If things go according to the Marshall plan, the Rice Owls are falling into a trap.
Marshall (14-15, 6-8) is one of the hot teams in Conference USA men?s basketball with a two-game win streak, three wins in its last four games and five wins in its last seven games.
Markel Humphrey and Adam Williams are playing for the final time at home today, and head coach Donnie Jones said he wants a packed Cam Henderson Center to send them out right. Marshall and Rice meet at 7 p.m.
It looks like a trap all right.
But, Jones knows better.
?Rice had a great win at UCF,? Jones said. ?They held a great Houston team to 56 points. We know we?re in for a battle here Wednesday.?
But, first the Senior Night formalities.
Humphrey is a 6-foot-6 forward from Atlanta who has played 3,670 minutes of basketball for the Thundering Herd (most of it with injured feet) while starting 106 times in 116 career games the last four seasons.
He?s the first player in school history with more than 1,000 points, 100 3-point field goals and 600 rebounds in a career and the only player ranked in the Herd all-time top 20 for points (1,379), rebounds (653) and assists (189).
?When I leave here I won?t have any regrets,? said Humphrey, who will be escorted before the game by his grandmother, Dorothy Humphrey, and his father, Mark Humphrey. ?I feel like every time I stepped on the court I gave everything I had.?
Humphrey is averaging 12.6 points and 5.2 rebounds this season. He is third in C-USA for field goal percentage at 55.9 percent.
Jones knew he had someone special when he was hired in April 2007 and Humphrey was one of the first players waiting to greet him. Humphrey is a cornerstone of the program Jones is building. Marshall ended a string of five consecutive losing seasons with a 16-14 record in 2007-08 and still has a chance for a winning finish this season.
Humphrey has done everything the coaching staff asked, Jones said.
A reporter asked Jones where he thought the program would be without Humphrey.
?That?s a tough question,? Jones said. ?I think the next question would be where would the program be if he was 100 percent healthy.?
Without question Humphrey should get consideration for the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame, Jones said.
Williams said he?s someone with a lot of energy who just tries to play hard every game.
The 6-4 junior from St. Albans, W.Va., has one year of eligibility remaining, but is going to graduate and begin a coaching career as a Marshall graduate assistant.
He?s the son of Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame member Tex Williams, who was his high school coach. Williams said he learned a lot from all his coaches including Tubby Smith as a freshman at Kentucky, Ron Jirsa during a transfer year sitting out at Marshall and Jones.
Although he has only one more point (49) than game appearances (48) in his career, he?s leaving a mark on the program with dedication, hustle and energy. Williams gave up his scholarship this year, opting to pay his own way so Marshall could recruit another player.
?Sometimes we know as coaches you can?t put a pricetag on guys who play with passion,? Jones said. ?We?re going to miss Adam. I wish he would play another year, but that?s something his family and him had to decide.?
Williams was used mostly as a defensive substitute earlier, but joined the starting lineup the last four games.
He is being escorted on Senior Night by his parents, Tex and Sandy Williams.
RIce head coach Ben Braun said Jones has done a good job at Marshall.
?Much like our team they were involved in some tough early season games,? Braun said. ?I?ve been impressed with their enthusiasm. They kept their head up. They continued to grind and they?re playing well right now.?
Jones said Rice (9-19, 4-10) is a dangerous team led by Braun, a veteran coach in his first season with the Owls. Braun has a 561-408 record in career stops at Siena Heights (NAIA), Eastern Michigan, California and Rice.
The Owls are physical, execute their plan and scout opponents well, Jones said.
?I?ve got great respect for what he?s done at Rice,? Jones said. ?His team continues to get better every game.?
Braun?s team has tripled its win total from last season when the Owls were 3-27 overall and 0-16 in C-USA.
Rice guard Rodney Foster is a senior scoring 12.1 points per game who leads the conference in 3-point shooting percentage (44.8) and free throw shooting percentage (87.7).
Freshman guard Connor Frizelle and junior guard Cory Pflieger are other good shooters who average 8.8 points and 8.5 points respectively. Junior guard Lawrence Ghoram scores 8.3 points a game.
Six-foot-10 sophomore Trey Stanton averages 8.1 points and 5.2 rebounds.
Marshall (14-15, 6-8) is one of the hot teams in Conference USA men?s basketball with a two-game win streak, three wins in its last four games and five wins in its last seven games.
Markel Humphrey and Adam Williams are playing for the final time at home today, and head coach Donnie Jones said he wants a packed Cam Henderson Center to send them out right. Marshall and Rice meet at 7 p.m.
It looks like a trap all right.
But, Jones knows better.
?Rice had a great win at UCF,? Jones said. ?They held a great Houston team to 56 points. We know we?re in for a battle here Wednesday.?
But, first the Senior Night formalities.
Humphrey is a 6-foot-6 forward from Atlanta who has played 3,670 minutes of basketball for the Thundering Herd (most of it with injured feet) while starting 106 times in 116 career games the last four seasons.
He?s the first player in school history with more than 1,000 points, 100 3-point field goals and 600 rebounds in a career and the only player ranked in the Herd all-time top 20 for points (1,379), rebounds (653) and assists (189).
?When I leave here I won?t have any regrets,? said Humphrey, who will be escorted before the game by his grandmother, Dorothy Humphrey, and his father, Mark Humphrey. ?I feel like every time I stepped on the court I gave everything I had.?
Humphrey is averaging 12.6 points and 5.2 rebounds this season. He is third in C-USA for field goal percentage at 55.9 percent.
Jones knew he had someone special when he was hired in April 2007 and Humphrey was one of the first players waiting to greet him. Humphrey is a cornerstone of the program Jones is building. Marshall ended a string of five consecutive losing seasons with a 16-14 record in 2007-08 and still has a chance for a winning finish this season.
Humphrey has done everything the coaching staff asked, Jones said.
A reporter asked Jones where he thought the program would be without Humphrey.
?That?s a tough question,? Jones said. ?I think the next question would be where would the program be if he was 100 percent healthy.?
Without question Humphrey should get consideration for the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame, Jones said.
Williams said he?s someone with a lot of energy who just tries to play hard every game.
The 6-4 junior from St. Albans, W.Va., has one year of eligibility remaining, but is going to graduate and begin a coaching career as a Marshall graduate assistant.
He?s the son of Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame member Tex Williams, who was his high school coach. Williams said he learned a lot from all his coaches including Tubby Smith as a freshman at Kentucky, Ron Jirsa during a transfer year sitting out at Marshall and Jones.
Although he has only one more point (49) than game appearances (48) in his career, he?s leaving a mark on the program with dedication, hustle and energy. Williams gave up his scholarship this year, opting to pay his own way so Marshall could recruit another player.
?Sometimes we know as coaches you can?t put a pricetag on guys who play with passion,? Jones said. ?We?re going to miss Adam. I wish he would play another year, but that?s something his family and him had to decide.?
Williams was used mostly as a defensive substitute earlier, but joined the starting lineup the last four games.
He is being escorted on Senior Night by his parents, Tex and Sandy Williams.
RIce head coach Ben Braun said Jones has done a good job at Marshall.
?Much like our team they were involved in some tough early season games,? Braun said. ?I?ve been impressed with their enthusiasm. They kept their head up. They continued to grind and they?re playing well right now.?
Jones said Rice (9-19, 4-10) is a dangerous team led by Braun, a veteran coach in his first season with the Owls. Braun has a 561-408 record in career stops at Siena Heights (NAIA), Eastern Michigan, California and Rice.
The Owls are physical, execute their plan and scout opponents well, Jones said.
?I?ve got great respect for what he?s done at Rice,? Jones said. ?His team continues to get better every game.?
Braun?s team has tripled its win total from last season when the Owls were 3-27 overall and 0-16 in C-USA.
Rice guard Rodney Foster is a senior scoring 12.1 points per game who leads the conference in 3-point shooting percentage (44.8) and free throw shooting percentage (87.7).
Freshman guard Connor Frizelle and junior guard Cory Pflieger are other good shooters who average 8.8 points and 8.5 points respectively. Junior guard Lawrence Ghoram scores 8.3 points a game.
Six-foot-10 sophomore Trey Stanton averages 8.1 points and 5.2 rebounds.
