Marble trying notto make a big deal out of game at Michigan

IOWA CITY - If there's a coming home party planned in Michigan for Devyn Marble, the Iowa freshman doesn't know about it.

Marble, who grew up in the Detroit area, makes his first basketball trip to his home state this weekend when the Hawkeyes visit Ann Arbor. He has about “20 to 25” ticket requests from friends and family for Sunday's game. But the loquacious freshman downplayed the homecoming rhetoric Friday and instead preferred to make the game his centerpiece of conversation.

“It's a good opportunity for me to go play in front of my family and some of my friends,” Marble said. “They haven't really been able to see me play since I've been to college.

“I just want to win, like I do in every game. I'm not coming in with a different mentality or anything. Just try to play well like I do every game, no matter who's watching. Even though it will be the first time they watch me play live, they've seen me on TV. It's nothing different.”

Marble is the third player on Iowa's roster playing near his hometown in the last two weeks. The other two struggled. Junior Andrew Brommer if Rosemount, Minn., played just five minutes and didn't score Jan. 16 at Minnesota. Freshman Melsahn Basabe of Glen Cove, N.Y., played 20 minutes but scored just four points and was benched most of the second half Wednesday at Penn State.

Coach Fran McCaffery said there's no magic formula for success when playing near a home area.

“I've had some guys that seem to thrive in that environment,” McCaffery said. “Others struggle and struggle big time sometimes. They want it so badly.

“We all want it for them. You know, what we try to do in that situation is not treat the game any differently. You know, here's the game plan, follow the game plan; this is what your role is. Just try to be successful in doing that, and don't get caught up in the moment.

“But when all of a sudden a player goes to a game and there's 35 or 40 family members there, it's going to be a little bit different.”

In addition to seeing friends and family, Marble will play against Michigan assistant coach LaVall Jordan, his former recruiter. Jordan was an assistant for three years under former Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter. Marble said he remains in friendly contact with Jordan.

“It might feel a little weird (playing against him), but since I never actually played a game with him on my bench at all, it's not going to have that much of an impact,” Marble said. “He did a lot for me before he went to Michigan, so that's somebody I'm going to keep in touch with.”

Marble has enjoyed some success in largely a reserve role. He averages 5.9 points and 2.5 rebounds a game with 24 assists. He's playing some point guard, but McCaffery would like to shift him to the off-guard or small forward position after this season.

“I wouldn't be opposed to giving him the ball, but I think it takes away from who he is,” McCaffery said. “He can do it. He doesn't mind doing it. I think he likes having the ball. He likes directing, and he's not afraid to go out and break up a play. But you're looking at a guy who has the potential to be a 15- to 18-point-a-game scorer in this league, I think, eventually and probably not going to be that as a point guard.”