Less bulk, more payoff for Marshall

Sean Marshall is college basketball’s Iron Man.

The 6-foot-6 senior has started in all 131 games Boston College has played since he arrived from Rialto Eisenhower High.

And this season, Marshall has learned that less has allowed him to do more.

Less weight that is.

In previous seasons, Marshall found advantages to being one of the tallest guards in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but disadvantages to being the heaviest.

So he shed about 25 pounds, getting down to 212, by adjusting his diet and exercise. “I cut out fast food and late snacks,” Marshall told ACC.com. “I eat an early dinner, nothing after 7 p.m. And I worked out harder than I ever had.”

Said Coach Al Skinner: “There were times last season he would get tired; this year it’s coming a lot easier for him and obviously it has paid off as far as his production is concerned.”

Marshall is averaging 33.5 minutes, 14.8 points and 4.7 rebounds -- all career highs.

He almost sat out a game last season because of an injury to his right knee, but he blocked out the pain to score a season-high 22 points in a career-high 46 minutes in Boston College’s double-overtime victory over North Carolina State. He even grabbed eight rebounds.

Florida State Coach Leonard Hamilton told ACC.com that such performances are typical: “Whether it’s rebounding, shooting threes, scoring baskets, defense, he seems to be a guy who’s a complete player.”