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

(03-03-2012 10:06 PM)JimJoyce Wrote:  FlashFan... as always you make some outstanding, reasonable and effective points.
But consider this for a moment in with respect to simplification... aren't we basically the same team in 2011-2012 that we were in 2010-2011? I certainly see a lot of the same elements. Last year we lost a tight game to an average Cleveland State team despite leading. We needed OT to beat Furman at the MAC Center. We rarely blew inferior opponents out. We dropped a head-scratcher at home to James Madison. We allowed a career game to McCullough and needed a bailout offensive foul at the end to survive at home against an inferior Lehigh team. We lost at Miami late. We needed an unbelievable rally in the final minute on the road to beat Western Michigan and we laid an egg in the Bracket Buster. We missed free throws that cost us a championship. We beat St. Mary's when they turned it over curiously in front of our bench and the WCC MVP missed an inexplicable layup as time expired. We then beat a high school team in Connecticut no one ever heard of and finally ran out of gas in the altitude of Colorado.

This year we beat WVU at 10 o'clock in the morning with the Coliseum at 1/3 of its normal capacity with a major roster turnover. We again lost to an average Cleveland State team. We absolutely stole one on the road against Western Carolina in a game that should have been over at halftime. We were about to lost to JMU again before the switch went off and played in my opinion the best 16-minute stretch of basketball we have all season on the road. Much like the rally at WMU a year before, three clutch plays saved our West streak at Eastern Michigan. We laid an egg in the Bracket Buster and again kept Buffalo winless at the MAC Center by coming from behind. We lost again at Miami late. We finished two games behind the pace of last year's team and I can't but wonder if maybe that's right where we should be.

I don't know, just interesting food for thought. I do believe KSU will play well Thursday and likely win against a West team and give itself an opportunity to dispatch Akron to the NIT. But then again I'd also say the conditions are certainly right for that West streak to end and leave the good guys hoping for a CBI call.

For if there's one thing we know, these Flashes have left us expecting the unexpected for two years. They must be an extremely difficult team to scout, that's for damn sure.

Jim Joyce,

This was a very interesting morning coffee read. The previous post from Flashfan along with this one are thought provoking. Your post in particular had me step back and think of 2 things.

First, I believe that hiring Senderoff as the head coach is an example of why Kent State is in the mix year after year. It has been well documented that KSU does not offer a new, state of the art arena or superb practice facilities. But the ability and commitment to keeping people in the first few chairs on the bench that understand what it takes to win at Kent State is worth something. In this case, it has been worth 20 wins, a bye in the tournament and finding a way to keep a ship that was seemingly in big trouble together and in position to acheive their ultimate goal. Right now that trend looks to be in good shape with a staff of assistants made of up two former players, an assistant who has been here for a few years now, and Basketball Ops Director who is fresh off a playing career at KSU.

Second, there are some realities that fans of MAC teams have to face in order to "keep it real." Your rundown of the similarities of the last two seasons are a great example. Maybe the schedule that the Flashes play isn't perfect. We could all think of teams that KSU should play to replace, say, JMU. BUT, using the last two seasons as an example it shows that they are playing programs that offer some pretty competitive and enjoyable basketball.

JJ, I appreciate your points as well. And, I didn’t think about the comparison between two seasons.

I hope I am clear on one thing: Rob Senderoff will be a great coach. He’s not there yet, but he will be. I’m glad he’s on our bench.