Marshall University has played men's basketball over the course of 110 seasons. But there have really been only 4 "golden eras" of Herd basketball.
Of course, the first came during the coaching career of the legendary Cam Henderson from 1935-1954. The "Old Man" led Marshall to a majestic 358 wins over 20 seasons, including 14 consecutive winning seasons, a single season best 32 victories, 3 Buckeye Conference championships, 3 NAIB Tournament appearances, and the famous 1946-47 NAIB National Championship.
Cam's win total will probably never be eclipsed at Marshall, and many credit Henderson with revolutionizing the college game by inventing the fast break and zone defense. He coached many of the greatest players ever to don the green and white, including Charlie Slack and Hal Greer. The latter was the first minority athlete to earn a college scholarship in West Virginia and was named to the Top 50 NBA Players of All-Time, while Charlie Slack still holds the NCAA single season record of 25.6 rebounds per game.
The second "golden era" could be fairly characterized as the D'Antoni Years. Between 1966 and 1973, Herd hoops were led by a point guard named D'Antoni in 6 of 7 seasons. Those teams compiled a heady record of 114-66, 3 trips to the NIT, 2 wins in the NIT, 1 trip to the NCAA Tournament, a Number 8 national ranking, and a game in Madison Square Garden against the No. 1-ranked Houston Cougars.
The first to hold the reins, Danny D'Antoni, later became an accomplished high school coach in South Carolina, where he founded one of the first national holiday tournaments for high schoolers. Younger brother Mike D'Antoni enjoyed a successful pro playing career in Italy before entering coaching himself, first in Europe, and now as one of the most respected NBA coaching names in the country. Mike's "pace and space" coaching concepts have revolutionized the professional game, not unlike what Cam Henderson did for the college game 50 years earlier.
Huck's Herd was the next group of hometown heroes. Led by Louisiana-born Rick Huckabay, Huck's Herd raced to 129 wins and only 59 losses over 6 seasons in the 1980's. That was good enough to garner 4 Southern Conference Championships, 3 SoCon Tournament Championships, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 trip to the NIT, 3 wins in Huntington over WVU, and the prolific scoring of James "Skip" Henderson, who tallied a then-school record 2,574 points.
The Huck years were as colorful as they were successful, marked by a number of fond memories - Huck showing up to play WVU in a tuxedo with a green cummerbund, Tim Austin quitting the WVU team mid-game while hollering "Go Herd!", a two-dollar bill invasion of the SoCon Tournament in Asheville by green-clad Huntingtonians, and intense rivalries with opposing Southern Conference stars Willie White of Chattanooga and Gay Elmore of VMI. They were just two of many to endure the taunts of a rabid fan base who adored Huck's flamboyance and self-confidence.
The fourth "golden era" of Herd hoops is here today and ongoing. It's too early to coin a name, though the coach has floated the label "Hillbilly Ball" in his sartorial offerings. Herd basketball version 4.0 is really a back-to-the-roots affair, led by former star Danny D'Antoni, who returned to his home state to guide his alma mater at the ripe age of 67. Inheriting a program in ruins, Coach D'Antoni has complied 93 wins to date, including 3 straight 20-win seasons for the first time since 1948, a Conference USA Tournament Championship, 1 CIT Tournament appearance, 1 CIT Tournament win so far, 1 NCAA Tournament appearance, and the school's first ever NCAA Tournament victory over Top 25 Wichita State.
Coach D'Antoni has placed his stock in several unheralded West Virginia high school stars, who have validated his faith in the "304" by captivating local fans while rocketing to 2 of the top 5 scoring totals in school history. To call Danny and his program "unconventional" is a vast understatement. And the coach will be the first to remind you that there are sometimes newer and better ways to play winning basketball.
Which brings us to yesterday.
In a game that some Herd fans errantly labeled as meaningless and misguided, the 4 "golden eras" of Marshall basketball were eternally linked in an exciting postseason Herd victory. Jon Elmore and CJ Burks did what they do best - score the basketball - to become the 1st and 5th leading scorers in Marshall basketball history in the SAME GAME. Jon's record-breaker was a master stroke, driving, spinning, fall-away, bank shot winner + 1.
The basket brought the crowd to its feet for an extended ovation made possible by a timeout from his coach - Danny D'Antoni of the aforementioned D'Antoni Years. During Jon's tenure at Marshall, Danny has given him unparalleled freedom to create for others as well as to make his own shots, all in a manner reminiscent of both Cam Henderson's and Mike D'Antoni's free-wheeling coaching styles. No Herd fan will ever forget Jon's amazing run of three-point shots last postseason, or CJ's heart-stopping steal and dunk to seal the upset of Wichita State at the NCAA's. And last night, here were the same two guys electrifying the Herd faithful yet again.
But that was not all. Earlier in the day, a letter had been hand-delivered to Jon from Skip Henderson by one of Henderson's childhood friends. The friend had driven up from Georgia for the event because Skip could not be present due to his well-chronicled legal problems. But James "Skip" Henderson showed a ton of class by reaching out to congratulate Jon on surpassing his mark, proving that despite his troubled life, Skip remains a true and respectful "Son of Marshall."
The letter from Henderson was not the only tie to Huck's Herd. In attendance was Jon's father, Gay Elmore, the same young student athlete and VMI legend who had endured rancorous verbal abuse from Herd fans 3 decades earlier. The rivalry had been intense, at times downright hot-blooded, and the words and actions of Coach Huckabay could never be characterized as peace offerings to Herd opponents. The fact that both of Gay's sons, Jon and Ot, have subsequently starred for Marshall basketball is one of the most ironic twists of fate imaginable, proving that real life is indeed stranger than fiction. But you will not find a prouder father, and family, than the Elmore's for what their "Sons of Marshall" have accomplished.
After standing at my seat for what seemed like forever after the game ended last night, I looked towards the western end of the Cam Henderson Arena. There, up in Herd Heaven, was the portrait of the "Old Man" looking down on the proceedings of the evening. He must have felt good about what he had just witnessed - another Herd victory.
But last night had been more than just another win. It had been a day in which the best things about Marshall basketball had finally been stitched together as one. It is a story that exemplifies the magic of this little university. Yes, Marshall and Huntington have endured some very difficult and sorrowful times. But through it all, Marshall retains the ability to inspire dreams; to incubate great ideas; and to achieve the impossible.
Just ask Jon Elmore.
Home
Help
Members
View the memberlist
Search For Members
Login
Register