‘Undersized’ Marberry plays big in the post for Lipscomb

‘Undersized’ might seem like an odd label for a man that stands 6-foot-7.

But because Lipscomb’s Rob Marberry plays the center position, that’s exactly how everyone describes him.

“He definitely doesn’t pass the eye test,” senior Eli Pepper said of his teammate. “We tell him that all the time. He doesn’t look like a Division I [center].”

A quick glance at Marberry’s stat line shows otherwise. The Nashville native is the team’s second-leading scorer with 15.5 points per game, and he pulls down 4.5 rebounds per contest.

“Physically he’s not a five, but that’s what he is in our offense,” Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander said. “He’s got such great skills and the ability to finish with both hands. He’s undersized for a post player, but the ball goes in.”

Marberry often outplays opponents that have a height advantage by two or three inches. Take Belmont’s Nick Muszynski as an example. The Bruin freshman stands at 6-foot-10, yet Marberry managed to score 26 points and grab eight rebounds in a 76-74 loss to Belmont on Dec. 4.

“Rob Marberry is a really, really good player, and he’s got experience,” Belmont coach Rick Byrd said after the game. “When they needed baskets, they went to him every single time down the floor.”

Similar scenarios played out against SMU, TCU and Clemson, but Marberry was up to the task each time. He scored double figures in 33 straight games before being held to eight points by Florida Gulf Coast on Jan. 24.

“I just have to find ways to score around them and over them,” he said. “It’s a lot of scouting to see what they do and their tendencies and to try to capitalize on their mistakes.”

Lipscomb Hall of Famer John Pierce, who coached Marberry at Franklin Road Academy, mentioned that Marberry’s long arms help him play the angles in the post.

“He’s got really long arms, so 6-foot-7 is a little deceiving,” Pierce said. “His wingspan seems to be more like that of a 6-foot-9 guy.”

Despite his scoring prowess, Marberry’s best skill might be his passing. Louisville coach Chris Mack called him one of “the best low-post passers in the country.” Marberry has 46 assists through his first 19 games.

“He has always been a great passer,” Pierce said. “In high school, he’d rather have an assist than a basket. He sees the floor and is really good at leading guys with a pass.”

Marberry’s skill set is a perfect match for Lipscomb’s high-tempo offense. After receiving the ball in the post, he can either take it to the hoop or dish it to an open shooter on the perimeter – often senior guard Garrison Mathews.

“Everyone has to pay a lot of attention to [Marberry],” Mathews said. “When you have a post like him, it’s easy to get stuff outside.”

The one-two punch of Marberry and Mathews has been difficult for opposing defenses to stop. Add in a hot shooting day from Pepper, Nathan Moran, Matt Rose or Michael Buckland, and it’s easy to see why the Bisons average 85.5 points per game.

“Coach [Alexander] hammers that in,” Marberry said. “Look inside the post, and if I don’t have something, look at the four shooters. If I’m not open, one of those guys is going to be open.”

When he’s on the bench, Marberry serves as a de facto player-coach for the Bisons. He can often be seen giving advice to freshman center Ahsan Asadullah or celebrating a made shot with a towel wave.

“If I’m not talking constantly, I feel like I’m mentally out of it,” he said. “I talk too much sometimes. When I’m nervous, I talk too much. When I’m happy, I talk too much.

“It gets me going and gets the guys going, too. I try to have a little input for each guy.”

The management major wants to play professional basketball and will likely have an opportunity to do so overseas. But he could also see himself as a coach at the high school or college level at some point.

“He could coach for sure,” Pepper said. “He’d be too goofy sometimes, but I think he’d be a lot of fun to play for.”

Marberry’s dream coaching job? Tennessee, of course.

“I love the Vols — I grew up a Tennessee football fan,” he said. “And [Coach Rick Barnes] has gotta retire some time. But I have to root for them now that they are [No. 1 in the country].”

For the moment, Marberry has his sights set on helping Lipscomb return to the Big Dance, and the Bisons will certainly need more big performances from the ‘undersized’ center to get there.

“As long as he can play on rhythm, he’s going to be okay,” Alexander said. “When he gets himself off balance or frustrated…he tends to really fall off. But as long as he’s keeping it simple and playing on rhythm, he can play against any size.”

Photos courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics