H.S. BASKETBALL SUPER SENIOR: Lexington’s Marshall makes use of height

LEXINGTON – With a 6-foot-11 frame, Lexington’s Nick Marshall is a tough matchup problem for even the best of teams in West Tennessee.

Marshall uses his height as an asset as he is one of the best in the area at rebounds and blocked shots.

As a junior, he averaged 12 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks per game as the Tigers reached the Class AA sectionals.

“Last year is a big motivation,” Marshall said. “We were close to reaching state last year, and this year we are going to state because we know we have the tools.”

Lexington was the runner-up in District 14-AA and Region 7-AA behind eventual Class AA state champion South Side last year. The Tigers just couldn’t get the job done at Manassas in sectionals.

“We know what it takes, and to make the state tournament would mean everything,” Marshall said. “This is my senior year at LHS and to step foot in Murfreesboro would mean a lot.”

Marshall believes his supporting cast is ready to make a run with quality guards, injured players back and a deep bench. He has also worked on his own game to be ready for this season.

“I am working on driving to the basket and my jump shot,” Marshall said.

But this season is more than just about him. Marshall has dedicated his senior season to someone he loves.

“My biggest motivation this season is my granddad,” he said. “He would be proud of me, so I want to dedicate this to him.”

Lexington went through a coaching change in the offseason as Roy Grant retired and Andrew Hicks took over. Hicks hasn’t coached Marshall much so far, but he can see why he is one of the top players in the area.

“His love for the game,” Hicks said. “He always wants to play and always wants to get better.

“You don’t coach a player like him differently, but you set different expectations for them. You set goals to compare them to other top players around the country that are being recruited on the highest level.”

Over the summer Marshall also became one of the top recruits out of the state of Tennessee as multiple NCAA Division I schools offered, including Memphis, Tennessee, Mississippi and Mississippi State.

Marshall committed to Memphis right before his senior year began at Lexington, and he will go through a year of prep school before joining the class of 2016 at Memphis.

“Already committing means a lot,” he said. “Only a few in the class of 2016 can commit.”

Michael Odom, 425-9754

Continuing series

This is the seventh in a series of 18 where we will highlight the top nine boys and nine girls that will be seniors heading into the upcoming high school basketball season. The series will alternate between male and female and go in alphabetical order.