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

There's really good insight in the last three posts on the women.

A healthy Poole should have produced six to eight points a game, far better than anyone we've seen off bench so far. I don't think she would have started; Katie Shumate is averaging eight more points and two more rebounds than Poole did last year. Shumate also plays better defense. But they could have gotten at least 15 good minutes a game out of Poole. Sadly, it doesn't look as if she'll be close to 100% this season.

Flashes didn't have a true 5 on offense last season. Barber-Smith was a great rebounder and good defender. But she rarely touched the ball on offense and averaged three points a game. Poole played when Barber-Smith didn't, and she was more of a wing guard playing out of position.

Still a second strong post player this season would made a big difference. Team tried unsuccessfully to recruit a graduate transfer. Next year 6-4 Linsey Marchese, a transfer from Indiana, is eligible, and 6-4 recruit Lexi Jackson arrives on campus.

Teams are obviously working really hard to shut down Lindsey Thall's 3-point shooting. It's going to take some differently designed plays to get her open. Thall's inside game, never much last season, seems to have regressed.

Eastern did a good job of muscling Blackford in the post Wednesday. Ball State, though, couldn't handle her and she scored 23. Big challenge Saturday when she plays Breanna Mobley of Western Michigan, one of the best post players in the MAC.

No floor leader? An interesting thought. Carter can be too quiet. The other four are freshmen and sophomores.

Dingle was supposed to have worked on her 3 in the off-season, but we sure haven't seen it.

Incoming guard Casey Santoro is also 5-4, but she's made 10 3-pointers in a game. She's already a two-time first-team all-stater and is averaging 25 points on an undefeated team.

I still think assists and the bench are the keys to this team. If they can run their offense better, the shooting percentage and scoring should go up. Key to the bench in Clare Kelly, who's supposed to be a very good 3-point shooter. But she hasn't shown it except against Hiram, which is hardly a good test. Starkey obviously believes in her. He's started her three times.

Separately, my game report card is posted at http://wbbFlashes.com. Failing grades to shooting percentage (34) and assists (seven).