HUNTINGTON — It’s been a momentous week for Marshall’s men’s basketball team.
This season is head coach Dan D’Antoni’s 50th year in coaching and, on Monday, guard Andrew Taylor scored his 1,000th point with the Thundering Herd while guard Taevion Kinsey notched his 100th career start and scored 28 points to give him 1,986 points for his career, passing the late Walt Walowac (1,982 points) for fourth place in Herd history.
Marshall’s next game — a 7 p.m. contest Thursday at Miami (Ohio) — could also bring another milestone for Kinsey, one of the most prestigious in program history.
With 14 points on Thursday at Millett Hall, Kinsey would become just the fourth player in Marshall history to reach 2,000 points for his career.
While milestones are great, Kinsey is more focused on keeping the offense in its current flow. In two games, the Herd has averaged 86.5 points, with Kinsey leading that charge at 25.5 points per game.
Kinsey has also shown a greater focus to the defensive end to the floor with nine steals in two games, which has led to offensive opportunities and kept him better locked in offensively, too.
“Coach Dan just wants me to be all over the floor,†Kinsey said. “He wants me to be everywhere.â€
From an offensive standpoint, Kinsey also deferred success to his teammates for drawing the defense, which puts him in advantageous situations.
“When you’ve got a point guard like Andrew (Taylor), a point guard like Kam (Curfman), it’s easy for them (the opposition) to not worry about you in the offense,†Kinsey said. “It’s easy for that other team to not even worry about you. It makes life easier for me.â€
The team’s offensive flow has been top-notch throughout the early portion of the season with Marshall having a nearly 2.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Herd has 49 assists in two games with only 18 turnovers.
Considering the team’s pace, those numbers are impressive, according to D’Antoni.
“We’ve got a good assist-to-turnover ratio,†D’Antoni said. “That means they are moving the basketball when you get a lot of assists. They are unselfish, and I want to give my staff credit — Mark (Cline), Adam (Williams) and Corny (Jackson) — about making these guys feel as one unit, pulling together and fighting as a team and not individuals.â€
On Thursday, Marshall faces a Miami team that comes in at 1-2 overall with close losses to Evansville and Georgia.
The RedHawks are averaging 77 points per game, meaning that the game could feature a fast pace and offensive temperament.
Miami features a name that local fans may remember well in forward Anderson Mirambeaux, whose prep career was played at Teays Valley Christian.
Mirambeaux exploded for 27 points and eight rebounds in a season-opening loss to Evansville. The 6-foot-8, 300-pound forward is second on the RedHawks in scoring at 14.7 points per game.
Miami’s leader is guard Mekhi Lairy, who is coming off a 34-point outburst in a loss to Georgia. Lairy is averaging 19.3 points.
Grant Traylor is the sports editor of The Herald-Dispatch and covers Marshall athletics for HD Media. Follow him on Twitter @GrantTraylor.
