After being dismissed from the program in late-April, former Marshall guard DeAndre Kane became one of the most sought-after players on the transfer “market.”
Having averaged 15.1 points and seven assists per game as a redshirt junior, the Pittsburgh native would be able to help his next school of choice immediately as a graduate student.
Ultimately Kane decided to transfer to Iowa State for his final season of eligibility, but the move to Ames didn’t result in the guard forgetting about the people of Huntington, W.Va.
On Saturday night the Huntington Herald-Dispatch published a letter from Kane to the Marshall and Huntington communities, thanking them for their support during his four years as a member of the Marshall program.
Included in the letter is an apology for not leading the Thundering Herd to the NCAA tournament:I know that things didn’t end here the way I wanted them too and I apologize for not leading the team to the NCAA Tournament because this city deserves it. What I do promise though is to bring something back to this community better than a basketball championship -- hope and fun for the kids. Whether I play pro basketball or just become a business man, I’ll continue to contribute to the youth in this area once I get my career.
Thanks to Marshall University and the Athletic Department for giving me my first college opportunity. Thanks to the coaching staff that helped me through the years develop as a player and thank you to all of my teammates. I wish my brothers good luck next season and hope they can bring the C-USA title home.
This is the second time in less than a month that a player has expressed his thanks to the Huntington community, with Kansas signee Andrew Wiggins doing so in late-May.
Certainly a classy gesture on Kane’s part, as he certainly had an impact on both the Marshall program and the Huntington community during his time at the school. And, the letter also reveals how much of an impact that Huntington had on him.
Raphielle can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.