Wofford is excited about former Pack player

I recently e-mailed Mike Young, and the response from the men's basketball coach at Wofford College was quite interesting.

As many of you know, former Greenbrier High School basketball star Eric Marshall is a freshman for Young's squad.

I was impressed, not only with what Young had to say, but with his quick reply to my e-mail - the correspondence was sent at 7:05 a.m., and Young shot back a lengthy response before 8 a.m.

Here's what he had to say:

A.B.: Have you been pleased with how Eric has performed, both on and off the court?

Young: We couldn't be happier with his progress, both athletically and academically. Eric is an extremely conscientious and hard-working person.

A.B.: Is Eric playing strictly on the wing? I know you guys could use a point guard, and I noticed that he had six assists vs. UNC-Greensboro. Did he play any point guard in that game?

Young: We are playing him on the wing. We play a motion offense. Therefore, our two-three (guard) positions are essentially the same. He has not played any at the point, nor do I anticipate him moving there. He is too valuable from a scoring standpoint for us to have him expend the kind of energy necessary to play the point. We will run him off a bunch of screens at the wing spot.

A.B.: Eric seems to be playing more and more. Will that continue as the postseason approaches?

Young: We have made some adjustments here of late, and one move has been to get Eric on the floor more. Eric Marshall's going to be a great player for us, and I have to get him on the floor ...

A.B.: Eric seems to be so versatile. Is that his best attribute? If not, what is?

Young: Eric has many positive attributes, and his versatility is one of them.

A.B.: Potentially, how good can Marshall be in the Southern Conference?

Young: Eric is going to be a great player in this league. Since we got him in September, in any workout or practice, he has yet to take a play off. He continues to grow more comfortable with the college game, and he will continue to get better and better. We love him.

Judging by Young's answers to my five questions, Eric Marshall seems to be making quite an impression at the college level.

In time, I believe his ability and work ethic can make Marshall a star in the Southern Conference.

Actually, Marshall's time may arrive sooner rather than later - after my question-and-answer session with Young, Wofford played host to College of Charleston, one of the top teams in the Southern Conference.

Marshall exploded for 27 points in Wednesday's game, including 25 in the second half! He led the Terriers to an 85-76 upset, and that's probably just the start of great things to come from the ex-Greenbrier star.