Marshall shines in upset over elite team

I know that I just gave readers an update on former Greenbrier basketball star Eric Marshall, but he and his teammates had a recent accomplishment that deserves recognition.

Marshall, a senior guard at Wofford, led his Terrier squad in a win over one of the nation's elite basketball programs last weekend. Marshall poured in a game-high 27 points as Wofford beat hoops power Cincinnati 91-90. It is a signature win for a program that is definitely on the rise.

In addition to his 27 points, Marshall added eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. The Terriers are now 4-2 on the season despite playing one of the more difficult early schedules in the country. They will have a shot at a few more upsets in early December as they travel to Michigan, Clemson and Auburn. Keep up the good work, Eric.

Rivalry gets heated

Mark your calendars for Jan. 12. That is when Evans will get a chance to redeem itself against Greenbrier.

The Pack, in what many deemed an upset, beat the Knights 49-45 in the Turkey Tip-Off Tournament. That game caused quite a stir on the Internet message boards that were flooded, before and after the game, with fans trash-talking, making predictions and complaining about the outcome. The bottom line is this should make for a very interesting game in January.

Evans fans should keep in mind that they lost two quality guards in Glen Miller and Jerome Manuel (both were First Team All-County a year ago). The fact is, guard play is the key to high school basketball ball, period. Even with Miller and Manuel a year ago, Greenbrier played Evans tough. So to think this match-up was going to be a blowout was a stretch.

Evans has great size, and they are very athletic (especially Jonathan Nicely), but to be a successful high school team you have to have good guard play. Evans coach Kevin Kenny will have his team ready to play come Jan. 12, but give him and his guards a little time. To expect Evans to be as good as they were a year ago without its two starting guards is just not smart. When the Knights guards become more comfortable and some of the football players get in "basketball shape" they will be a solid squad. So be patient.

As for Greenbrier, they have a very talented young guard in Bryan Andrews. He still is a bit raw, but Andrews has several great qualities you look for in a point guard:

- He is fearless. Even last season as a ninth-grader he was not afraid to have the ball in his hands with the game on the line.

- He has superb quickness. He will be even more effective as he gets a little more control (that comes with maturity).

- He has long arms. Most great defenders have long arms that allow them to constantly get their hands on passes.

All that basically means: Make sure you catch the game between these two on Jan. 12.