West Virginia Wesleyan of the Mountain East Conference visits Huntington for a 7 p.m. exhibition game at the Cam Henderson Center. Marshall will also take on Pikeville at the Henderson Center in a separate exhibition on October 28.
The four returnees on this year’s Herd roster are a starter from last season, Noah Otshudi, and reserves Bryce Slay, Erich Harding and Will Moore.
Retaining Otshudi was pivotal for Marshall after the Hamilton, Ontario native played in 31 games and averaged 14.5 points and 3.4 rebounds last season. He was also second on the team in assists with 110.
Slay, the son of former Marshall great Tamar Slay, is expected to assume more of an offensive load after he made 10 three-pointer among 14 field goals in an average of 8.6 minutes over the 24 contests he appeared in last season.
As for the additions, Marshall got bigger during the offseason and bolstered its front court with the addition of 7-foot-2 DePaul transfer Khaman Maker as well as Boubacara Dino, a 6-8 forward who transferred from D-II Concord.
Maker played sparingly for the Blue Demons last season, but showed elite shot-blocking ability when he was on the floor. Djigo was among the top rebounders in the Mountain East Conference and brings athleticism and versatility to the squad.
Tulane transfer Luke Rasmussen could be a consistent perimeter threat after limited action with the Green Wave last season.
“We try to find the right guys, regardless of the price,” Jackson said. “We go out and find the right fit. We want the guys that fit Marshall the best and want to get better. We want guys who want to represent themselves, their families and the Herd in a first-class manner and we go from there.”
Marshall welcomes Buffalo at 7 p.m. on November 2 for its regular season opener as part of the Mid-American Conference-Sun Belt Challenge.