Kent State, WMU’s next opponent, facing down season

By Mark Rudi
Western Herald

In recent years, Kent State University has been the class of Mid-American Conference Basketball.
In the last 10 years, The Golden Flashes have won the MAC and made the NCAA Tournament four times, including a remarkable run to the Elite Eight in 2002, which is more than any MAC school in the last 10 seasons.

However, this season, KSU (9-11, 2-4 MAC) has struggled a bit. Many experts at the beginning of the season picked Kent State to win the MAC for the second year in a row.

A lot has changed for Kent State since last season. Jim Christian, the 2008 MAC Coach of the Year, left Kent to take the open job at Texas Christian University. Kent State also lost two key seniors in forwards Haminn Quaintance, the 2008 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, and Mike Scott, who were both named MAC Second Team in 2008.

The Golden Flashes are under the helm of one of Christian’s top assistants: Geno Ford. Ford has previous head coaching experience, leading NAIA member Shawnee State University (Ohio) from 2001-2002 and Division III Muskingum College (Ohio) from 2005-2007. Ford joined the Kent State staff last season as an assistant.

This season, Kent State played a tough non-conference schedule, which included No. 19 University of Illinois, No. 22 St. Mary’s College of California, Texas A&M University and defending national champion University of Kansas.

The Golden Flashes played very well against the Illini and Gaels, losing only by six in overtime to Illinois on Nov. 28 and dropped a 75-69 decision to St. Mary’s on Dec. 4.

But since MAC play started, the quality of play from its non-conference schedule has not come with them into conference play. Kent State is just 2-4 in conference play and in last place in the East Division coming into Wednesday night.

In conference play, the Golden Flashes offense has struggled a bit. Kent State is seventh in the MAC in scoring offense (61.2 points per game) and field goal percentage (43.7 percent), as well as eighth in three-point field goal percentage (31.5 percent).

However, Kent State has one of the best defenses in the MAC. KSU leads the MAC in conference play in defending the three, only allowing MAC teams to a 29.6 shooting percentage from behind the arc, which might counter Western Michigan University’s hot three-point shooting. The Broncos lead the MAC in conference play averaging 7.83 threes per game.

A big flaw in Kent State’s game is that they give up a lot of rebounds. The Golden Flashes are 11th in the MAC in rebounding defense, allowing 38.5 boards per game. Kent State is tied for sixth in rebounding offense at 34.7 boards per game and is 11th in the MAC in rebounding margin, as they pull down 3.8 less rebounds a game than its opponent.

The Golden Flashes started off MAC play losing four of its first five games, three of them by 11 points or more. However, Kent State comes into this weekend off a 68-46 thrashing of Eastern Michigan University at home Tuesday night.

Kent State is led by senior guard Al Fisher, who was 2008 MAC Player of the Year and an Honorable Mention for All-American. Fisher is currently fifth in the MAC averaging 15.9 points per game, fourth in assists with 3.40 per game and fifth in steals with 1.75 per game.

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Posted by HeraldAdmin on Jan 29 2009. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
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