Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Flash Preview

The Falcons make a trip East to Kent for a game tomorrow against the Flashes, the MAC's signature program. Ask any fan or coach what they want to be, and they will say, Kent. And, if anyone says you can't sustain consistent success in the MAC, Kent proves it can be done, and not at a premier MAC venue.

Kent has ten straight 20 win seasons, spanning across four coaches. Through each transition, the progress has continued. And, of course, there's an Elite Eight run in there, too.

It is a transition year again in Kent. Jim Christian left for greener pastures, and former OU guard Geno Ford is the coach there now.

This may be the year the streak comes to an end, but it doesn't mean Kent won't be going back to the Big Dance. They are 7-8 with 15 games left, so obviously, the numbers are against them. They could easily with the EAST and the MAC Title, however, even without twenty wins.

Kent has three very good players
....Al Fisher, Chris Singletary, and Tyree Evans. In fact, Evans, who is a transfer, has carried the team offensively over various times this year. However, they do not have a terrific amount of depth, and this has been a weakness for them. This was made worse with Rashad Woods (who they were counting on to contribute) deteriorated and then was suspended.

When you look at their season, they don't have any real big wins or bad losses. They beat a decent St. Louis on the road, but wins over North Carolina-Central, UNC-Wilmington, Youngstown State, UNC-Greensboro, Shawnee and @Hampton are less stellar.

On the other hand, their losses are to @Kansas, (improved) @Cleveland State, @Temple, (n)Texas A&M, St. Mary's, (n)Illinois, and @OU, along with a home loss to Western Carolina, probably their most disappointing result thus far. They had a five-game losing streak at one point this year.

If Kent can win the MAC, it is mostly because of their strong upper classmen, because their team is hardly bullet-proof. To win, via Kenpom.com.

They are a slightly more offensively-oriented team, 2nd in the MAC in points per possession and third in effective FG%. They are 12th in turnover% however, and 8th in offensive rebounding. They also don't get to the line much and are a terrible free throw shooting team (59%).

On defense, they are fourth in MAC in points per possession, and defend the shot well, with only a couple teams allowing a lower effective field goal%. They are 7th in defending their own defensive boards. They do lead the MAC in creating turnovers on the defensive end, so this is something the Falcons will need to watch.

They are certainly tough in their gym. Over the past two seasons, they are 21-2 at home, including a 16-0 record last year.

This will be a huge win if the Falcons can pull it off. Certainly, Kent is not showing itself to be unbeatable, and their swagger seems to be waning a little. Still, they have three really good players, need a win, and are at home...an uphill climb for the Falcons.

To win, BG will need to take care of the ball, play lock down D, and exploit average rebounding from the Flashes. Our biggest advantage is depth. If we can get Kent into foul trouble or get them tired late in the game, we might have a shot.

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