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

(04-27-2016 12:28 PM)cleveland Wrote:  FOOD FOR THOUGHT ... and conversation. --- Of the JC newcomers coming in, which ones could Kent State realistically have recruited as a freshman???

... On the other hand, how would you feel if KSU signed 6-8, 250-pound sophomore Raesean Davis from Mid-Major U. with career averages of 2 ppg and 2 rpg. And he still has to sit a year before he played.???

Just curious ...

Yeah, but...them 2ppg 2 rpg averages are in 8 minutes a game. Anyone who hasn't got into the rotation is going to have numbers like that. And he was playing behind 2 seniors and an All-MAC.

If you compare his numbers per 40 minutes, he compares well to Chris Ortiz, Davis had 12.9 points per 40 minutes and 10.2 rebounds; Ortiz was 12.2 and 8.7. He was ahead of where Spicer and Ortiz were as sophomores. Per 40 minutes, he compared about the same as Henniger as a senior

I think he would have fit in the rotation inside next year. I'm also worried that we're going to get the reputation as someplace where nobody stays for 4 years.

You can project anyone over 40 minutes if you want, but Davis would have been hard pressed to stay on the floor for half that based on foul trouble and conditioning. So a few points and few rebounds can be replaced by someone with more upside.

I tend to agree with SSF. But danny's point leads me to the question, who is really to blame about Davis' conditioning. The real answer is that the blame is shared.

The apologists will tell you:
"But the coaches can only do so much" and "Kent State's budget just doesn't allow for a strength and conditioning program"

(04-28-2016 01:29 PM)fallsdog Wrote:  I tend to agree with SSF. But danny's point leads me to the question, who is really to blame about Davis' conditioning. The real answer is that the blame is shared.

The apologists will tell you:
"But the coaches can only do so much" and "Kent State's budget just doesn't allow for a strength and conditioning program"

It's been proven over the years that wt. loss/ conditioning/stamina is more a product of self motivation ... while wt. gain/muscle gain/retention is more a product of that strength and conditioning program.

Whorton, Brandon Parks, even JGreene among others all came to Kent with different degrees of wt/strength/stamina issues and overcame them. Davis showed signs of doing the same, but just did not stick it out.

(04-28-2016 02:43 PM)cleveland Wrote:  

(04-28-2016 01:29 PM)fallsdog Wrote:  I tend to agree with SSF. But danny's point leads me to the question, who is really to blame about Davis' conditioning. The real answer is that the blame is shared.

The apologists will tell you:
"But the coaches can only do so much" and "Kent State's budget just doesn't allow for a strength and conditioning program"

It's been proven over the years that wt. loss/ conditioning/stamina is more a product of self motivation ... while wt. gain/muscle gain/retention is more a product of that strength and conditioning program.

Whorton, Brandon Parks, even JGreene among others all came to Kent with different degrees of wt/strength/stamina issues and overcame them. Davis showed signs of doing the same, but just did not stick it out.

Well, all I can say is that however they go about it, they need better players. There were several KSU teams from 1999 through 2002 or 2003 whose SECOND TEAM was better than that group this past season.

This was a good team until Pollared got hurt. Remember they were 15-5 and we were all excited.

Then we could be in trouble with one of our "new" players who weighs 300 lbs......

Lets hope the coaching staff isn't as naive as some who think its on this 19/20 year college kid to learn how to be healthy all of a sudden.

HoopDirt.com can confirm that Hampton Associate Head Coach Akeem Miskdeen will become an assistant at Kent State. He will replace DeAndre Haynes who took a similar position at Toledo back in early April. Miskdeen has been on the Hampton staff for the past five seasons, serving the last three as the associate head coach. This past season, he helped guide the Pirates to a 21-11 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance. He has also been an assistant at Mount Olive College (NC) and Wingate University (NC). The official announcement is expected within the next few days.

(05-09-2016 01:11 PM)dannyb73 Wrote:  HoopDirt.com can confirm that Hampton Associate Head Coach Akeem Miskdeen will become an assistant at Kent State. He will replace DeAndre Haynes who took a similar position at Toledo back in early April. Miskdeen has been on the Hampton staff for the past five seasons, serving the last three as the associate head coach. This past season, he helped guide the Pirates to a 21-11 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance. He has also been an assistant at Mount Olive College (NC) and Wingate University (NC). The official announcement is expected within the next few days.

Really interesting off-season --- to replace Haynes with a Division I associate head coach (albeit from MEAC???) has to be considered some level of an upgrade. His bio indicates Chicago roots, which now gives Kent a recruiting presence in Chi-town along with New York (Sendy), Michigan-Indiana (Haut) and the JC ranks (Steinberg).

Combine that with getting a Big East post player (DeLaRosa), a C-USA PF (Edwards) and a Mtn. West PG (Zabo) plus a quality JC shooter (DeBerry) ... about the only thing missing is team chemistry.

Considering how other mid-major programs have cracked or crumbled in similar situations (senior transfers, coaching defections, graduations), one can argue Sendy needs a one-year extension just for holding it all together.

If JH has matured into a true team leader???, after this team finds its legs it could be a very tough out come February and March.

I am encouraged and optimistic. At least now we will not have the little mascot or assistant-assistant coach running around the bench and huddles during the games. I thought that was one of the most unprofessional things I had seen at the D1 level. Wonder if Toledo will put up with it.

(05-09-2016 04:06 PM)GFlash68 Wrote:  I am encouraged and optimistic. At least now we will not have the little mascot or assistant-assistant coach running around the bench and huddles during the games. I thought that was one of the most unprofessional things I had seen at the D1 level. Wonder if Toledo will put up with it.

Agreed. He made me nervous too.

(05-09-2016 03:51 PM)cleveland Wrote:  

(05-09-2016 01:11 PM)dannyb73 Wrote:  HoopDirt.com can confirm that Hampton Associate Head Coach Akeem Miskdeen will become an assistant at Kent State. He will replace DeAndre Haynes who took a similar position at Toledo back in early April. Miskdeen has been on the Hampton staff for the past five seasons, serving the last three as the associate head coach. This past season, he helped guide the Pirates to a 21-11 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance. He has also been an assistant at Mount Olive College (NC) and Wingate University (NC). The official announcement is expected within the next few days.

Really interesting off-season --- to replace Haynes with a Division I associate head coach (albeit from MEAC???) has to be considered some level of an upgrade. His bio indicates Chicago roots, which now gives Kent a recruiting presence in Chi-town along with New York (Sendy), Michigan-Indiana (Haut) and the JC ranks (Steinberg).

Combine that with getting a Big East post player (DeLaRosa), a C-USA PF (Edwards) and a Mtn. West PG (Zabo) plus a quality JC shooter (DeBerry) ... about the only thing missing is team chemistry.

Considering how other mid-major programs have cracked or crumbled in similar situations (senior transfers, coaching defections, graduations), one can argue Sendy needs a one-year extension just for holding it all together.

If JH has matured into a true team leader???, after this team finds its legs it could be a very tough out come February and March.

In addition to them and JH, another former CUSA guy, Deon Edwin, was great down the stretch when he figured some things out. He also was playing hurt (had to have surgery immediately after the season). I feel like he could be a very important piece next season.

Not that this means anything at all, but Miskdeen went to the same juco (several years before) that Deon Edwin came from. He sounds like a good hire. Not sure I would call it an upgrade because I think Haynes has a bright future but Miskdeen seems like he might too. It'll be interesting to see if he's got an in with a player to take the open scholarship. Sounds like he's more of a guard coach/recruiter though and we're likely looking for a big so maybe not.

(05-09-2016 04:06 PM)GFlash68 Wrote:  I am encouraged and optimistic. At least now we will not have the little mascot or assistant-assistant coach running around the bench and huddles during the games. <snip>

Yeah - I thought letting DeA Jr out on the court was done to keep DeA Sr here, so I guess that didn't work. Maybe it was an Adam LaRoche situation - "if you're asking me to follow the rules that everyone else has to follow, then I'm out of here"

I didn't see any harm in Haynes' kid being by the bench. I found it amusing to watch him practicing his dribbling off to the side during pregame. He's got some decent handles for a kid that size.

That youngster was probably the best true point guard the program has seen in a few years.

(04-26-2016 09:19 PM)anti-zip Wrote:  Assuming we're not holding that scholarship for Andrews or Y. Hall, there is a 6'7" 215 lbs. forward named Tre'Darius McCallum from Indian Hills that I believe is unsigned. Averaged 11.8 pts, 6.4 rebs, shot 55.5% from the floor and and was 31-76 (40.8%) from three. That size and outside shooting ability could cause some match up problems at the 4 in the MAC. The familiarity with Deberry and Zabo might make it easier to deal with the high turnover.

No idea if we were actually trying for McCallum but he's off the board. Committed to Seton Hall.

Jimmy Hall made it official and is coming back to Kent for his senior year. Not much of a surprise.