Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Beyers' emergence part of 'natural progression'
1/9/2019 10:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Word on the Herd
Marshall hosts Western Kentucky this Saturday at 7 p.m.
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – At the outset of the 2018-19 men's basketball season, this Saturday's matchup between host Marshall and visiting Western Kentucky was certain to be big.
The Thundering Herd, the defending Conference USA champions, enter 2-0 in league play. The Hilltoppers, the conference runner-up by 1 point last March, were the selected as the preseason favorite this time around. Those are the knowns.
An unknown, perhaps, is becoming less so with every game. Mikel Beyers, a 6-foot, 9-inch junior college transfer, is becoming a vital piece to Marshall's hopes this season. The Herd (9-6) is 15 games through a 31-game regular season, and Beyers is making his most significant contribution after toiling at Mesa Community College a year ago.
Beyers played single-digit minutes eight times in Marshall's first 12 games. He did not even see game action in a Nov. 11 home win against Hofstra. Now, though, Beyers has played double-digit minutes in three consecutive games, including a career-high 20 at Virginia on Dec. 31. He tied a career-high in points last Thursday at Old Dominion, and finished 3-for-3 from the floor that game. He played 19 minutes in a win against Charlotte last Saturday, and made the game-clinching block in the final second of play.
"It's a natural progression," Beyers said. "(Coach Dan D'Antoni) has been on me since I got here that I have to play hard, get out there and make the most of my minutes. I feel like I've come along pretty well. I definitely feel more comfortable with everything. Doing everything in practice, going hard as I can in practice, and that's translating to the games."
Beyers' improvement has given D'Antoni more options in the wake of an injury to freshman center Iran Bennett. Beyers is the team's second-tallest player, and has the versatility to play close to the rim or on the perimeter. That gives D'Antoni the opportunity to mix up his lineups and find the right fit.
"It seems like we're solidifying our rotations a bit," D'Antoni said, "which will help."
Beyers did not score in three minutes at Texas A&M on Dec. 22, which is when Bennett was sidelined with an injury. Since then, he has played 51 minutes and scored 16 points, making 7 of 10 shots and 2 of 4 from beyond the arc. The sophomore from Houston, Texas, is seemingly scratching the surface with his potential.
"The speed of the pace of the game – going from junior college to Division I – that's a big jump," he said. "Most people take two years at junior college, so adjusting to the pace of the game, that's been the biggest adjustment."
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Senior guard Jon Elmore continues to climb the all-time lists in Marshall hoops history and C-USA history.
Elmore has 2,173 points, which is 159 behind John Taft for No. 2 all-time in Herd history. Elmore is also No. 3 in C-USA history, trailing UTEP's Randy Culpepper by 165 points.
Elmore has 281 3-pointers, which is 12 behind Austin Loop for the school record. That mark ranks No. 8 in league history. Elmore needs three 3s to tie Marquette's Travis Diener for the seventh spot.
Elmore is 27 assists away from the school record, which is held by Greg White (701). Elmore is 40 behind UTEP's Julyan Stone for the league record.
Fellow senior guard C.J. Burks is inching closer to 1,500 career points. Burks takes 1,496 points into Saturday's clash with WKU, so he needs 4 points to become the 17th player in program history to reach the milestone. Currently, Burks is tied with DeAndre Kane for No. 17 in school history. The names Burks has passed on the school's all-time scoring list this season: Shaquille Johnson, Jim Davidson, Ken Lebanowski, Bunny Gibson, Travis Young, Malik Hightower, Bob Redd, Bill Toothman, Tyrone Phillips, Hal Greer, Markel Humphrey, Bill Hall, Cebe Price and Bob Koontz.
Burks' 177 3-pointers rank him No. 9 all-time, one spot ahead of Ronny Dawn (174) and just behind Taft (185). Burks' next field goal will be No. 500 for his career, which is seventh in MU history.
In assists, Burks is tied for No. 18 in Herd history with Sidney Coles (267). Burks has also climbed to No. 17 all-time in steals with 113. Elmore is in a three-way tie in steals with 142, equaling the career totals of Coles and Tamar Slay.
Sophomore Jarrod West is well ahead of the steals pace of Elmore or Burks. West has 86 in his two-year career, which ranks No. 36 all-time. The school record is 208, which was set by Skip Henderson during the 1987-88 season.
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).
