Marauders to face NCAA’s Marshall University in basketball exhibition

The McMaster men’s basketball team will welcome the Marshall University Thundering Herd to Burridge Gymnasium for a rare pre-season game next week.

Located in Huntington, West Virginia, Marshall competes in the NCAA’s elite Division I —the highest level of competition for intercollegiate athletes in the United States. The visit to McMaster is part of a Canadian university tour that will also see the Thundering Herd play against the Algoma Thunderbirds, Windsor Lancers and Western Mustangs.

“It’s been almost 10 years since we have welcomed a D-1 program to the Burridge Gym and it’s long overdue,” says McMaster coach Amos Connolly. “The time is right for us to challenge ourselves and hopefully this game signals the return of regular international competition for the Marauders.”

The Marauders hosted Bradley University in October of 2004, dropping a 91-79 decision in the last visit by an NCAA team to Hamilton.

The NCAA allows teams to make a foreign trip every four years, and many have used the opportunity to visit Canada in order to get an early start on preparations for their upcoming seasons. Marshall Coach Tom Herrion will use the trip to help break in seven new players he has added to the roster.

Coach Connolly believes the game versus Marshall will be a terrific measuring stick as he prepares his squad for the 2013-14 season. “We’ve recruited well and several of our players were considered to be D-1 calibre prospects,” he explains. “A game like this helps us evaluate our players in both the short and long-term. It’s a can’t-miss opportunity for the program.”

The game will take place on Monday, August 19 with tip-off set for 8 p.m.

The tragic story of the 1970 Marshall University football team was depicted in the 2006 dramatic film We Are Marshall.