Marshall’s men’s and women’s basketball teams kicked off their season by hosting their inaugural Hoops in Huntington event in Pullman Square. 

The event included introductions and autographs from the players, activities for kids such as face painting and inflatables as well as a number of different basketball competitions that community members could participate in. 

The event took place on Thursday, Oct. 13, on Third Avenue between Ninth and Tenth street. One of the main features of the event was a scrimmage that took place on the outdoor court that was set up for the event. 

Gallery • 8 Photos

Tyler Spence

Taevion Kinsey walks onto the court in downtown Huntington on Thursday.

“Part of building a program is getting the community to know your student athletes. It gives you a chance to actually look them in the eye and actually know who they are, and maybe you’re more likely to come to a game if you actually know who the players are,” Christian Spears, Marshall’s athletic director, said. 

“I love the fact that we’re in a brand-new league and, for the first time, we can participate against a bunch of different schools and see what kind of program we’re going to have,” Spears said in regard to the upcoming season.

Hoops in Huntington is designed to mark the transition from the basketball off-season to the preseason, and many other events like it are being held by basketball teams across the country. 

Many notable figures in Huntington attended the event, including Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, student body President Isabella Griffiths, as well as the men’s basketball coach, Dan D’Antoni and the women’s coach, Tony Kemper. 

“I’m feeling good [about this season]. We’re going to turn this thing around. I’m feeling very confident in what we’ve got to do this year,” David Early, a member of the men’s team studying sports management, said. “At this event, I’m looking forward to meeting new people and having a good day with the fans.”

The first regular season game for the men’s team is against Queens on Nov. 7, and the women’s team will play their first regular season game against Purdue on Nov. 10.