The Kent State men’s basketball program secured a verbal commitment from one of the top lead guards in the state of Ohio in the class of 2025 on Thursday when Cleveland Saint Ignatius’ Quinn Woidke pledged to play for the Golden Flashes. The 6-1 dynamic guard took an official visit to Kent State this past weekend.
After initially playing quarterback for the tradition rich St. Ignatius football program until this year, the move to focus on basketball has paid off.
It’s a major get for Head Coach Rob Senderoff and his staff to land Woidke. He was a priority in the recruiting process and they beat out the likes of MAC rivals Ohio and Miami (OH) and mid-major powerhouse College of Charleston and their massive NIL collective, along with Duquesne and Furman among others.
KSU saw Woidke on the AAU circuit, at Midwest Live in June, open gyms among many other settings, and they got the lead guard they coveted.
“Kent started recruiting me very early,” Woidke said Thursday. “Me and Sendy just built a relationship over time and he is a guy that I can trust to be my coach once I get to college.”
One of the main things that attracted Woidke to KSU was the tradition of the program in general, but also the tradition of top point guards who have flourished in the program. Film sessions between Senderoff and Woidke, studying legendary Kent State point guard Sincere Carry and breaking down his game and the similarities that the Flashes’ brain trust saw in Woidke was something that helped seal the decision for him.
“A huge impact,” Woidke continued. “I have had multiple meetings where it’s Sendy and I breaking down play from Sin and translating it to my game. And to get those comparisons was a huge deal to me.”
Woidke, a Westlake, Ohio native plans to major in either Business or Sport Administration. Owner of a 3.54 GPA , Woidke gets to stay close to home.
“Staying close to home was a big thing. My parents and family have done so much for me and they should have the privilege to be at my games.”
Woidke helped lead his team to the Division I State Championship in Ohio during the 2023-2024 season. Woidke’s Ignatius teammate Damon Friery commited to Dayton this week, another Kent State target.
Lyndon Brooks is the General Manager for the Ignatius boys basketball program and an assistant coach and has seen Woidke perform the last several years.
“Kent State is getting a competitor,” he said. “They are getting a guard who can score in the paint and who can score from deep. He’s a high IQ player who scores when needed or facilitates for his teammates. Quinn shines in the biggest moments. He’s proven himself to be a leader in our program and that will continue on at Kent State.”
The commitment of Woidke continues the growing trend of KSU winning recruiting battles in Northeast Ohio. Three of the top programs in the area will be represented in the coming years at Kent with Woidke (Ignatius), freshmen Jonas Nichols (Hoban) and DeAndre Jones (Garfield Heights) on the current roster. They join Mike Bekelja (Solon), Jamal Sumlin (Rhodes), and Marquis Barnett (Brunswick) as Greater Cleveland products.
Woidke is a tough lead guard, a great leader and a winner. Here’s hoping he is hoisting multiple MAC Tournament trophies to get to the big dance in his Kent State future, just a few blocks from where he plays high school ball.