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

I just wish those couple of calls would have gone our way. We got to within 5 in spite of it. It would have been interesting to see how UCLA would have reacted to a tie game. Overall we turned what could have been a terrible season into one of our better ones. It was a nice finish.

The MAC didn't help themselves this year though. Out of 10+ mens and women's teams only Akron won a tournament game. That won't be conducive to getting more bids in the future.

(03-18-2017 07:29 AM)cleveland Wrote:  

(03-18-2017 12:47 AM)bopol Wrote:  I was thinking on this a bit.

For most of the Senderoff years, he had a promising team that folded at the end. Often times, the folding was due to injuries and there was some bad luck, but the teams in general underperformed in Feb and March. This year, it was reversed. A team that didn't look all that promising at all got their act together and won 9 out of 10 against the top competition in the MAC and earned the NCAA bid.

I've been happy with Coach Senderoff fixing what I thought was going wrong and I'm happy he did it without the team collapsing to 10-20 seasons, but now I'm hoping he, the coaching staff and the team can build off this experience and get back to being one of the elite teams in the MAC year in and year out again. Congrats to the team for a great year!

The offensive profile of this team will likely change, and it's hard to see ADR being more than a 15-20 minute backup inside at best. But if the team can keep its defensive and rebounding identity, and find a strong baseline scorer or two, it should be successful.

Senderoff has run his offense through the post consistently since he has been here. Unless he finds somebody like JGreene or JH in the next few months that might have to change.

Interesting times ... JWalker looks great as the No. 2 scorer ... interesting to see how that evolves, too.

Overall, I was pleased last night. Cut the lead to 4 in the second half and fought the refs and UCLA. Hell after the refs gave them the free 5 points (the missed OB call on UCLA and the negated AND1 for Hall, we were only down 6). Easily could have quit at that point. That said.....

I would argue last night we didn't have a defensive identity. We didn't force turnovers and while it's true UCLA did what they do to everyone in regards to 97 points, they way they got them was troubling for me. We allowed them so many absolutely wide open looks. Seriously, have you ever heard of a team going 12 minutes and not missing a single shot? (I know the answer is yes, but not very often) Kudos to them for knocking down shots, but I thought on the defensive end we just could have brought it a little more.

Part of the problem may have been a fear to get Edwin, Walker and Hall in foul trouble. Heck, even Peterson or Avery. Play off their shooters a bit and hope maybe UCLA goes cold rather than risk having to sit those guys for extended periods.

This was a moral victory, folks. Despite the referees. The Ball/Zabo call was the worst.

Eh. Maybe a moral victory for fans??

But the players...there should be no head hanging but I don't expect the players, particularly the seniors would agree with that. The way they played last night proves it, if that makes sense.

(03-18-2017 09:53 AM)FlashPan Wrote:  This was a moral victory, folks. Despite the referees. The Ball/Zabo call was the worst.

Personally, I disagree with both of these statements. There is no such thing as moral victory and IMO the worst call was the Hall AND1 they took away.

Burden, the situation now is such that the MAC is a long way from being other than a one-bid league.

The competitive showing against a UCLA, though, might help recruiting. At any rate, it can't hurt.

This team acquitted themselves very well. They played with heart and desire that you would expect from a Kent State team. No quit. Good show guys! Just ran out of gas against a group of better athletes. On the day, I didn't think UCLA was a better team, just had better athletes.

Go Flashes!

(03-18-2017 11:31 AM)Muskrat Wrote:  Burden, the situation now is such that the MAC is a long way from being other than a one-bid league.

The competitive showing against a UCLA, though, might help recruiting. At any rate, it can't hurt.

I agree we're a long way from being a multiple NCAA bid league. With this years performance in the men's and women's NIT etc even those might become tougher to get. The women in particular who were ranked tenth in the country performed poorly. Toledo got beat up in the NCAA and the other five teams lost in the 1st round in their tourneys. Only CMU was even close to winning.

(03-18-2017 12:47 AM)bopol Wrote:  I was thinking on this a bit.

For most of the Senderoff years, he had a promising team that folded at the end. Often times, the folding was due to injuries and there was some bad luck, but the teams in general underperformed in Feb and March. This year, it was reversed. A team that didn't look all that promising at all got their act together and won 9 out of 10 against the top competition in the MAC and earned the NCAA bid.

I've been happy with Coach Senderoff fixing what I thought was going wrong and I'm happy he did it without the team collapsing to 10-20 seasons, but now I'm hoping he, the coaching staff and the team can build off this experience and get back to being one of the elite teams in the MAC year in and year out again. Congrats to the team for a great year!

Fire Senderoff.

I watched Jimmy Hall and company tear up the top 3 teams in the MAC in Cleveland by playing with fire and emotion. They out worked, out hustled, and out wanted it more than the other teams, and it was obvious. As an Ohio fan it reminded of the DJ Cooper years, those teams lived for March and believed they could beat any team, any time any where. That's what Kent St looked like to me in Cleveland.

But the team that stepped out on the court against UCLA didn't have that fire, they looked nervous and tight. They seemed overwhelmed by the moment. Eventually they got into the rhythm of the game and saw that they could compete and that fire and emotion returned, bringing them all the way back to within 4pts before running out of gas. Its a shame too because without the slow start the outcome could have been very different.

I put that on Sendy and the coaching staff. It was their job to get the players into the right mindset before the game and it didn't happen. Congrats on a good run.

(03-18-2017 07:36 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  

(03-18-2017 12:47 AM)bopol Wrote:  I was thinking on this a bit.

For most of the Senderoff years, he had a promising team that folded at the end. Often times, the folding was due to injuries and there was some bad luck, but the teams in general underperformed in Feb and March. This year, it was reversed. A team that didn't look all that promising at all got their act together and won 9 out of 10 against the top competition in the MAC and earned the NCAA bid.

I've been happy with Coach Senderoff fixing what I thought was going wrong and I'm happy he did it without the team collapsing to 10-20 seasons, but now I'm hoping he, the coaching staff and the team can build off this experience and get back to being one of the elite teams in the MAC year in and year out again. Congrats to the team for a great year!

Fire Senderoff.

I watched Jimmy Hall and company tear up the top 3 teams in the MAC in Cleveland by playing with fire and emotion. They out worked, out hustled, and out wanted it more than the other teams, and it was obvious. As an Ohio fan it reminded of the DJ Cooper years, those teams lived for March and believed they could beat any team, any time any where. That's what Kent St looked like to me in Cleveland.

But the team that stepped out on the court against UCLA didn't have that fire, they looked nervous and tight. They seemed overwhelmed by the moment. Eventually they got into the rhythm of the game and saw that they could compete and that fire and emotion returned, bringing them all the way back to within 4pts before running out of gas. Its a shame too because without the slow start the outcome could have been very different.

I put that on Sendy and the coaching staff. It was their job to get the players into the right mindset before the game and it didn't happen. Congrats on a good run.

Once you learn to swim the next test is to jump off the 10-foot diving board. Easier said than done. No matter how much 'coaching you've had' the jump is on you.

Being from Ohio, I can understand why you would like to have Senderoff gone ... but this was nothing more than a learning experience for coach and players ... just like the one Buffalo had, and others before that ...

Until the MAC gets a 2012 draw like Ohio against a Michigan team that had all the athleticism of a phone book ... and a South Florida team that couldn't score with a hooker ... and then couldn't finish the deal against a team without a point guard ... the league is destined to get draws like UCLA.

Take those rose colored glasses off ... be proud of Ohio's run .. that's understandable ... but Akron, Western Michigan, Buffalo and now Kent should not be smudged just because they weren't dealt the same hand Ohio was ... that's the breaks. Live with it.

(03-18-2017 07:36 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  

(03-18-2017 12:47 AM)bopol Wrote:  I was thinking on this a bit.

For most of the Senderoff years, he had a promising team that folded at the end. Often times, the folding was due to injuries and there was some bad luck, but the teams in general underperformed in Feb and March. This year, it was reversed. A team that didn't look all that promising at all got their act together and won 9 out of 10 against the top competition in the MAC and earned the NCAA bid.

I've been happy with Coach Senderoff fixing what I thought was going wrong and I'm happy he did it without the team collapsing to 10-20 seasons, but now I'm hoping he, the coaching staff and the team can build off this experience and get back to being one of the elite teams in the MAC year in and year out again. Congrats to the team for a great year!

Fire Senderoff.

I watched Jimmy Hall and company tear up the top 3 teams in the MAC in Cleveland by playing with fire and emotion. They out worked, out hustled, and out wanted it more than the other teams, and it was obvious. As an Ohio fan it reminded of the DJ Cooper years, those teams lived for March and believed they could beat any team, any time any where. That's what Kent St looked like to me in Cleveland.

But the team that stepped out on the court against UCLA didn't have that fire, they looked nervous and tight. They seemed overwhelmed by the moment. Eventually they got into the rhythm of the game and saw that they could compete and that fire and emotion returned, bringing them all the way back to within 4pts before running out of gas. Its a shame too because without the slow start the outcome could have been very different.

I put that on Sendy and the coaching staff. It was their job to get the players into the right mindset before the game and it didn't happen. Congrats on a good run.

Surely you jest with your comment about firing Sendy. UCLA was a 17 point favorite. Maybe Texas Southern should fire their coach because Duke whipped their ass. Or OU should fire Phillips because KSU beat them twice. Let's just judge all coaches on 1-2 games. F it. Fire them all.

(03-18-2017 07:53 PM)cleveland Wrote:  

(03-18-2017 07:36 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  

(03-18-2017 12:47 AM)bopol Wrote:  I was thinking on this a bit.

For most of the Senderoff years, he had a promising team that folded at the end. Often times, the folding was due to injuries and there was some bad luck, but the teams in general underperformed in Feb and March. This year, it was reversed. A team that didn't look all that promising at all got their act together and won 9 out of 10 against the top competition in the MAC and earned the NCAA bid.

I've been happy with Coach Senderoff fixing what I thought was going wrong and I'm happy he did it without the team collapsing to 10-20 seasons, but now I'm hoping he, the coaching staff and the team can build off this experience and get back to being one of the elite teams in the MAC year in and year out again. Congrats to the team for a great year!

Fire Senderoff.

I watched Jimmy Hall and company tear up the top 3 teams in the MAC in Cleveland by playing with fire and emotion. They out worked, out hustled, and out wanted it more than the other teams, and it was obvious. As an Ohio fan it reminded of the DJ Cooper years, those teams lived for March and believed they could beat any team, any time any where. That's what Kent St looked like to me in Cleveland.

But the team that stepped out on the court against UCLA didn't have that fire, they looked nervous and tight. They seemed overwhelmed by the moment. Eventually they got into the rhythm of the game and saw that they could compete and that fire and emotion returned, bringing them all the way back to within 4pts before running out of gas. Its a shame too because without the slow start the outcome could have been very different.

I put that on Sendy and the coaching staff. It was their job to get the players into the right mindset before the game and it didn't happen. Congrats on a good run.

Once you learn to swim the next test is to jump off the 10-foot diving board. Easier said than done. No matter how much 'coaching you've had' the jump is on you.

Being from Ohio, I can understand why you would like to have Senderoff gone ... but this was nothing more than a learning experience for coach and players ... just like the one Buffalo had, and others before that ...

Until the MAC gets a 2012 draw like Ohio against a Michigan team that had all the athleticism of a phone book ... and a South Florida team that couldn't score with a hooker ... and then couldn't finish the deal against a team without a point guard ... the league is destined to get draws like UCLA.

Take those rose colored glasses off ... be proud of Ohio's run .. that's understandable ... but Akron, Western Michigan, Buffalo and now Kent should not be smudged just because they weren't dealt the same hand Ohio was ... that's the breaks. Live with it.

c'mon, you're summarizing losing in overtime to a #1 seed with 3 first team all-ACC players as "couldn't finish the deal against a team without a point guard"? lol, ok. Don't forget you also have to mischaracterize a #3 seed Georgetown in 2010.

you're making excuses. You can't tell me you were happy with how your team looked for the first 15 minutes of the game because they didn't look anything like the team you had watched win 9 of the last 10. This isn't about winning or losing, just last year Buffalo came out and lead Miami(FL) for most of the first half, they didn't win but Oats had them ready to play.

I wasn't saying you should literally fire Sendy but I think he does deserve some criticism for not getting the team into the right mindset at the beginning of the game, that's all. If you disagree and think there's nothing wrong I won't argue with you.

First we get a troll from UCLA who has only posted 20 some times in 12 years (only on football until this week) and now someone from Ohio who wants to fire our coach because our team came out cold. By the way what did Ohio do in their post season game?

It is difficult to tell sometimes on this bbs when someone is being sarcastic. Earlier in the year I was one of Senderoff's biggest critics, although I don't think I ever called for his firing. Maybe I did. I'm not sure. But, the way the team performed the last several weeks I believe he deserves a lot more time. He's had good teams and he's had mediocre teams and we need to see what the future holds. He deserves that. As for his being blamed for the slow start against UCLA, I don't agree. There is no way a coach with his years in basketball doesn't know how to prepare a team for such a game. I'm sure he did what needed to be done. Sometimes slow starts just happen, even to good teams. I think UCLA deserves their fair share of credit for that. Heck I've seen good teams with first-rate coaches get off to lousy starts even against BAD teams, lots of times. Let's see what he and his assistants can do with the returning talent and the newcomers. I have an open mind, but reserve the right to be critical when warranted.

+10000 Muskrat, in more ways thend one.

(03-19-2017 11:04 AM)fallsdog Wrote:  +10000 Muskrat, in more ways thend one.

I think what's not fully grasped about Senderoff and this particular team is its youth ... Yes, Hall and Edwin were transer seniors, but other key components down the stretch were sophomores Avery, Walker and ADR, and freshman Peterson, then to a lesser degree freshmen Pippen and AWalker. ADR aside, the rest are 4-year recruits.

This team has always welcomed transfers, and likely always will. But the backbone for the near future is four-year guys which bodes well for the future ... the same thing is going on at Western Michigan, Ohio, Buffalo and Akron ... this league is not going anywhere but up.

(03-19-2017 01:37 AM)perimeterpost Wrote:  you're making excuses. You can't tell me you were happy with how your team looked for the first 15 minutes of the game because they didn't look anything like the team you had watched win 9 of the last 10. This isn't about winning or losing, just last year Buffalo came out and lead Miami(FL) for most of the first half, they didn't win but Oats had them ready to play.

I wasn't saying you should literally fire Sendy but I think he does deserve some criticism for not getting the team into the right mindset at the beginning of the game, that's all. If you disagree and think there's nothing wrong I won't argue with you.

So you're saying we should all be pissed because we started off the game badly and Senderoff is to blame? Did you actually watch how the game started? Hall got bottled up inside a couple times, Peterson tried to get in the lane but missed badly after being challenged, and Avery had a corner three blocked. All the plays that failed early were plays that worked well against weaker MAC opponents (like OU). It sure looked like our flat offensive start was entirely due to UCLA's length on defense. How exactly would you purpose our coaches prepare them to play against guys that are bigger than anyone they've played against? We don't exactly have 7 foot tall practice squad players. Look dude, we weren't going against OU, we were going against UCLA.

Would I have liked to see us start out better, sure. But I'm still very satisfied with how we adjusted after being hit in the mouth and figured out how to deal with their size. I suppose our coaches don't deserve any credit for making adjustments to get us back in it?

all I'm saying is that the team I was impressed with over the last 10 games of the season came out flat and stiff and it was frustrating to see. It wasn't just UCLA making plays, it was the body language, and I felt like it was on the coaches to have them better prepared.

But based on your comments you were just happy to be there and get a participation trophy ("look dude, this wasn't OU it was U-C-L-A!!! omg emjoi"). So if you guys are fine with it then I'll say no more.

(03-19-2017 07:24 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  all I'm saying is that the team I was impressed with over the last 10 games of the season came out flat and stiff and it was frustrating to see. It wasn't just UCLA making plays, it was the body language, and I felt like it was on the coaches to have them better prepared.

But based on your comments you were just happy to be there and get a participation trophy ("look dude, this wasn't OU it was U-C-L-A!!! omg emjoi"). So if you guys are fine with it then I'll say no more.

The fact is that KSU came out and it took some time to get adjusted to the speed of the game and the length of UCLA. Those are the facts. That has nothing to do with preparation. If YOU choose to want to point fingers, so be it. I am quite certain nobody here was just looking for a participation trophy. That said, we can reflect on what was a MAC Championship and find the positives.