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

First-round tournament game against Bowling Green game starts at 7 p.m. at the M.A.C.C. Winner advances to the quarterfinals at Quicken Loans Arena Wednesday to play Buffalo.

Coach Todd Starkey said last week that he thought this year's team had outperformed the group that won the MAC East two years ago.

He argued the league and schedule was much tougher (stats bear him out) and that the this year's team was 50 percent new to Division I basketball and had four freshmen among top eight players. The 2016-17 team had returned intact from the previous year.

I'm not sure I agree. The division championship came out of nowhere; the player may have been the same, but they had won six games the year before and 18 in the previous four years. The 2016-17 team won 19 games in one season.

This year's team certainly exceeded my expectations. I think it exceeded Starkey's, too. But it wasn't as magical as two years' ago.

It all makes for a good read on the blog at http://wbbflashes.com, along with detailed preview information on Monday's game.