Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Kemper's Herd takes next step in process
10/25/2018 5:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball, Word on the Herd
Marshall women's basketball team enters second season under head coach
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Tony Kemper might not soon patrol the sidelines in a T-shirt and sports coat, but he is inspired by Dan D'Antoni.
Kemper, in his second season as the women's basketball coach at Marshall University, is three years behind D'Antoni in building a program. Kemper's team was 11 games under .500 last season – Kemper's rookie season as a head coach – and that winning percentage is similar to what D'Antoni experienced as a first-year head coach in 2014-15. The Marshall men were 11-21 that season – 10 games under .500. Now, the Herd men are coming off a Conference USA championship and NCAA tournament appearance.
The blueprint is there for the MU women, lofty as it may be.
"Listening to Dan talk, I pick up a lot of things from him," Kemper said. "I've heard him say before that he had to start talking about where they wanted to go. If you start talking about it, you put yourself in position to break through, which is ultimately what they did. They finally got there."
So, Kemper is left to ponder questions as the 2018-19 season looms next month.
"This is a great place to play basketball, men or women," Kemper said. "When we get it to the level where I'd like to have it, it's going to be a special place to play. Why not us? Why not the women doing the same thing (the men) just got done doing?"
Kemper is beginning those discussions within his program, although he does not lack self-awareness of the winding path his Thundering Herd has to travel to get there. The team, 9-20 overall last season and 3-13 in C-USA, has plenty of work to do. He has senior guard Shayna Gore back this season, and she begins her final year of eligibility ranked fifth in program history in points (1,439) and first in 3-pointers (207). Gore has a realistic chance at becoming the third player in school history with 2,000 career points.
"We have a group that likes to play," Kemper said. "That shows up more and more every day. We have a group that likes to compete, and we're a year older.
"We're trying to build something over time," he added. "I thought our fan base showed that this is going to be really a special place to play when we get (the program) where we want it."
Gore is joined by fellow seniors Taylor Porter and Logan Fraley, and juniors Jovana Vucetic, Princess Clemons, Ashley Saintigene, Tana Driver and Khadaijia Brooks. Sophomores Taylor Pearson, Brianna Toney and Kristen Mayo will all play big roles, and Kia Sivils, Aeriel Adkins and Lorelei Roper make up the freshman class.
Although the team graduated post player Talequia Hamilton, Kemper said interior play has to improve.
"There are a couple of things we have to do better," Kemper said. "We have to rebound the basketball better. That's not a secret."
Marshall was outrebounded in 15 of 16 C-USA games last season. The Herd only outrebounded North Texas, and that was by one. Overall, MU was outrebounded by an average of 12.9 boards per game in conference play.
Kemper said the team must share the ball consistently, too.
"We had a high assist number when we played well," Kemper said.
The numbers back up that claim. Marshall finished the season 9-3 when it had more assists as a team than its opponent; 0-17 when that did not occur. The Herd was 7-2 when it had more assists than turnovers, 2-18 when it did not.
Those are building blocks to where Kemper wants to take the women's basketball program in Huntington. He knows a better future awaits because of the support that exists for hoops here.
"This town cares about Marshall," Kemper said. "Not everywhere you got is like that … people around here like Marshall. I thought (the fans) backed us last year and we weren't where we wanted to be. When we are where we want to be, it will be a really fun environment."
Chuck McGill is the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications at Marshall University and a six-time winner of the National Sports Media Association West Virginia Sportswriter of the Year award. In addition to HerdZone.com's Word on the Herd, McGill is the editor of Thundering Herd Illustrated, Marshall's official athletics publication. Follow him on Twitter (@chuckmcgill) and Instagram (wordontheherd).
