-- One year ago the Marshall University men's basketball team wasn't excited about its postseason situation.
It showed, too, when the Ohio Bobcats ousted the unemotional Thundering Herd in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament first round, 65-64, in Cam Henderson Center.
Things are a bit different this time around.
Marshall (21-13) is a No. 5 seed in the National Invitation Tournament with a 9:15 p.m., Tuesday, game at No. 4 seed Middle Tennessee State (25-6) in the Murphy Center. Marshall received an at-large bid to the 32-team NIT as the Conference USA Tournament runner-up with a Rating Percentage Index of No. 43, the best in the field. The Herd is the only RPI Top 50 team not playing in the NCAA Tournament.
MTSU, an automatic NIT qualifier as the Sun Belt Conference regular season champion, is RPI No. 56.
"The NIT is a national tournament," Marshall senior point guard Damier Pitts said. "The final four gets to go to Madison Square Garden.
"We're going to give it all we've got."
Marshall head coach Tom Herrion conducted a light workout Monday before the team boarded a bus for the trip to Murfreesboro, about 35 miles southeast of Nashville.
Early during the workout, Herrion said players were in a much better mood and more focused than last year.
"I think coming off the (conference) run we made helps," he said.
Marshall is back in the NIT for the first time since 1988 when it hosted in the first-round and lost to Virginia Commonwealth, 81-80.
The Herd's best performance in four NIT appearances was fourth-place in 1967.
Sophomore guard Dre Kane said he feels some disrespect about not getting in the NCAA Tournament because Marshall beat Big Dance qualifiers such as Belmont, Cincinnati and Southerrn Miss and has a better strength of schedule index than No. 1 Kentucky.
But, Kane accepts being in the NIT.
"Wherever we were headed, we would be ready to play," Kane said.
Pitts was hoping to be seeded higher than fifth, but said making it to the NIT is still a great accomplishment.
Marshall is playing its seventh game this season in the Volunteer State, including the C-USA Tournament last week in Memphis where the Herd defeated SMU, Tulsa and Southern Miss on consecutive days before losing on day four to the host Memphis Tigers in the championship, 83-57.
The four-day grind included a triple-overtime game with Tulsa.
"We've been resting," Pitts said. "We should be good."
Marshall head coach Tom Herrion's staff began its scouting work on MTSU immediately after NIT pairings were announced Sunday night. Having some common opponents helped ease the workload.
MTSU and Marshall both split a pair of games with Belmont.
The Blue Raiders beat Akron while the Herd lost to the Zips.
MTSU lost to UAB. Marshall split with its conference foe.
"We worked through the night cramming," Herrion said.
Kane (16.6), Pitts (14.5), junior forward Dennis Tinnon (9.9) and senior guard Shaq Johnson (9.1) lead Marshall's scoring. Tinnon is the leading rebounder with 9.9 per game. Kane and Pitts were named to the All-CUSA second-team and third-team respectively. Tinnon was on the C-USA All-Defensive Team.
Marshall averages 70.4 points and gives up an average of 67.6.
MTSU is led by Sun Belt Player of the Year LaRon Dendy, a 6-foot-9, 230-pound transfer who played one season at Iowa State. Dendy averages 14.9 points and 7.0 rebounds and has 47 blocked shots.
All-Sun Belt second team guard Marcos Knight is a 6-2 junior scoring 11.8 a game while all-conference third team selection J.T. Sutton is a 6-8, 230-pound junior posting 10.4 points and 5.4 rebounds a game.
Raymond Cintron, a 6-foot junior guard scores 8.2 a game on 44.0 percent 3-point shooting (62 of 141.
An average score for the Blue Raiders is 71.9 to 61.5.
It showed, too, when the Ohio Bobcats ousted the unemotional Thundering Herd in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament first round, 65-64, in Cam Henderson Center.
Things are a bit different this time around.
Marshall (21-13) is a No. 5 seed in the National Invitation Tournament with a 9:15 p.m., Tuesday, game at No. 4 seed Middle Tennessee State (25-6) in the Murphy Center. Marshall received an at-large bid to the 32-team NIT as the Conference USA Tournament runner-up with a Rating Percentage Index of No. 43, the best in the field. The Herd is the only RPI Top 50 team not playing in the NCAA Tournament.
MTSU, an automatic NIT qualifier as the Sun Belt Conference regular season champion, is RPI No. 56.
"The NIT is a national tournament," Marshall senior point guard Damier Pitts said. "The final four gets to go to Madison Square Garden.
"We're going to give it all we've got."
Marshall head coach Tom Herrion conducted a light workout Monday before the team boarded a bus for the trip to Murfreesboro, about 35 miles southeast of Nashville.
Early during the workout, Herrion said players were in a much better mood and more focused than last year.
"I think coming off the (conference) run we made helps," he said.
Marshall is back in the NIT for the first time since 1988 when it hosted in the first-round and lost to Virginia Commonwealth, 81-80.
The Herd's best performance in four NIT appearances was fourth-place in 1967.
Sophomore guard Dre Kane said he feels some disrespect about not getting in the NCAA Tournament because Marshall beat Big Dance qualifiers such as Belmont, Cincinnati and Southerrn Miss and has a better strength of schedule index than No. 1 Kentucky.
But, Kane accepts being in the NIT.
"Wherever we were headed, we would be ready to play," Kane said.
Pitts was hoping to be seeded higher than fifth, but said making it to the NIT is still a great accomplishment.
Marshall is playing its seventh game this season in the Volunteer State, including the C-USA Tournament last week in Memphis where the Herd defeated SMU, Tulsa and Southern Miss on consecutive days before losing on day four to the host Memphis Tigers in the championship, 83-57.
The four-day grind included a triple-overtime game with Tulsa.
"We've been resting," Pitts said. "We should be good."
Marshall head coach Tom Herrion's staff began its scouting work on MTSU immediately after NIT pairings were announced Sunday night. Having some common opponents helped ease the workload.
MTSU and Marshall both split a pair of games with Belmont.
The Blue Raiders beat Akron while the Herd lost to the Zips.
MTSU lost to UAB. Marshall split with its conference foe.
"We worked through the night cramming," Herrion said.
Kane (16.6), Pitts (14.5), junior forward Dennis Tinnon (9.9) and senior guard Shaq Johnson (9.1) lead Marshall's scoring. Tinnon is the leading rebounder with 9.9 per game. Kane and Pitts were named to the All-CUSA second-team and third-team respectively. Tinnon was on the C-USA All-Defensive Team.
Marshall averages 70.4 points and gives up an average of 67.6.
MTSU is led by Sun Belt Player of the Year LaRon Dendy, a 6-foot-9, 230-pound transfer who played one season at Iowa State. Dendy averages 14.9 points and 7.0 rebounds and has 47 blocked shots.
All-Sun Belt second team guard Marcos Knight is a 6-2 junior scoring 11.8 a game while all-conference third team selection J.T. Sutton is a 6-8, 230-pound junior posting 10.4 points and 5.4 rebounds a game.
Raymond Cintron, a 6-foot junior guard scores 8.2 a game on 44.0 percent 3-point shooting (62 of 141.
An average score for the Blue Raiders is 71.9 to 61.5.
