Marshall Men’s Basketball Ready for 2014-2015 Season

Marshall University Basketball is set to begin practice with new coach Dan D’Antoni.

A long coaching search in the spring began with rumors of Marshall trying to lure Mike D’Antoni away from his job with the NBA LA Lakers. And it ended with Marshall hiring Dan D’Antoni, Mike’s older brother and assistant with the Lakers. The need for a new coach was required after Tom Herrion resigned following an 11-22 season.

D’Antoni immediately put the team through an extensive off season program that saw many of the players lose considerable weight.

“They’ve lost a lot of weight, they’ve all done what’s necessary as far as shedding some weight and leaning up their muscle fat or density and it’s been measured,” D’Antoni said.

The reason for that weight loss is the style of play that D’Antoni wants to implement. That style includes much more running and a system that requires in shape athletes.

Tyrone Goard is a junior forward from Charleston. He said he’s still working on getting in shape.

“I took off a little bit, but I’m trying to gain it back, I’m supposed to be playing the 5 and I don’t want to be as small as everybody else, also I need to lose weight, but gain muscle, so that’s what I’m in the process of doing,” Goard said.

Anytime a new coach is hired, players will leave the program and others will be brought in. Junior Guard Tamron Manning said chemistry will be important for the squad.

“Chemistry is always a big thing, I think to win games you need to bond with people and I think to trust people you need to have chemistry, so with us we’ve already been close, but we had to take this time to get even closer and just learn what we’re going to need from each other and it’s been a good experience so far,” Manning said.

The Herd begins practice Friday.