With 11 new players on its roster, the Marshall University’s men’s basketball team has a different look for the upcoming season.

Marshall head coach Dan D’Antoni said while the team has several first-year players, not all are new to the team.

“We’ve had four newcomers that have practiced with us last year, but did not play,” D’Antoni said. “We expect them to fit right in and hit the ground running.”

Forward Cheikh Sane, center JP Kambola, and forward Shawn Smith graduated in the spring while guard Tamron Manning and guard Devince Boykins transferred to other universities.

Despite the key losses, junior forward Ryan Taylor, who was selected to the All-Conference Preseason Team, said he is confident the Herd will pick up the slack going forward.

“The freshman coming in will help us out a lot,” Taylor said. “They can shoot, spread the floor, rebound and play hard. And every team needs that.”

Among the newcomers on the team, D’Antoni said he is hopeful about one West Virginia native who he feels will have a big impact on the team – Steve Browning, who was redshirted last season after transferring from Fairmont State University where he played his freshmen season.

“I think he was overlooked at the smaller school,” D’Antoni said. “ I think he’s a lot more disciplined now. He understands his reads, and he’s very athletic. He’s a typical West Virginian with a little chip on his shoulder. He’s going to bring that competitive edge to the team.”

Imani Spradley can be contacted at [email protected].