Kent State senior guard Corynne Hauser is back healthy after 16 months off the court, and is ready to produce and lead her young teammates.
Hauser missed the entire 2025-2025 with a torn ACL. She also missed the end of the 2023-2024 NCAA tournament season with a hip injury that required surgery.
Now as a senior, she will be asked to juggle the interesting paradox of finding her own playing rhythm, and leading a team with high expectations. Kent State was picked to win the MAC when the preseason poll was released last week. We talked to Hauser October 28 during our Kent State Basketball Preview Show.
“It’s been a long 16 months to recover from the past two seasons then last year missing the whole season,” she said. “I’m happy to say I’m fully back to playing, back to full contact, back to everything, no restrictions, so that’s a very positive thing going into tomorrow’s first exhibition game.”
“Mentally, I’m just very excited to get back out on the court with my teammates. Last year I had a lot of opportunities to learn and it was a long season to sit and watch, so I’m just very excited to get back on the court.”
When Hauser broke in as a freshmen, she was playing alongside experienced fourth and fifth year players around her.
A native of Rochester, Pennsylvania, Hauser seriously considered going to nearby Duquesne to compete in the Atlantic 10. As fate would have it, her first college start was at Duquesne.
It’s been a long ride since then for Hauser with ups and downs.
“I almost feel like I’m a freshman all over again just because of how long I’ve been out, the fact that I haven’t really played with too many of the girls on the team yet,” Hauser said. “I also have a lot of experience. I have been here for three years, going on my fourth and I’ve had the opportunity to learn from a lot of great leadership before me that left a lot in me to pass down to the newer players coming in.”
Hauser wants to be a college basketball coach someday, and that’s part of the reason why she chose Kent State. Head Coach Todd Starkey has hired two of his former players on staff in current coaches Paige Sailsbury and Alexa Golden.
She also gives back to her hometown of Rochester, by hosting and running free basketball camps for the area youth, something she’s done since her senior year of high school.
Always a gentler voice, Hauser will be asked to lead more this year, something that should only help her coaching down the road.
“So naturally I’m more of a quiet person, more of a quiet leader,” she said. “In the past I’ve been more of a lead by example person. Just the dynamic of the team this year, Coach Starkey has pushed me to be more vocal, build a connection more on the court and that has to bring out more of my vocal side. That’s been a learning process.”
Starkey is proud of his senior guard, and ready to watch her compete again.
“She’s been an incredible person to coach, not without struggle just like so many of our players coming in, but to watch her go through some of the injuries that she’s battled through and to be back at this point where she’s ready to play again,” he said. “It takes a lot. I’m really proud of her and her growth and how she’s gotten to this point, and I know she’s just ready to get out there and just play, so exciting for us as a coaching staff going through that process with her and to see her ready to do that again.”
MID-MAJOR SHOWDOWN:
Kent State opens the regular season Monday at James Madison in round one of the MAC vs. Sun Belt Challenge. James Madison is ranked #3 in the CollegeInsider.com Top 25 Mid-Major women’s poll and the Golden Flashes are #10.
MAC foe Ball State is ranked #11.
Monday’s game is at James Madison and will tip off at 6:00pm on ESPN+.