Early news from the Civic Center. Deniz Kilicli is indeed doubtful for tonight’s game with an ankle, which would mean he’s likely not playing. He might not even dress, to end all the suspense. Your boy Kevin Noreen is expected to start — and as you can see from the above clip, he was warming up with a purpose.

When Deniz has been slowed by injury or by fouls this season, WVU has mostly leaned on the perimeter to make the chance — that is, Truck, Browne and Hinds with KJ and Miles/Noreen or Truck, Browne/Hinds and Browne with KJ and Miles/Noreen.

Not the guy you want to lose when you’re playing Marshall’s bigs and rebounders.

5:57 p.m. Early update on the Kilicli ankle angle.

6:23: Kilicli rilled his right ankle Monday and has a high ankle sprain. He was posting up and simply fell. Freak injury.

6:36: Grab your quarters. Hertz just rolled into the press room chuckling. “Got a column,” he said. It involves what is arguable the best part of this event — the Strongest Cheerleaders competition.

Just watched Keaton Miles warm up for a little bit and the kid just looks different. He was  smoothly moving through his pregame routine and making a lot of shots, but more importantly, just bouncing around the floor and nodding his head to the music and looking very confident about everything. The more I think of it, I can really agree with Bob Huggins: There really are some John Flowers parallels.

8:27: WiFi is awful on press row. My first half observation is Marshall is very athletic and has a nice chemistry when they’re rolling. Marshall also seemed to know that and then tried to exploit it by trying to blow WVU out with an assortment of alley oops and obscure decisions.

The Mountaineers, meanwhile, were scraping things together and trying to stay in the game. That possession where Aaron Brown scored on a stick-back, missed a free throw and then banked in a jumper was critical. WVU then tried to throw it away twice on the next possession, but got a point when Nique made a free throw. Marshall tried a lob pass and missed and then later threw the ball away on an inbound on the last possession of the half, where the only thing you really have to do if you’re Marshall is at least touch the ball to start the clock. Didn’t happen and Truck sneaked in and calmly made a 3 after just a terrible first half for him. Now he and his teammates have the momentum.