The unofficial online home for fans of the Kent State University Golden Flashes. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

nice win last night. this is a special team: a 'perfect storm' of determination, great coaching, veteran talent & one freshman who is playing an upperclassman. GO FLASHES!!!

Perhaps he should be barking at the Athletic Department, PR people and New Media people. Nothing has been done to improve the gameday experience (sans more noise, more distraction and more bs) and I would like to know what type of pitches are being made to the greek community and dorm rats.

At some point its on the University to make a strong push.

(12-11-2015 11:43 AM)dannyb73 Wrote:  He is right. At the very least, the students should be there. Sometimes locals have legit excuses (like young kids with activities or it's too far to drive them home for a weeknight game). But there is no reason we shouldn't have more butts in the seats.

I'm sorry!!! I'm sorry!!! I had tickets but didn't go! I had to push my kid to get his homework done! He's going to flunk out of 8th grade!!! He's never get into Walsh Jesuit like this!

i completely understand coach sendy's frustration w/lack of fan support. its been this way forever. no excuse.

Basketball is a means to get a college education and in extremely rare cases professional ambitions can be filled. To everyone else it is entertainment. The last 4-5 years has been less than entertaining to watch Kent basketball games. There once was a fan base that was strong at home games but I have seen it go away because of how it was being played. This year may be different but it will be hard to get fans back after the way the Kent teams have performed.

I am also disappointed in the way the basketball program has been handled. When Kent went to the Elite 8 it was not promoted or capitalized on. Maybe it was a fluke that we had talented players or maybe it was the type of player that we recruited that had the drive and desire to be a great team.

(12-11-2015 11:14 AM)JimJoyce Wrote:  

From the Akron Beacon Journal
“I’m not telling you we’re a great team, but we’re a good team. We have some good players and better kids than we have players,” Senderoff said. “If Kent State and our program and our community wants to continue to have a winning program, it’s not just done with players and coaches … it’s done with 30,000 students that go to school here. It takes everybody. God forbid we were 2-5 right now — like, there’d be what, 500 people at this game? I mean, that’s a joke. It’s frustrating sometimes.”

Preach!

(12-12-2015 08:23 AM)bball4me Wrote:  Basketball is a means to get a college education and in extremely rare cases professional ambitions can be filled. To everyone else it is entertainment. The last 4-5 years has been less than entertaining to watch Kent basketball games. There once was a fan base that was strong at home games but I have seen it go away because of how it was being played. This year may be different but it will be hard to get fans back after the way the Kent teams have performed.

Over the last 5 years we've averaged 21.2 wins per season. Sure there have been some frustrating performances in that time, but other than NCAA tournament appearances there's not much more you can ask for. If we're not content with the performance over the last 5 years then I think we're a spoiled fan base.

Final exams are starting this Monday so I doubt that many students are going to be available right now for the next game. Many people do actually have this be crunch time even if they do goof off much of the rest of the semester. It will not account for everything but it is certainly something to keep in mind.

For reference, we live just outside of Cleveland. 50 minute trip to Kent. Starting around 2003 and goin strong through 2012 we made the trip to home games no matter the weather and added road trips to Akron, Toledo, BG and an occasional jaunt to God's country (Oxford) to watch (especially Jim Christian's teams) Kent State play. In short, we were hooked.

There are 2 reasons why we have started to follow the Flashes from a distance over the last few years. Keep in mind we are relatively young and healthy so the trip isn't a problem:

1 - The game-day experience. From the side-ways hat hype man that was rarely in sync with the PA announcer to the nonsense that starting filling timeouts that were generally put together at the last minute and fell flat on their faces...the MAC Center became obnoxious. To have to watch and listen to these futile attempts to "enhance the fan experience" in front of 1,500 or less people was/is laughable...embarrassing really. In my opinion, the pep band, cheerleaders and dance team should be the focus of time-outs at Kent State University's Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center. A few hungry howie giveaways now and then, great. The tricycle race once per game, even better.

2 - The box score below also speaks volumes about how we became I Heart Radio people....and remember, that type of effort was common that season. Maybe it isn't fair to the current roster to point back to that season...but it left a taste.

http://www.kentstatesports.com/boxscore....ll&id=2544

I hate to think that this sounds like me knocking Kent State Basketball. Unfortunately, the above reality "is what it is" for us.

Look at the last four years win-lost records.

2011-12 we lost 4 of our last five games of the reg season-4th in east, lost in semi of MA tournament and first round of CIT 21-12; 10-6)

2012-13 we lost 6 of the last 9 reg season games-3rd in East; lost in semis to Akron, lost in CIT in semis (21-14; 9-7)

2013-14 lost 6 of last 10 regular season games-fifth in East,; lost in first round of MAC (16-16; 7-11)

2014-15 we lost 5 of last 11-shared overall MAC-lost our first game of MAC in quarterfinals 23-12; 12-6)
Last year we had attendance in 6 games of 5,084, 3522, 3374, 3084, 5587 and 6327

I am not sure really what point anyone is trying to make. If you have been turned off for some reason and don't go, that is your right. Nobody can say you shouldn't have a bad taste in your mouth. I certainly understand close to 2 hours round trip, not going to all home games. That is hard. Kudos for having done it as long as you have. I would like to think I would make that trip every night, but the reality is, in the last few years my priorities have changed (wife and kids) and there are a lot of nights I can't even find the time to fire up the laptop and watch. So I certainly don't cast judgements on those that don't go to every game.

Again, I don't judge, but the excuse of the teams performance the last few years doesn't resonate WITH ME. If that is how you feel, so be it, but we are winning plenty of games, competing for championships (although we haven't won the MACT) and mostly (not always) playing hard. That is enough for my admiration - and certainly more than we can say about our football team!!!!

(12-12-2015 03:56 PM)fallsdog Wrote:  For reference, we live just outside of Cleveland. 50 minute trip to Kent. Starting around 2003 and goin strong through 2012 we made the trip to home games no matter the weather and added road trips to Akron, Toledo, BG and an occasional jaunt to God's country (Oxford) to watch (especially Jim Christian's teams) Kent State play. In short, we were hooked.

There are 2 reasons why we have started to follow the Flashes from a distance over the last few years. Keep in mind we are relatively young and healthy so the trip isn't a problem:

1 - The game-day experience. From the side-ways hat hype man that was rarely in sync with the PA announcer to the nonsense that starting filling timeouts that were generally put together at the last minute and fell flat on their faces...the MAC Center became obnoxious. To have to watch and listen to these futile attempts to "enhance the fan experience" in front of 1,500 or less people was/is laughable...embarrassing really. In my opinion, the pep band, cheerleaders and dance team should be the focus of time-outs at Kent State University's Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center. A few hungry howie giveaways now and then, great. The tricycle race once per game, even better.

2 - The box score below also speaks volumes about how we became I Heart Radio people....and remember, that type of effort was common that season. Maybe it isn't fair to the current roster to point back to that season...but it left a taste.

http://www.kentstatesports.com/boxscore....ll&id=2544

I hate to think that this sounds like me knocking Kent State Basketball. Unfortunately, the above reality "is what it is" for us.

Yeah the Darren Goodson years were hard to watch. We weren't very talented those years. I think k we're back now. And they're not using sideways hat guys any more

I got a feeling if KSU has a good season this year, Senderoff is out of here

(12-12-2015 03:56 PM)fallsdog Wrote:  For reference, we live just outside of Cleveland. 50 minute trip to Kent. Starting around 2003 and goin strong through 2012 we made the trip to home games no matter the weather and added road trips to Akron, Toledo, BG and an occasional jaunt to God's country (Oxford) to watch (especially Jim Christian's teams) Kent State play. In short, we were hooked.

There are 2 reasons why we have started to follow the Flashes from a distance over the last few years. Keep in mind we are relatively young and healthy so the trip isn't a problem:

1 - The game-day experience. From the side-ways hat hype man that was rarely in sync with the PA announcer to the nonsense that starting filling timeouts that were generally put together at the last minute and fell flat on their faces...the MAC Center became obnoxious. To have to watch and listen to these futile attempts to "enhance the fan experience" in front of 1,500 or less people was/is laughable...embarrassing really. In my opinion, the pep band, cheerleaders and dance team should be the focus of time-outs at Kent State University's Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center. A few hungry howie giveaways now and then, great. The tricycle race once per game, even better.

2 - The box score below also speaks volumes about how we became I Heart Radio people....and remember, that type of effort was common that season. Maybe it isn't fair to the current roster to point back to that season...but it left a taste.

http://www.kentstatesports.com/boxscore....ll&id=2544

I hate to think that this sounds like me knocking Kent State Basketball. Unfortunately, the above reality "is what it is" for us.

I 100% agree that the band/cheerleaders/dance team/etc should get more of an emphasis.

Goodson Porrini Manns were all punks. It made it tough. But last year's team had great student athletes and that is continuing. Sendy is here for a long time. King Joel cannot afford to lose another good coach.

(12-13-2015 11:00 PM)KSU93 Wrote:  Goodson Porrini Manns were all punks. It made it tough. But last year's team had great student athletes and that is continuing. Sendy is here for a long time. King Joel cannot afford to lose another good coach.

2/3 I agree on. Porrini played his arse off for us and was just a hard nosed dude.

2013-2014 was tough - that was the 16-16 year. Holt and Evans graduated the year before, and the next wave wasn't quite ready yet. We didn't have many options inside, and Darren Goodson ended up being a focus of our offense early in the season and not up to the assignment. Ortiz and Spicer were sophomores and not quite ready yet. Henniger never really stood out at center, and Melvin Tabb never delivered on his promise, and was tossed off the team late in the season.

We expected Goodson to improve over 2012-2013, but being 6'5" and the only experienced forward, he was overmatched.

I liked Porrini - when he was on the court, from his body language, he looked like he was in command. That's a reat attribute for a point guard to have. Kellon Thomas has that this year. If Porrini was a punk, it was OK, because he was our punk.

(12-14-2015 10:23 AM)Slinkin Street Flash Wrote:  2013-2014 was tough - that was the 16-16 year. Holt and Evans graduated the year before, and the next wave wasn't quite ready yet. We didn't have many options inside, and Darren Goodson ended up being a focus of our offense early in the season and not up to the assignment. Ortiz and Spicer were sophomores and not quite ready yet. Henniger never really stood out at center, and Melvin Tabb never delivered on his promise, and was tossed off the team late in the season.

We expected Goodson to improve over 2012-2013, but being 6'5" and the only experienced forward, he was overmatched.

I liked Porrini - when he was on the court, from his body language, he looked like he was in command. That's a reat attribute for a point guard to have. Kellon Thomas has that this year. If Porrini was a punk, it was OK, because he was our punk.

Yeah, that year was brutal. That was the only time since Kent's run of success started where the Seniors didn't step up. At that time I was very concerned about our coaching staff's ability to recruit and develop players because this type of thing was not common under the previous staffs. The development of Manley, Thomas, Spicer, and Ortiz has since put rest to my concerns. I think we were inevitably going to have a year like that.