The Kent State men’s basketball returns to action Thursday night hosting Niagara after an eight-day hiatus, after falling at Auburn last Wednesday. It was the first loss for the Flashes after starting the season with wins over Louisiana and Miami Hamilton.
The Flashes hopefully used the eight-day break to gear up for an intense stretch of five games in the next nine days. After Thursday, the Flashes head to downtown Cleveland to play Cleveland State Saturday at 7pm and then will head to Canada next week for three games in three days over Thanksgiving break.
KSU assistant Randal Holt was a guest on the postgame radio show following the loss to Auburn.
“It’s big. Our guys need the rest. But in those right days we have to get better as a team. We have to go back to the drawing board, we have to clean some things up and we got to get better. These eight days are very important. We got to attack these eight days with the right mindset. Focus on getting better and focus on cleaning things open up and I think we’ll be fine heading into Niagara.”
In Niagara, under the direction of former Duke point guard and Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus now in his fifth year, the Flashes are getting a team that spreads the floor and shoot threes from every position. They average 29 three point attempts a game. The Purple Eagles fell Tuesday night at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green 76-68.
“Very talented,” KSU Head Coach Rob Senderoff said on the opponent Thursday. “They really push tempo on misses. They shoot it from five positions. They were up at halftime vs. Bowling Green, Detroit and down only four early in the second half at Michigan State.”
Kent State will have to own their matchup defensively and keep the ball in front of them to not have to help off of shooters. With their brand of physicality, the Flashes will have to control the glass and score on top of the basket.
“They are a dangerous team that is very competitive. We will really have to do a great job on closeouts and containing the basketball to stay out of rotations. We must do a great job on the glass and in the paint as well.”
SIGNING DAY: Last week was signing day and Kent State got commitments as expected from Cleveland Saint Ignatius point guard Quinn Woidke and Delaware Hayes front court player Landon Vandenwarker.
Woidke, a Westlake, Ohio native, was the quarterback for the tradition rich Wildcat football team, and broke his collarbone as a sophomore, before giving up the gridiron to focus on hoops.
“One of the ultra-ultra-competitive kids that I’ve watched in AAU,” Senderoff said. “Tough, tough, tough, competitive, never back down type guy. I think he’s going to add a ton of toughness and competitive spirit to our team. Somebody we had targeted for a long time, recruited very, very hard and excited that he’s here also.”
Vandenwarker who transfered to Delaware Hayes last season and led them to the Ohio State semifinal before falling to Woidke and the Wildcats.
“Landon had a lot of interest from a lot of schools but chose to come to Kent,” Senderoff said. “He’s a faith based young man who will be a part of FCA when he arrives to Kent. Great, great family and really excited for him to be here. He committed without taking an official visit which tells you just how much he believed in our program and Kent State.”
Both Woidke and Vandenwarker appear on Mr. Basketball watch lists in the state of Ohio. Games begin in Ohio on November 27.
Kent State is set to lose seven seniors off this year’s team so they will be signing a number of guys this spring between the portal, high school ranks and JUCO players.