Saturday, November 29, 2014 6:00 p.m.
Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center, Kent, Ohio

Kent State has been one of the best and most consistent men’s basketball programs in the Mid-American Conference for the past 15 years. Last season the Golden Flashes failed to win 19 games or more for the first time since 1997-98, but still registered a .500 season with 16 wins. Coach Rob Senderoff is in his fourth season after taking over for current Bradley coach Geno Ford. All indications are that Kent State is back from last season’s let-down as they have a solid and experienced team.

Kent State has used the same five starters—two guards, two forwards, and a center—for all five games this season, producing a 4-1 record in the early going. Sophomore forward Jimmy Hall-- a 6’7”, 235-pound transfer from Hofstra-- leads the Flashes in most major categories, including points, rebounds, and blocks. Hall played his high school ball at St. Anthony’s under Coach Bobby Hurley. Six-foot-three senior guard Kris Brewer leads the team in assists and free throw percentage. Brewer’s field goal percentage isn’t impressive, but he is a consistent scorer, ranking second on the team (12.0 ppg), getting to the free throw line often, and scoring in double digits 23 times over his past 37 games. Derek Jackson, a 6’1” senior guard averages 11.2 ppg and leads the team in steals and 3-point field goal percentage. Graduate senior Craig Brown-- a 6’5”, 220-pound wing forward—and 6’9” junior center Khaliq Spicer round out the starters.

The Flashes usually play a nine man rotation, with significant minutes off the bench from 6’4” senior guard Devereaux Manley (leading the team in made threes), 5’11” junior Kellon Thomas, 6’8” junior forward Chris Ortiz, and 6’8” sophomore forward Marquiez Lawrence.

The only team to defeat Kent State thus far has been Yale, who overcame an 8-point halftime deficit with 67% field goal shooting and 19 trips to the line in the second half. The Yalies out-rebounded Kent State 30-22, and made 27 trips to the line for the game while limiting Kent State’s scoring from everyone besides Jimmy Hall.

In Loyola’s last time out, the team played with the best energy and help defense of the season in breaking a 20-game road losing streak at UT-San Antonio. Milton Doyle had 27 points in 29 minutes, and Loyola held their own on the boards against a much taller squad. The Ramblers will need a similar recipe to defeat Kent State-- a less imposing team physically-- but deeper, quicker, more rounded and experienced than UTSA.

Loyola game notes: http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/loy ... 127aaa.pdf

Kent State game notes:

Television: None

Streaming Video: http://www.kentstatesports.com/watch/?Live=43

Vegas line: Kent State by 7

OK !! Here is a team similar to ours--They will be only a smidge taller, so I am hoping we will be faster. Milton should be the best player on the floor --They are the Home team so will get at least a three/5 point boost from that. We will handle that IF we play as we did in TEXAS-

Now that we have won a roadie, I do like our chances in a close one. THE MAC is good this year but Kent is NOT one of its best teams--
Students are gone for the Holidays of course----Kinda coincidental, like Cubs / Sox , this is a ZIP town not a Flash hub.

If we run and defend well we can win say 72-68 ---If not, we can get rolled. so Look out Ramblers !!

KSU alum with a freshman daughter at LUC.

I see most of the Flashes games one way or another, but the video will not be good. We are in a transition year with the video broadcast and this year they are actually worse than they used to be: scoreboard video feed often interrupted with animated cheers during play. Next year all 12 MAC teams are going to HD feeds with decent play-by-play crews on ESPN3.

They will have some good perimeter defense and Jimmy Hall is a handful inside. Very long arms and a lot of pretty effective moves inside and a decent midrange jumper. You need a good post defender to stay with him.

They shoot too many 3's which has been their Achilles heel the last couple of years. They'll throw 9 pretty athletic guys out there so the Ramblers will need to show some depth.

Can't wait.

Is there video for this game?

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Yes there is, but it's somewhat annoying as I noted above.


http://www.kentstatesports.com/watch/?Live=43

Cool. Thanks for the link!

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The last time we played them, CT went off: 38 minutes, 31 points, 11 rebounds, 1 turnover, 1 block, 1 steal. And Thomas was doing most of that with double and triple teams because Averkamp was out (I think it was a concussion, but I know he did not appear in the box score). That's still one of the highlight games I was most impressed of Christian Thomas, although there's not much more you could do to top 31 points and 11 boards through double teams.

Kent St. isn't a big-time team like Michigan St., but they seem like a really solid team, or at least a step up from UTSA. Yes, we now have Milton, but it seems like they added plenty of really solid players since we last met less than 2 years ago. We have to bring our A game to even have a chance at winning this. My gut says we bring a B+ game and the Flashes win by 10.

If we can somehow win this one, I'll be really impressed and know that the positive things we did against UTSA wasn't a fluke. Kent State has already beaten two of our future opponents-- Southern Illinois (by 23) and UIC (by 18). Jimmy Hall is a quality player, and as a team Kent State doesn't have that many weaknesses (not great at the free throw line, and besides Manley their bench is below average). Try to deny the ball into Hall as best we can, control tempo, get to the free throw line early and often, play great defense on the outside shooters, and we might be able to pull it off.

This game is really pivotal in terms of gaining confidence, and will probably show a lot about how we'll stack up in conference. With a win, we should be also be favored to win the next five games. A loss would make 4-1 over the next five an optimistic outlook.

I see what you mean about the annoying animations I missed a play because of the defense defense animation. Turk with two quick threes

Wow, thanks for the warning. Stream is ridiculous.

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