By John Mulvaney

Donnie Jones might want to invest in a good pair of sunglasses because the future of Marshall basketball is bright. All the proof you need has come at the Henderson Center this season.

Saturday February 9th the final scoreboard told the story of a 34 point blowout over a conference opponent that just seven games ago sent Marshall home with a 13 point loss. The win over East Carolina may have been Marshall's best performance of the season, but greater accomplishments still lie in wait for Donnie Jones' program.

The Herd's 12-10 record (as of Tuesday February 12th) on the season may be a little mis-leading. Jones has guided Marshall to an 11-2 record at home, including overtime wins over Tulsa, Winthrop and East Tennessee. Not bad for a team that went 13-19 last season, has a first year head coach, only two seniors on scholarship and has battled a rash on injuries.

Jones has brought a fan-friendly style of play to the program, which has produced results in situations his predecessor could not. One play separated an undermanned Marshall team from a victory over West Virginia in January. Donnie Jones can coach, there is no doubt. Now his players expect to win in Huntington. Next will come the same confidence on the road.

The sunglass shopping may start as early as next year. Three staples of the program's progression my be sitting on the bench right now. No matter how the rest of this season plays out, next year the Herd will undergo a significant make-over.

Donnie Jones has three transfers sitting at the end of his bench waiting to make their mark.

First is Purdue transfer Chris Lutz. The 6'2" guard played in 62 games for the Boilermakers over his freshman and sophomore years. He led Purdue in three point shooting each of those seasons and was named to the 2005-2006 All Big-Ten Freshman team.

Second is Florida transfer Brandon Powell. Powell, a 6'3" guard played in 23 games for Billy Donovan as a freshman. The Memphis native was an All-State selection his junior and senior years in high school. Powell was rated by Scout.com as the 37th shooting guard in the class of 2006. Lutz led the Big Ten with 47 percent shooting from behind the arc as a sophomore.

Third is Georgetown transfer Octavius Spann. Spann, the brother of Marshall football player Emanuel Spann, is a 6'6" forward who joined the Hoyas out of high school. Spann was rated as a four star athlete as a high school senior by Rivals.com. Spann averaged 21 points and 13 rebounds as a high school senior.

Add these three to the known quantities of Markel Humphrey, Darryl Merthie and Tirrell Baines and things start to look pretty good for the '08-'09 season. There is also the prospect that sophomore Tyler Wilkerson's progression could continue. Wilkerson scored a career high 25 in that 34-point win over East Carolina. There are also two other elements to mix into next year's equation, Damier Pitts, Kore White and Marcus Goode. Pitts is plays at Hargrave Military Academy. He is a 5-11 point guard who is listed as a three-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. His scouting report lists his scoring ability and outside shot as his greatest assets. Kore White is a 6'8" forward who plays for Dillard High School in Boca Raton, FL. White committed to Marshall in December. White averages nearly four blocks a game for Dillard, one of Florida's best teams in class 5A.

Marcus Goode may be the most intriguing possible member of Jones' 2008 squad. He may also be the least well known. Goode's last season of recorded stats come from his 2005 sophomore season. That season Goode averaged 22 points grabbed 16 rebounds a game and shot 88 percent from the free throw line. Impressive no doubt, even more impressive when you consider that he is a 6'10", 303-pound center. Goode had interest from Georgia, Georgetown and Memphis according to Rivals.com. He is now on campus at Marshall trying to gain eligibility to join the team next season.

If everything goes to plan, you can team these three newcomers up with Lutz, Spann and Powell in 2008. The scenario creates a whole new rotation for the Herd which could include three highly regarded transfers one top 40 freshman point guard, two freshman big men and the return of Markel Humphrey, Tirrell Baines, Darryl Merthie and Tyler Wilkerson. Throw in Robbie Jackson, Adam Williams and Matt Walls in the mix and Jones could have plenty to choose from.

My advice to any Thundering Herd basketball fan would be to Google the following names: Chris Lutz, Brandon Powell, Octavius Spann, Damier Pitts, Kore White and Marcus Goode. What you will find is plenty of articles, scouting reports and statistics to get you excited about the future of Herd basketball.

But for now, watch how Jones coaches a team with facing injuries and numerous other hurdles for the rest of this season. His trip to the Sunglass Hut may come a little sooner than anyone expects.