Marshall Henderson is the Face of College Basketball, Whether You Like It or Not
Posted by Brian Joyce on January 29th, 2013Brian Joyce is a writer for the SEC microsite and regular contributor for Rush The Court. Follow him on Twitter for more about SEC basketball at bjoyce_hoops.
By now you have already made up your mind on Ole Miss guard Marshall Henderson. You either love him or hate him, and every time he makes another appearance likely just serves to further strengthen that viewpoint. The animated GIF of Henderson popping his jersey to a legion of frat stars at Auburn went viral quicker than the newest spoof of the Gangnam style video. [Ed. Note: We are linking to it instead of embedding it because you wouldn’t be able to take your eyes off of it and read the column.] Henderson frequently tweets out Eminem lyrics, and like his idol Marshall Mathers, the point guard for Ole Miss is a polarizing figure to say the least. Whether he’s drinking Coors Light at a party or shoving his tongue down down a frisky co-ed at the club, Henderson is making headlines. And once one sifts through the shenanigans, the fiery guard has done his most newsworthy stories on the court.
Marshall incites strong reactions wherever he goes.
Ole Miss was 20-14 last year, with an 8-8 mark in conference play. In Andy Kennedy‘s six seasons at the helm for the Rebels, Ole Miss has never made the NCAA Tournament. But in just one year with Marshall Henderson in the backcourt, the Rebs are 17-2, undefeated in the SEC, and a nationally relevant program for the first time in, well, maybe ever (outside of a Sweet Sixteen run in 2001). That’s the power of Henderson. He has become must-see TV at this point, and regardless of your opinion on his erratic behavior, people in college basketball are talking about the Rebels. And most importantly, the hype about the Rebels isn’t just noise, they’re also playing winning basketball. That much is indisputable.
It’s also without question that Henderson has been the difference in Ole Miss’ turnaround. He is averaging 19.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game, while shooting 35.7 percent from beyond the arc. He hung 32 on Tennessee. He turned around and hit the game-tying three-pointer from about 10 feet from behind the arc against Vanderbilt. Then, on Saturday he hit the game-winning free throws against Auburn. Without Henderson, 2012-13 would be quite different for Ole Miss. Remember, Kennedy was on the hot seat coming into the season — he had taken the Rebels to the NIT in 2007, 2008, and 2010, but nobody hangs banners for NIT appearances. Ole Miss fans clamored for an NCAA berth, and it wasn’t until Henderson arrived that the Rebels began heading in that direction. Say what you will about his attitude or sportsmanship, but his play has probably saved Kennedy’s job for the time being.
Maybe that’s why Kennedy has been nothing but supportive of his superstar guard. The head coach didn’t address Henderson’s conduct following the Auburn game, but he spoke about the situation afterward in the SEC teleconference on Monday morning. “It was brought to my attention after the game. He did it really right in front of our radio people, so I had some boots on the ground, so to speak, that could tell me fact from fiction,” Kennedy said. “There’s a lot of folklore going around with Marshall. I would have preferred him not doing that, but, again, he’s caught up in the emotion of a highly charged game.”
While we all have our opinions about Henderson’s antics, his coach is the only individual besides Henderson himself in a position to do something about it. So why allow Henderson to engage with rival fans in what some consider a highly disrespectful manner? “I think he’s been readily open with the fact that if he didn’t play with that edge, he wouldn’t be a guy that could lead the SEC in scoring,” Kennedy said. “As his coach, I’m probably more concerned with his shot selection than maybe him popping his shirt here and there.”
It’s shirt popping and the like that has the SEC guard in the headlines, but he’s not done yet. He has a big game tonight against the defending national champion Kentucky Wildcats and then his Rebels travel to Gainesville after that to take on Florida in what could decide the conference race. He could be named SEC Player of the Year for his unlikely ascent to the top of the individual statistics in several categories in the conference. Like him or not, this won’t be the last time you hear about the legend of Henderson.
Henderson being Henderson.
He brings passion and energy to every game, but he’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, or in this case can of beer. He’s crude. He’s brash. He’s controversial. He’s vulgar. He’s crazy. But Marshall Henderson is the face of Ole Miss. The much debated guard is the representative of the SEC to the rest of the nation. And like it or not, he is the face of college basketball this season.
Brian Joyce is an advanced metrics enthusiast, college hoops junkie, and writer for the SEC basketball microsite for Rush the Court.
