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Boys basketball: New kids on the block: Marauders undergo overhaul
By Justin Thomas, jthomas@starlocalnews.com
Perhaps no team in the state has undergone the transition Marcus' boys basketball team is currently going through.
Not only do the back-to-back UIL Class 5A State Champions have a revamped roster following the departure of college signees Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State), Phil Forte (Oklahoma State), Nick Banyard (New Mexico) and A.J. Luckey (Lubbock Christian), the Marauders are also breaking in a new coach in Clay Cody, who made the trek north from Waco La Vega.
The result is a roster that returns zero starters and has a plethora of fresh faces to the varsity level.
Thus far, Marcus has gotten out to a 2-2 start, including wins against John Tyler (54-44) and Denton (52-44). The Marauders suffered losses to Colleyville Heritage (42-37) and Frisco Heritage (61-60). In the loss against the Coyotes, Heritage made a pair of free throws with 0.7 seconds left for the win.
"Right now, we're just enjoying the process and are getting better," Cody said. "Come district, we want to be ready to go. But I know we're better right now than we were two weeks ago."
While the roster is inexperienced, the players that were in the system previously under former head coach Danny Henderson have an idea of what is expected from them.
"It's a new group and a clean slate," Cody said. "But we also have kids that have been part of the program. What we're doing is very similar to what Danny was doing. Coach Henderson was very helpful to me."
Cody is also willing to adjust to the talent on the squad.
"I'm not a slave to the system," he said. "The things I will always believe in are playing defense, doing a good job of rebounding and playing well in transition. But we'll adjust to the talent we have. In Waco, we had a lot of great athletes and were more up-tempo. But I don't know if that will be as beneficial to us."
While Marcus' roster features seven seniors, the Marauders have youth in the backcourt in sophomore point guards Michael Wheeler and Michael Mayhew. Senior Jordan Alexander will also contribute at point. Other guards include junior Stephan Robinson, senior Aaron Steele and junior Jack Holden.
"We will run a lot of three-out and two-in," Cody said. "But if we're having trouble matching up defensively, then we can throw out a four-guard lineup.
"We have some great shooters, too. Holden, Steele and Mayhew can shoot it with the best of them. I like what we can do going inside and outside."
Forwards for Marcus include seniors Hayden Soika, Elias Hass, Matthew Pumphrey and J.C. Godwin and juniors Sean Campbell and Chad Elliot.
"Campbell has really been doing some nice things," Cody said. "He's a load down low, has already gotten a couple of double-doubles and has been shooting free throws well."
Sophomore Keaton Sutherland and freshman Kaden Smith are also transitioning from football and will play key roles in the post.
"Sutherland was a stud on the football field and will do the same on the court," Cody said. "And Smith is just a freshman and we really like him a lot. They have a lot of size and are going to be a big help when they get back in rhythm."
Cody is also pleased with Marcus' depth.
"We're still kind of in the evaluation process," he said. "We're trying to allow everyone to play a lot and see what we have because it's tough to simulate what is going to happen on the court. But we have some options and we're really deep in post, which should be a big advantage."
If Marcus continues to excel on defense and improve offensively, the Marauders could be one of the four teams in District 5-5A to advance to the postseason.
"It should be a competitive district," Cody said. "Hebron is really talented and is probably the team to beat. And Coppell is too. But Flower Mound has been playing well and you know that Lewisville and Denton Ryan are going to have tough and athletic teams.
"We haven't really set any goals so far. We're just focusing on us and that's something that is different than in the past for me. We just want to enjoy the process and don't need to put any unnecessary pressure on the team. But we would love to be back in the playoffs."
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