Busting Brackets
Fansided

Conference USA Basketball: Preseason rankings for 2019-20 season

By Andrew Dieckhoff

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 27: Head coach Rick Stansbury of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers reacts in the fourth quarter against the Utah Utes during their 2018 National Invitation Tournament Championship semifinals game at Madison Square Garden on March 27, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 27: Head coach Rick Stansbury of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers reacts in the fourth quarter against the Utah Utes during their 2018 National Invitation Tournament Championship semifinals game at Madison Square Garden on March 27, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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SAN DIEGO, CA – MARCH 18: Fans cheer as West Virginia Mountaineers takes on Marshall Thundering Herd in the first half during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena on March 18, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA – MARCH 18: Fans cheer as West Virginia Mountaineers takes on Marshall Thundering Herd in the first half during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena on March 18, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images) /

#8 — MARSHALL

2018-19 IN REVIEW

  • Record: 23-14 (11-7, T-2nd in C-USA)
  • Rankings: #146 in NET, #157 in KenPom
  • Postseason: CIT Champions — Defeated IUPUI (78-73), Presbyterian (83-66), Hampton (80-78), and Green Bay (90-70)

2019-20 AT A GLANCE

HEAD COACH

  • Dan D’Antoni (6th year)
  • School W-L: 96-77 (.555)
  • Career W-L: 96-77 (.555)

PROJECTED STARTERS

  • Jarrod West, G, Jr. — 28.6 MPG (38 starts), 5.6 PPG, 2.2 SPG
  • Taevion Kinsey, G, So. — 24.8 MPG (13 starts), 10.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG
  • Darius George, F, Jr. — 14.7 MPG (10 starts), 5.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG
  • Jannson Williams, F/C, Jr. — 24.3 MPG (37 starts), 9.0 PPG, 1.9 BPG
  • Iran Bennett, C, So. — 12.7 MPG (7 starts), 4.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG

NON-CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

  • 11/10 vs Toledo
  • 11/15 @ Notre Dame
  • 11/19 vs College of Charleston
  • 11/29 @ Florida
  • 12/04 vs Akron
  • 12/08 @ Toledo
  • 12/29 vs Duquesne (Cleveland Classic — Cleveland, OH)
  • Full schedule at official team website

2019-20 SEASON OUTLOOK

This season will mark the first chapter in the post-Jon Elmore/C.J. Burks era in Huntington, which could be scary territory for the Herd. Thankfully for the team, head coach Dan D’Antoni is bringing back two players who started a combined 73 games last year, including the team’s CIT title run. Big man Jannson Williams and point guard Jarrod West are back for Marshall. Both of them posted meager scoring numbers last season, but now that Elmore and Burks — and their combined 38 points per game — are gone, those numbers should climb.

The same goes for sophomore guard Taveion Kinsey, who made the All C-USA Freshman Team after scoring 10.5 points and starting 13 of the Herd’s league games. Kinsey’s 67.2% mark on two-pointers was tops among all qualified C-USA players, even better than a certain heralded freshman big man over in Bowling Green, KY.

So, with those three spots generally firmed up, the real question is who else will step up for D’Antoni. Williams needs a frontcourt partner to draw some attention away from him. Sophomore Iran Bennett comes into the season as a slightly smaller big man and could be the answer. Bennett is down roughly 80 pounds from his preseason weight a year ago, which was a staggering 380 pounds.

Darius George is another candidate to get a lot of time after logging about 15 minutes per game last season. He was generally effective in small sample sizes on the offensive end, though he can get those numbers even higher if he either gets better at shooting threes (29.9% in 2018-19) or stops taking so many (67 3PA).

The talent is definitely there for Marshall. Williams and West are seasoned veterans, while Kinsey is a great pick to have a breakout season now that the Herd’s elder statesmen have moved on. But is there enough talent surrounding the team’s top three to seriously contend for a C-USA crown — and a ticket back to the Big Dance?